ACID Cigars

It all started in 1996 at the height of the cigar boom when cigar fanatics and frat brothers Jonathan Drew and Marvin Samel founded Drew Estate. The history of the ACID brand started with Drew and Samel feeling that the marketing needed to line up with the groundbreaking and spectacular new cigar blend. The duo began by selling their first brand, La Vieja Habana, out of their small 16 square foot kiosk at the World Trade Center in New York City. When a devastating hurricane in Nicaragua halted production in 1998, Drew Estate needed to pivot to something else.

Little did Drew and Samel know, however, that their next move would alter forever alter the premium cigar landscape and make Drew Estate a household name. At the time, the only flavored cigars on the market were value-oriented machine-made cigars and cigarillos, and the common belief was the cigars were flavored to mask the taste of sub-par tobaccos. ACID Cigars set out to change that perception.

While Samel was busy in the DUMBO neighborhood of Brooklyn raising capital for the fledgling Drew Estate, Drew spent much time down in Nicaragua to learn all about the traditions, art, and methods of cigarmaking. What Jonathan Drew learned inspired the methods he would use to create ACID Cigars.

If you’re wondering what an ACID Cigar is, it’s not your typical cigar. ACID Cigars are famous for their one-of-a-kind flavors and aromas, created through a unique infusion process. Instead of using heavy syrups or sprays like you find with many machine-made flavored cigars, ACID takes a different approach. They cure their high-quality tobaccos in special aroma rooms filled with over 140 herbs, spices, botanicals, and essential oils. The tobacco never actually touches these ingredients—instead, the rich aromas slowly seep into the leaves over time. The result is a smooth, flavorful smoke that’s packed with character but still lets the quality of the tobacco shine through. It’s a completely different experience from anything else out there.

With such a groundbreaking and spectacular new cigar blend, Drew and Samel felt the marketing needed to line up. Drew Estate’s small office in Brooklyn was shared with Scott “Acid” Chester, an up-and-coming artist with a penchant for urban, industrial, graffiti, and motorcycle style. Drew and Samel thought Chester’s work was the perfect fit for the new cigar blend, and the ACID brand was born!

Today the ACID Cigars brand portfolio encompasses a star-studded lineup of deliciously good blends all produced at the famous La Gran Fabrica Drew Estate cigar factory in Estelí, Nicaragua.

Part of the Blue Series, the Blue Kuba Kuba is widely considered the most popular offering under the ACID umbrella. Other members of the Blue Series, such as the Blue Blondie and Krush Blue are also best-sellers among aficionados.With so many choices it can be hard to know where to start, so we came up with a Acid Cigars buying guide to help you pick the right cigar for you.