Blackened S84 Toro

Step right up and join me, as today I press play and take a deep dive into Blackened’s latest EP release, the S84 “Shade to Black.” Teaming up with Drew Estate once again, they’re bringing you a lighter side to the Blackened portfolio.

The Blackened M81 burst onto the scene in 2022, being bold and unapologetic, like Metallica’s early releases. Now, enter the S84 “Shade to Black.” It’s like a redux—a fresh take on the maduro-heavy original. The S84’s core stays true to Blackened’s maduro roots, containing a mix of Nicaraguan maduro and Pennsylvania Broadleaf secured together with a Connecticut Broadleaf binder. The S84 then shows you a more refined appearance, as it hides those dark and brooding tobaccos beneath an Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade leaf.

This latest collaboration between the triple threat of James Hetfield (of Metallica fame), Rob Dietrich (the master distiller behind Blackened Whiskey), and Jonathan Drew (of Drew Estate) was first released to the masses as an unknown Freestyle Live pack—just as its predecessor, the M81, was. This allowed DE fans a chance to ponder what the cigars were before the official release. Keeping with the M81’s theme, S84 represents the wrapper leaf (shade, in this case) and 1984, the year of Metallica’s second album, Ride The Lightning. The album includes the song “Fade to Black,” which is the inspiration behind the line’s naming.

Blackened S84 Toro Breakdown

Now, I’m not going to spoil the review, so I’ll let a few quotes from the men behind this blend close out the introduction.

“‘Shade to Black’ is more than just a cigar for us, it’s a celebration of passion and a tribute to the craftsman who strives for excellence in their lives.” —James Hetfield

“This collaboration of artistry just keeps kicking the door in on innovation! The ‘S84 Shade to Black’ is a powerhouse of a cigar, and there are times where vision and reality not only coexist, but thrive to excel and change the very landscape of an industry. This is that kind of cigar! It is a flavorful tango of the palate, balancing the easy taste of the Connecticut Shade wrapper with the rich maduro of the binder and filler.” —Rob Dietrich

“The new S84 Shade to Black is a must-try for any Connecticut Shade smoker. It’s like a deep, dark, rich Connecticut that’s smooth as silky velvet, plush with triple plushness.” —Jonathan Drew

Appearance

The banding of the Blackened S84 is simple and well executed. A thin black and white band surrounds the body of the cigar, which is the same band that adorns the M81. There is also a foot band declaring its “S84 SHADE TO BLACK” namesake in the same black and white format.

I’ve come to expect a high-quality roll from Drew Estate cigars, and the S84 does not disappoint. The golden straw-colored wrapper leaf is applied evenly and near-seamlessly tight around the inner tobaccos. The leaf itself has very small veins running through it, and a light waxy appearance gives the stick a nice shine. The cigar is of average heft, and is very firm—giving only slightly to pressure. No soft spots or lumps are felt on inspection.

Inhaling deeply with my nose against the body of the S84, I’m met with sweet dried grass and walnut shells. There is a light black pepper in the background. The foot has more dried grass with a wafting menthol that I barely pick up. The aromas I am noticing are suggesting that looks may be deceiving when it comes to this one.

A straight cut of the head of the cigar reveals cold-draw notes of dried hay, raw nuts, honey cream, and light peppercorn. The draw is a good, but a little bit looser than ideal: 7/10.

Smoking Experience

The soft golden wrapper requires me to be extra vigilant in my toasting of the foot of the S84, so as not to scorch it. The foot itself actually takes a little more flame than I normally attribute to a Connecticut Shade cigar. I can’t help but think that the hearty tobaccos inside this toro are the reason behind this. Taking two or three slow puffs delivers thick, mouth-coating smoke that is layered with dried grass, hay, cream, and a light peppercorn. The finish is very long, effortlessly lingering on the palate between puffs. Flavor is medium, body is medium, and strength is mild/medium right off the bat.

The S84 “Shade to Black” Toro has moved past the intro, and is now fully committed to the melody of its tune (okay, I apologize for the cheesy music analogies; I promise I’ll keep them to a minimum). The sweet, grassy hay continues to be the dominant flavor, balanced by the thick cream. A few new notes are coming forward, including a nice raw walnut that mixes with a light lemon zest. It’s a nice combination, and gives an added brightness to what has been a more weighty smoking experience for a light-wrapped cigar. The draw has maintained at a good but slightly looser than ideal 7/10. Retrohaling this stick is not difficult, due to a big roasted nut component that heavily tempers the sharp white pepper note, making itself known when you do so. Flavor has picked up to medium-plus, body remains at medium, and strength hasn’t moved from mild/medium.

Burning well past the halfway mark is where things get “iffy” for the S84 Toro. I smoked three cigars for this review, and I had a different smoking experience with each. The consistent thing for all three is that the first half of the stick is more enjoyable than the second half. For a 6″ x 54 toro, the Blackened S84 is burning rather quickly. This isn’t saying that it is of poor construction; the ash is holding on solidly to almost an inch and a half before falling and the burn line has only a slight wave. It’s just smoking faster than how most cigars of this size burn for me. The smoke remains thick and voluminous, pushing into an almost oily feeling on my tongue. The dried grass sweetness has settled down, and is taking on an acidic citrus aroma. There is also a marked increase in raw walnut that now has acquired a dry mesquite wood note. It’s not a great change. The nutty and wood profiles are not mixing very well, and when combined with the continued peppercorn on the finish, it gives a dry and biting sensation on my tongue and sinuses. The retrohale brings more of the same roasted nut and white pepper, as well as a generic dried wood character. Flavor maintains at medium-plus, body at medium, and strength almost pushes medium.

Shortly after I take the band off of the Blackened S84, I hear the sound all cigar smokers dread: the crinkling sound of the wrapper cracking. This happened in two out of three cigars smoked for this review, and I feel that it is important to include. Flavors are growing more and more bitter and uninteresting. Burnt black coffee takes on an overly acidic profile as it mixes with a rough green hardwood note. Heavy white pepper coats my palate between puffs, and what little remains of the sweet dried grass is pulled by the lingering pepper into more of a dry composted grass. There has been no shifts in flavor, body, or strength. Flavors are flat, and I find myself completely okay with the cigar ending at this point.

Would I Smoke This Cigar Again?

Yes, I would (and I will). Here’s the thing that I have found while smoking not only the S84, but also the M81. When these cigars are on, they are very enjoyable, and I want to smoke more of them. The problem I have is that there tends to be inconsistencies in the lines from stick to stick. One toro I smoked for this review may have been one of the most ammonia-laden cigars I’ve had in a long time, while another was by far the best of any of the S84s I’ve smoked to date. When you combine that with the dramatic drop off in smoking experience in the second half, I have to be a little harsh with my review. I have seen how good this line can be, and that is the standard I am going to hold Drew Estate to. DE is one of my favorite brands, and I probably smoke more of their cigars than any other company. On top of that, Metallica is a core part of my youth. This should tell you that I am rooting for the Blackened line, but I am not going to give them a clean pass.

• The Blackened S84 “Shade to Black” currently has 146 check-ins on dojoverse.com, ranking 870th out of 5,400 cigars, with a “smokable” rating of 94%.
• The S84 is the second collaborative release between James Hetfield, Rob Dietrich, and Jonathan Drew.
• The cigar is currently available in four vitolas:
  • Corona (5″ x 43) – $9.75 MSRP
  • Robusto (5″ x 50) – $10.00 MSRP
  • Toro (6″ x 52) – $10.50 MSRP
  • Corona Doble (7″ x 50) – $11.00 MSRP

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