For a long time, flavored cigars were dismissed as novelty cigars. They were seen as cheap knockoffs only enjoyed by amateur smokers.

Not anymore. Drew Estate flipped the script when they created their infamous brand of unique infused cigars branded ACID. Even the name ACID sounds dangerous and enticing. ACID cigars are among the most popular flavored cigars in the United States.

A Little History

ACID cigars are produced by Drew Estate; a company that seemingly came from nowhere to be one of the most successful cigar conglomerates in the world. Drew Estate was founded in 1995 by Jonathan Drew and Marvin Samuel. But their first cigar line, La Vieja Habana, failed due to the effects of Hurricane Mitch.

Jonathan Drew went back to the drawing board. He spent years in Nicaragua experimenting with different tobacco blends, spices, essential oils, and other botanical ingredients. Jonathan Drew recognized the need for well made flavored cigars so he studied the different infusion methods.

Finally, in 1999, ACID cigars were conceived. To this day, the ingredients and blends in ACID cigars are a closely guarded secret and only four people know the secret to the infusion process. But boy, the flavors in these babies are mouth-watering!

I attribute this to the essential oils. ACID cigars are flavored in a delicate infusion process. The cigars are placed in containers in specialized rooms where they are exposed to a variety of aromas, herbs, and flavor extracts. These botanical ingredients slowly infuse into the wrapper and filler. Finally, the cigars are wrapped in plastic and “cured” for 3 to 8 months to allow the flavors to balance out.

The ACID brand produces 4 blends- ACID Blue, ACID Purple, ACID Gold, and ACID Red. Each line has its own list of cigars. Cumulatively there are around 20 different cigars under the ACID brand.Today we will focus on ACID Kuba Kuba; a cigar featured under the ACID Blue line along with Blondie, Krush, and 140cc.

About Acid Kuba Kuba

ACID Kuba Kuba is hands-down the most popular of all the ACID cigars. The flavors on this baby are so bold and inimitable that even a hard-core fan, like myself, can’t quite describe them. It's the Drew Estate modus operandi; no two ACID cigars taste the same.

The Kuba Kuba is an exquisite blend of fillers draped in a dark and oily Natural Sumatra leaf wrapper. Like all ACID cigars, this baby is hand-rolled in Nicaragua, Esteli. It's a chubby cigar measuring 5 x 54. 

We can’t even guess the fillers in this stogie but we do know Drew Estate seldom uses tobacco from a single country. Most of their fillers are blends from 3 to 4 countries. They also employ strict quality-control measures when selecting the leaves so you can expect lots of premium tobacco in the fillers.

Construction and draw of the ACID Kuba Kuba and all ACID cigars is flawless. This is because the draw is tested by weight rather than a draw-testing machine. In fact, Jonathan hates draw-testing machines. In his words, “They are garbage!"

ACID Kuba Kuba Flavors

ACID Kuba Kuba is a floral powerhouse. It gives off sweet aromas, bits of spice, coffee, wood, and faint tobacco notes.
The floral notes are so potent that you can smell them through the cellophane wrapper. Once you remove the cellophane, the aroma hits you like a saccharine bouquet of flowers. It is not the pungent, chemical smell typical with other flavored cigars, it’s a fresh, candied efflorescent aroma. 

The tasting notes are mainly honey, a bit of spice (if I had to guess, I would say cloves), wood, and coffee. If you are not particularly a fan of dessert-like sweetness, you may need to psychologically prepare. This cigar opens with tons of honey-like glace and floral notes.

The good news is, sugar subsides going into the mid third while shy notes of tobacco and earth come to the forefront. Even if you don’t like the overwhelming sugary disposition in the first few draws, hang in there.

This cigar balances out well. The sugared notes blend with spice, earth, and wood flavors. Retrohale is a delight with tiny espresso notes and fleeting tobacco nuances.

As the cigar closes, there are more premium tobacco notes with subtle coffee, wood, and earth.One helpful note. If you draw too fast or the cigar drops the ash, you will experience the initial sugar blast from the first draw. So, I found that smoking it slowly or waiting for it to cool once the ash falls corrects that mishap.

Why Do People Choose ACID Kuba Kuba Over Other Brands?

As previously stated, ACID Kuba Kuba is a unique experience. For one, it is a well-orchestrated cigar that guarantees a flavor surprise every time you pick one up.

Second, Drew Estate did not just churn out another mass market flavored smoke; they took time to create a good cigar. Albeit flavored, ACID Kuba Kuba can be enjoyed by both seasoned smokers and newbies. This is because Drew Estate uses premium tobacco blends and revolutionary flavoring methods to create delectable cigars.

Third, people love a mystery. The fact that ACID cigar flavors are almost impossible to describe adds to the hype. After all, who wouldn’t want to experience something inexplicable?

How Did ACID Kuba Kuba Become the Top Selling Flavored Cigar in the US?

Additionally, ACID Kuba Kuba was the first cigar in the line to shoot to the top. This cigar has done so well that
it has spawned four additional blends namely the Kuba Kuba Maduro, Kuba Kuba Green, Kuba Deluxe, and Kuba Grande Kuba Grande. For starters, no one can argue with quality. ACID Kuba Kuba is a great cigar that is widely popular not only in the US but across the world. The cult following enjoyed by the ACID brand comes from quality and consistency.

Moreover, ACID Kuba Kuba resonates with the regular smoker. The masses of die-hard fans swear by the  value. It goes for between $7 to $10 a stick depending on where you buy it.

And finally, Drew Estate is fond of reaching out to their customers in a bid to incorporate their ideas. This has been a great way to encourage word of mouth marketing.

Final Words

ACID Kuba Kuba is a benchmark in the flavored cigars arena. If you have never had an ACID Kuba Kuba, you are missing out. This is a 5-star stogie with a cult following to boot. Light up an ACID Kuba Kuba and find out what all the fuss is about!