I don't remember the Drew Estate Tabak Especial having that sick sugar sweet coating. Wasn't too bad of a smoke for infused tobacco.
-John
It does have it, but it's not as heavy or super sweet as others. Once you get that out of the way, it's pretty delicious. However, they're better as chewing tobacco TBH. The draw is impossible, and the tobacco is not bad but not really of note.
Eegeland, I am a newb myself and have found pretty quickly that searching out hints and arrays of flavors in the world of traditional cigars is much more interesting than a smack of flavor artificially done in a flavored. Things like Tabak Especial, or Oliveros Gold Cognac, or Cojimar Vanillas, or whatever, they all can be very one dimensional. The problem with that is that a true flavor such as vanilla or cognac in it's natural state or use in food or drink is complex and involves much more than the essence of the flavor to make it work - ex. Cognac, can have underlying hints of it's own, a texture, a lightness within the alcohol, an entire picture of what that cognac consists of. Separate the "cognac flavor" and it dies. And that's what flavored cigars taste like. A dead separated flavor. And they smoke different than they taste or smell. The Oliveros smell and taste like Ladies shoe store. : )
If you're after flavor, pair food or drink with a cigar and you can play around forever. I had 5 Ginger Snap cookies while smoking a Triunfador the other day and it was pretty awesome. It made the smoke super spicy in a good way.
You're right to swear off flavoreds in my opinion, they just aren't necessary far as I can tell. Now, having got that out of the way, wanna buy a bunch? : ) JK