An Evening with Blackened Cigars, Rob Dietrich & Drew Estate at Boisdale London | GQ Tobaccos

On Friday evening, I had the pleasure of attending a very special Blackened Cigars event at Boisdale of London, courtesy of Tor Imports. The evening brought together a number of retailers from across the premium cigar industry for an unforgettable night of cigars, food, whisky and conversation.

The event was made even more memorable thanks to the presence of some very special guests. Joining us for the evening were Rob Dietrich, Master Distiller and co-founder of the Blackened brand, David Cruz from Drew Estate, and Ricardo Ortiz. It was a fantastic opportunity to spend time with the people behind one of the most talked-about premium cigar collaborations in recent years.

Cigars on the Terrace

The evening began on the beautiful terrace at Boisdale, overlooking the London skyline. Upon arrival, guests were presented with a selection of Blackened Cigars to enjoy throughout the night.

The selection included:

• Blackened M81 by Drew Estate
• Blackened S84 Shade to Black
• An extremely rare and unreleased Blackened M81 Lancero, a cigar currently unavailable to the public and only obtainable directly from Rob Dietrich himself.

I decided to begin the evening with the Blackened S84 Robusto. For those unfamiliar with the blend, the S84 "Shade to Black" offers a milder, creamier smoking experience compared to the darker and more powerful M81. Produced by Drew Estate, the S84 features a silky Connecticut Shade wrapper while still retaining the rich character and complexity that Blackened Cigars have become known for.

The Story Behind Blackened Cigars

Following drinks on the terrace, we moved inside for dinner where Rob Dietrich shared the fascinating story behind the Blackened brand.

Many cigar enthusiasts will already know that Blackened Cigars are the result of a unique collaboration between Drew Estate, Rob Dietrich and legendary heavy metal band Metallica.

The Blackened name itself originates from Metallica's iconic song "Blackened" from their 1988 album ...And Justice for All. Rob Dietrich, who serves as Master Distiller for BLACKENED American Whiskey, explained how his background in whiskey and long-standing relationship with the band eventually led to the creation of the Blackened cigar range alongside Drew Estate.

One of the most interesting aspects of the BLACKENED whiskey story is the use of "Black Noise" - a proprietary process where Metallica's music is used during the finishing stage of the whiskey maturation process. The sound waves generated by the music are said to influence the interaction between the whiskey and the oak barrels, creating a truly unique product.

It was fascinating to hear first-hand how the same passion, creativity and attention to detail has been carried across into the Blackened cigar portfolio.

Smoking the Unreleased Blackened M81 Lancero

After dinner, we returned to the terrace for what proved to be one of the highlights of the evening.

I lit up the unreleased Blackened M81 Lancero - a cigar that many enthusiasts would undoubtedly love to see become a regular production release.

The Lancero vitola really showcased the blend beautifully. Rich, intense and full-bodied, it delivered bold notes of espresso, dark chocolate, black pepper and earth throughout the smoke. Despite its power, the cigar remained perfectly balanced and exceptionally enjoyable from start to finish.

The Lancero, undoubtedly a standout smoke and one that I hope Drew Estate and Blackened Cigars decide to release more widely in the future.

Finishing the Evening with the Blackened M81 Toro

To round off a fantastic evening, I finished with a Blackened M81 Toro.

The M81 is perhaps the flagship cigar within the Blackened range and is renowned for being one of the strongest blends ever produced by Drew Estate. Featuring a dark Mexican San Andrés Maduro wrapper combined with a Connecticut Broadleaf binder and Nicaraguan and Pennsylvania Broadleaf fillers, the cigar delivers a bold, rich and uncompromising smoking experience.

The M81 continues to be a firm favourite amongst fans of full-bodied premium cigars and it's easy to see why.

Final Thoughts

A huge thank you must go to Tor Imports for organising such an enjoyable and informative evening.

Events like these provide a wonderful opportunity not only to sample exceptional cigars, but also to hear directly from the people responsible for creating them. It was fantastic to catch up with friends and colleagues from across the industry, learn more about the Blackened and Drew Estate partnership, and spend time with Rob Dietrich, David Cruz and Ricardo Ortiz.

The combination of great cigars, excellent company, superb food and the unique setting of Boisdale made for a truly memorable evening.

We look forward to seeing what the future holds for the Blackened Cigars brand and, hopefully, one day seeing that incredible M81 Lancero make its way into regular production.