Cigar Review: Drew Estate My Uzi Weighs a Ton Bait Fish

As I was perusing the selection at a tobacconist recently, a five-pack of Bait Fish caught my eye. After all, you don’t see too many cigars packaged in brown paper bundles.

I picked up a pack for several reasons. One, I know when I’m buying a Drew Estate product I’m going to have a good experience. Two, I don’t have enough smaller cigars in my regular rotation. Three, in most cases, I much prefer the concept of a five-pack to a full box of 20 or 25 smokes. And finally, the price point ($31.95, or $6.39 per Bait Fish) provides affordable access to high quality.

When My Uzi Weighs a Ton (MUWAT) was announced a few years back—presumably named for the Public Enemy song—MUWAT only came in three sizes, all with a 60 ring gauge (5, 6, and 7 inches long, respectively). Since, the team at Subculture Studios has released the smaller Bait Fish size (4 x 44). At first, Bait Fish was exclusive to online retailer New Havana Cigars, but in 2012 the line went national.

A quick refresher: MUWAT is made at the Joya de Nicaragua factory with leaf mostly from Drew Estate, including a San Andrés Negro wrapper, Connecticut Capote binder, and Brazillian Mata Fina filler, along with Nicaraguan filler from Joya de Nicaragua’s own tobacco stocks. It’s rolled at Joya de Nicaragua but was blended by Jonathan Drew of Drew Estate. This is probably why the Drew Estate name isn’t featured on the soft pack or the band; instead, you’ll find “Subculture Studios” and “by Subculture Studios and JDN.”

According to reports, the Bait Fish size in particular was tweaked to add more Ligero to create a stronger smoke. It certainly has the look of a little firecracker. The wrapper is oily and dark with a slight Colorado hue. The feel is moderately firm from cap to foot, and the pre-light notes feature cocoa, coffee, and earth.

After using a punch cut—the guillotine would likely remove too much tobacco from such a small smoke—and setting an even light, the Bait Fish opens with a medium- to full-bodied profile of chocolate, dry oak, natural tobacco, and faint white pepper spice. The taste remains mostly the same, but the intensity ramps up after only a half inch.

From there, this is definitely a full-bodied smoke, and a great way to get big flavor in a short amount of time. Construction is fantastic throughout, including an effortless draw, straight burn line, and massive smoke production.

When my colleague reviewed the Bait Fish three years ago, he called it “focused, intense, flavorful, and well-made.” I completely agree. I’d also add “good value” to the mix, even though some might say $6.39 is a lot to pay for a small smoke (I personally think that’s a fair price for this cigar). In my book, this little gem is worthy of four stogies out of five.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here.]

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys