Hi Cigar Pals: I was thinking the other day (Don’t worry, I didn’t hurt myself) that I tend to do my cigar reviews on the more mid to high end sticks, but everyone doesn’t have the budget to spend $10 – $15 on 1 cigar.
So I thought that I would turn you on to a couple of my favorite bundles. The Drew Estates Cigars Factory Smokes are probably the best bang for your buck on the market.
You can pic them up for about $32 – $33 for a bundle of 25, that’s about $1.30 a stick, you really can’t get a cigar of this caliber anywhere else for that price
Next up in the bundled division, is the Alec Bradley Cigars Select Corojo, which is a Little more pricey, but still a good value for the money, a bundle of 20 for $55.29 that’s about $2.76 per stick.
What Drew Estates, says about Factory Smokes
Skillfully manufactured at La Gran Fabrica Drew Estate, alongside the same buncheros and rolleros who create premium cigars, Factory Smokes by Drew Estate are economically priced due to their bulk manufacturing and less expensive bundle packaging.
A handmade value priced line of cigars perfect for sharing with your friends on a Monday, mowing the lawn, washing the car, you know, smoke it, enjoy it, toss it if you must, then grab another.
From the Wynwood Safehouse, Jonathan Drew, Founder & President of Drew Estate, “Our expansion in the bundle business was a decision we did not take lightly.
Bundles aren’t glamorous and the efficiency required to produce them effectively is not easily reached, which is why there aren’t a ton of entrants innovating in the value priced space.
This is long overdue for Drew Estate, and when we reached the production scale required to compete we knew we wanted to do what we do, and disrupt the space with an innovative, deep value line of quality smokes for a broad set of thrifty individuals.”
(Taken from Drew Estates website)
Drew has only been doing bundles since 2018, but I think it was a great idea on their part and I am glad they didn’t just throw some scraps together, but used high quality tobacco for these sticks.
JR Cigars has this to say about Factory Smokes
From the highly skilled artisans who created Liga Privada, Undercrown, and a slew of other top-rated blends, comes the Factory Smokes by Drew Estate cigars. Offered in four popular sizes that are dressed in Sun Grown, Shade, and Maduro wrappers, over Indonesian binder and filler tobaccos, these are not factory seconds, just an affordable line of bundled cigars that offer the everyday smoker that great Drew Estate quality and taste. There’s even a sweet tipped variety that adds just the perfect touch of brown sugar to the flavor profile. The ideal smoke for the golf course, yard work, barbecuing, or sharing with friends, when it comes to value-priced bundled cigars, Factory Smokes by Drew Estate cigars are truly best in their class!
(This Excerpt was taken from their site)
Pick Up A Bundle Below
What’s Under The Hood
Wrapper:Maduro
Binder:Indonesia
Filler:Indonesia
Factory:La Gran Fabrica Drew Estate (Nicaragua)
Production:Regular Production
Vitola:Robusto 5” x 54
Vitolas:
Robusto: 5″ x 54 | $1.60 (MSRP) | $40.00 / bundle of 25
Toro: 6″ x 52 | $1.70 (MSRP) | $42.50 / bundle of 25
Churchill: 7″ x 50 | $1.80 (MSRP) | $45.00 / bundle of 25
Gordito: 6″ x 60 | $2.10 (MSRP) | $52.50 / bundle of 25
How’d She Run
Start: 11:38 AM End: 1:06 PM Burn Time: 1:28
Aroma: Earth, Espresso. Cinnamon
Cold Draw: Earth, Espresso
Construction: Toothy dark oily wrapper, tight seams, small veins, slightly loose compact, single cap, open foot
Draw: Slight tightness, no problem
Burn: Nice and even, no touch ups, ashes drop in 1” segments.
Flavor Profile:
Light Up: Very light pepper in back of throat and retro hale.
First Third: Earth, Wind and Fire (no wait) Earth, Espresso and Cinnamon and a dash of pepper for seasoning.
Second Third: The Earth and Espresso still in the forefront, cinnamon is just barely still there, the pepper is getting a bit stronger in the back of my throat.
Final Third: Still earthy, espresso and pepper. The cinnamon pretty much disappeared.
Notes: For a bundled cigar, that will run you about $1.30 a stick, You just can’t beat the Factory Smoke. Not only is it a decent smoke, but their is even a bit of complexity to it.
What CI says about the Select Corojo
Packaged in affordable bundles of 20, Select Corojo allows you to get a taste of boutique charm, at a price point that can land it in your everyday rotation. Up top is a high quality Corojo wrapper that coats a core of Nicaraguan grown long-fillers. They burn smooth and slow, providing flavors of coffee, natural tobacco, baking spice, and sweet earth. Pick up a bundle today to get a taste of this celebrated brand.
(The above was borrowed from Cigars International Website)
What’s Under The Hood
Strength: Medium
Size: Toro
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo
Binder: Sumatra
Filler: Nicaraguan
How’d She Run
Aroma: Earth, cinnamon, spice, caramel
Cold Draw: leather, Caramel, spice
Draw: open
Burn: Nice white ash, dropped of in 1” chunks, even burn, softens slightly
Construction: Caramel colored wrapper, one slight blemish, firm, small veins, tight wrap, triple cap, open foot
Flavor Profile:
Start: 11:21 AM End: 12:13 PM Burn Time: 0:43
Fire up: Rather Tobbacoey (is that even a word) Reminded me of when I first started smoking cigarettes, spicy (red pepper in back of throat)
First Third: Earth, Oak, Caramel
Second Third: Earth, Oak, Caramel fading to the back
Final Third: Still Earth and Oak, got a little soft at the end
Notes: The flavor profile stayed about the same all the way through. Not real complex, but flavorful enough to keep my interest throughout. They get points for a band that peals off easy and the triple cap.
These are just two bundle cigars
These are just two of the hundreds of the bundle cigars out there and I highly encourage you to search out other deals on bundles and hopefully you will share them with me in the comments section below.
I know a place in Florida City, FL where they even specialize in cigar bundles, guess what their name is…. Cigar Bundles of Miami and if you follow that link, you will go to the post I did about them.
If you decide to get some cigars there, be sure to tell Alex or Jackie, that Chuck from Cigar Pals sent you!
I won’t make anything if you do, but they will probably appreciate me mentioning them in the blog and that I am thinking of them.
So to purchase some inexpensive bundle cigars, check out Drew Estates Cigars or Alec Bradley Cigars. I provided a link to both of them above (I do make money if you go to JR Cigars, but won’t make a penny at CI, unfortunately JR doesn’t carry the Alec Bradley Select Corojo).
Hope y’all enjoyed the post and feel free to comment or ask questions in the comment section.
Till next time Cigar Pals
Smooth Smokin!
Chuck,
I enjoyed your Drew Estates Cigars | Alec Bradley Cigars | Bundle Cigars Review. I have tried both the Factory Smokes snd the Select Corojo and I must say I really like them both. Very smooth and not real peppery, like you said. I also like the fact (for the Select Corojo anyway) that it’s a shorter smoke. But both cigars are a great medium cigar. Thanks
Hi Deb: Thanks for checking out my post Drew Estates Cigars | Alec Bradley Cigars | Bundle Cigars. Yes they are both very nice sticks that I highly recommend if you are looking for a nice bundle cigar.