Drew Estate has announced a shake up to its extensive portfolio of cigars today, as it has just informed retailers that it is discontinuing the MUWAT line, the majority of the Larutan line, and its Lounge Exclusive cigars. It is also moving the FSG line to be an exclusive for Corona Cigar Co., which is headquartered in Orlando, Fla.
The MUWAT line came to light in the summer of 2011, though didn’t get its widespread release until later that year. Its history traces back to the company’s Cigar Safari tours, and in particular, tours for a group called B.O.T.L., or Brothers of the Leaf. It originated out of a blending session for those on the tour that was led by the team at Joya de Nicaragua, which is where the regular production cigar would eventually be produced, mainly using Drew Estate’s tobaccos. It debuted in three vitolas, a 5 x 60, 6 x 60 and 7 x 60, coming in paper-wrapped, 10-count bundles, but shifted to wood boxes for its packaging in 2014. It was originally known as My Uzi Weighs a Ton, a reference to a song by the rap group Public Enemy, though eventually came to be known by the MUWAT acronym.
Since its debut the line added a number of new sizes either as store exclusives or regular production vitolas, including a 7 x 70 in 2013.
While it is being discontinued, retailers will still be able to order the MUWAT line, though Drew Estate will not be producing any more once its current stock is depleted. Additionally, while the Kentucky Fire Cured line uses the MUWAT acronym on its bands and packaging, that line is remaining in the portfolio.
The majority of the Larutan line is also being discontinued, effective immediately, and has been removed from the company’s price sheet. One of the company’s aromatic cigars, it combines Nicaraguan tobaccos with traditional black tobaccos grown in Syria, Turkey, St. James Parish in Louisiana and elsewhere. Each front mark in the line has its own blend, with flavor profiles ranging from mild to bold. It had originally been called the Natural line, but in 2017 the company changed it preemptively in light of potential FDA regulations by reversing the spelling.
The exception to the news about the Larutan lines is that the Larutan Egg and Larutan Egg Maduro will both still be available for order. Those cigars are known for having a very distinctive 5 1/2 x 100 shape, reminiscent of a snake that has just confirmed a sizable meal.
Also being removed from the price list is the Drew Estate Lounge Exclusive series, all 6 x 50, box pressed toro vitolas in six lines: Herrera Estelí, Liga Privada No. 9, Undercrown, Tabak Especial Negra, Tabak Especial Dulce, and Laturan. They debuted in September 2015 as an exclusive for Corona Cigar Co.’s Sand Lake store, which was home to the first Drew Estate Lounge in the country. Since that time, more retailers have been added and the release has become more widespread.
Finally, Drew Estate announced that it is making the FSG line an exclusive for Corona Cigar Co. effective immediately, meaning other retailers will no longer be able to order the line. Corona Cigar Co. is owned by Jeff Borysiewicz, who also owns the farm where Florida Sun Grown tobacco is grown, and which the cigar is centered around.
“Over the last two years, everyone has faced incredible challenges to their everyday lives, including how they do business,” the company wrote in an email to retailers. “Together, we have faced untold and unforeseen difficulties as well as opportunities that have caused us all to pause and reflect on our business practices, customer service philosophies and product offerings. Occasionally, we need to adjust our product portfolio to account for changing market preferences, to ramp up production of products that are in more demand than others or to introduce compelling new products.”
One note of good news is that the company confirmed that it is not implementing any price increases to its portfolio at this time.
I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury and the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for MLB.com, plus I’m a voice over artist. I previously covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.
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