Drew Estates Factory Smokes Sweets (Robusto)

[chain_gang]

Intro / Pre-Smoke Judgement:

I've been curious of the 2nds, Fumas, Factory Smokes, etc. sticks ever since I noticed them. I've read mixed things, but I want first hand knowledge and experience. Luckily a store I'll be frequenting more often carries singles, so I picked one up to see if a bundle was a wise purchase. DE has never let me down, and if you've been reading up on my run of recent budget smokes, you know I'm back in that green zone and the streak has been going strong.

Initial Puffs:

-Syrupy cap. Kinda tastes like a knockoff version of the DE Leather Rose. It's not bad, but you can tell it's lower grade. Kinda bubblegummy and fake sugar flavors.

-The tobacco isn't to bad. It's light but I couldn't tell if it was infused right away.

-Retrohale offered a better taste of the syrup (which is wierd), and the tobacco flavor is kinda smooth and offers a decent bite.

-Overall tolerable for the price.

Afterwards:

-It quickly becomes a rough smoke, but not harsh.

-The syrup quickly becomes like the bad aftertaste of fake sugar - I HATE FAKE SUGAR, IT'S GOD AWFUL!

-The retrohale is very wierd. At first it's OK, then it worsens and worsens as smoke exits. The taste becomes kinda sour and chemicalish.

-I wonder if it's the syrup that's being burned is what is causing the unpleasant flavor. Like how oil smoking point temperatures cause oil to harshen or turn bad after a certain temperature is violated.

-The unpleasantness hits the gut and causes it turn more and more.

-I tried to soldier-up and stay with it, but $3 wasn't worth it. Tossed about an inch in.

Trial By Smoke Judgement:

This was by far the WORST cigar I've ever had. For $1-3, there's a vast amount of pleasurable sticks compared to these. However, I did learn a lot with my $3. I learned to NEVER buy a budget bundle no matter how cheap or enticing it may be. I will stick with singles of all curiousities I come across, and will simply wait until a single is found - even if that means my curiousity remains through untold time and experience. STRONGLY ADVISE THE BUMS TO STAY AWAY FOR THIS STICK. However, I DO HIGHLY RECOMMEND it to the explorers amongst the Bums that want first-hand knowledge - JUST FIND A SINGLE. I still want to try other DE Factory Smokes singles, but pray they are better.

*Last pic is where I tossed - note it's not far into the smoke.

[WNYTONY]

Agree - the worst of the 4. Try the maduro - it's not nearly as hideous.

[FireTom]

Agree - the worst of the 4. Try the maduro - it's not nearly as hideous.

What he said! Don't condemn bundles just because a sweetened cigar was bad. It's that nasty sweet taste that keeps me(and I'd bet most people) away from infused cigars. The Maduro is pretty good for the price point.

[chain_gang]

What he said! Don't condemn bundles just because a sweetened cigar was bad. It's that nasty sweet taste that keeps me(and I'd bet most people) away from infused cigars. The Maduro is pretty good for the price point.

I'm not a infused fan either, but do enjoy a change-up from time to time. My tum tum was all kinds of messed up from this stick, and I can only salute or pity (not sure which one) those who buy a bundle of these because they're cheap and are not knowing what to expect because singles are almost nonexistant. I only strongly advise to find a single before "investing" in such a "deal".