Blackened M81 Cigars

About Blackened M81 Cigars

The Blackened M81 blend

Cigar Coop and halfwheel both describe maduro tobacco in the wrapper, binder and filler. Drew Estate's own description adds toasty undertones and a light black pepper.

Metallica, a whiskey and a cigar

James Hetfield co-founded Metallica with Lars Ulrich in 1981, and Drew Estate names Rob Dietrich as "Master Distiller and Blender of BLACKENED American Whiskey." Cigar Aficionado says "M81 refers to the year the band was formed," and halfwheel says the M nods to the band's name. In Drew Estate's November 2022 shipping release, Hetfield called M81 "the perfect full-bodied cigar"; Drew Estate's current page lists the body as medium–full.

Drew Estate first shipped M81 in November 2022 to stores in its Drew Diplomat Retail Program, per halfwheel, and Drew Estate's store locator lists Sun of a Gun as a Drew Diplomat Retailer. The Connecticut-wrapped sister blend, S84 Shade To Black, followed and became available to all U.S. retailers in March 2024; both blends are compared on our Blackened cigars page.

Blackened M81 sizes and prices

The Corona, Robusto, Toro and Corona Doble come in boxes of 20; the Lancero, a limited release, in boxes of 15. Prices as listed in October 2026; each product page shows the current price and live stock.

Every box above is priced over $125, so it ships free.

Ratings and tasting notes

Corona, 5 x 43: 95 points in Cigar Insider in May 2023, its highest score that year, and 95 in Cigar Aficionado in August 2023, which placed it No. 7 on its Top 25 of 2023 and rated it medium-full: "an electrically spicy smoke with heavy notes of chocolate and earth." Cigar Insider's note found saffron, nutmeg and cinnamon over a sweet, brioche-like bread note, with semi-sweet chocolate before an earthy finish.

Robusto, 5 x 50: 94 in Cigar Insider in May 2023, medium-full: "The burn is dead-even the entire time." halfwheel scored it 87 in February 2023, with dark berry and pepper early and earth, black pepper and dark chocolate in the final third. Cigar Aficionado rated it 89 in December 2024, noting chocolate and caramel that read like toffee.

Toro, 6 x 52: 92 in Cigar Insider in May 2023, medium: "Earth and leather are at the heart of this dark, oily toro." Cigar Coop's William Cooper scored it 90 in June 2023 and placed it No. 21 on his 2023 Cigar of the Year countdown, finding baker's cocoa that turned to mocha and then black coffee.

Corona Doble, 7 x 50: 92 in Cigar Insider in May 2023, medium-full, peppery and bold with leather, cherry and toasted nuts; 91 in Cigar Aficionado in April 2025, with oak, earth, leather, a zest of dried orange peel and semi-sweet chocolate on the finish. It is the longest of M81's four original sizes.

Lancero, 7 x 40: Drew Estate introduced it as "the first-ever Lancero size" for Blackened, a limited release for participating Drew Diplomat retailers beginning August 2025. halfwheel reported that, officially, both Blackened lanceros were made for events, and that Drew Estate lists them at 7 x 40, the size of the Liga Privada L40. Rob Dietrich credited the lancero format with a higher ratio of wrapper to filler. Drew Estate's Lancero announcement describes a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, while its M81 page and Cigar Coop's September 2025 report give San Andrés. We found no rating for it yet.

Choosing an M81 size

• The Top 25 cigar: the Corona, 5 x 43, the highest-rated M81 we found.
• The everyday size: the Robusto, 5 x 50.
• A longer smoke: the Toro, 6 x 52, or the Corona Doble, 7 x 50.
• The most wrapper in each puff: the Lancero, 7 x 40, 15 to a box.

More dark wrappers from every brand are on maduro cigars, more slim sizes on lancero cigars, and every award winner we carry on Cigar of the Year & Top 25 Cigars.

What to pour with Blackened M81

Drew Estate suggests cola or Blackened American Whiskey with M81, and Cigar Coop's reviewer found M81 an excellent match for the Blackened whiskey. See our American whiskey shelf. Our house suggestion from the bar: a high-rye bourbon, whose spice stands up to the dark chocolate and pepper. Our cigar and whiskey pairing guide has more, and in the lounge you can ask the bar for a pour from the spirits menu.

Keeping them fresh

Store them at a steady 65 to 70 percent relative humidity, in a humidor or a sealed bag with a two-way humidity pack. Every order ships with a Boveda humidity pack, and our cigar storage guide covers the rest.

Common questions

What is Blackened M81? The original Blackened cigar: an all-maduro Drew Estate blend under a Mexican San Andrés wrapper, over a Connecticut River Broadleaf binder and Nicaraguan and Pennsylvania filler, made with James Hetfield of Metallica and Rob Dietrich of BLACKENED American Whiskey.

What does M81 mean? Cigar Aficionado says the 81 is 1981, the year Metallica formed, and halfwheel says the M nods to the band's name.

Who makes Blackened M81? Drew Estate, at La Gran Fabrica Drew Estate in Estelí, Nicaragua.

How strong is Blackened M81? Drew Estate lists the body as medium–full. Cigar Insider rated the Corona, Robusto and Corona Doble medium-full and the Toro medium.

Which M81 is rated highest? Of the ratings we found, the Corona: 95 points in Cigar Insider (May 2023) and Cigar Aficionado (August 2023), and No. 7 on Cigar Aficionado's Top 25 of 2023.

What is the difference between M81 and S84? The wrapper. M81 wears Mexican San Andrés and Drew Estate lists it as medium–full; S84 Shade To Black wears Ecuador Connecticut Shade and is listed as medium. Both share the Connecticut River Broadleaf binder and the Nicaraguan and Pennsylvania filler.

How much is Blackened M81? As listed in October 2026, singles run from $11.99 for the Corona and Robusto to $15.99 for the Lancero; boxes of 20 run $195.80 to $223.80, and the Lancero box of 15 is $201.90.

How much is shipping? $9.99 flat, free on orders of $125 or more. Every order ships with a Boveda humidity pack.

Where do Blackened M81 cigars ship from? Our walk-in humidor in Yuma, Arizona, to every state, including San Diego and California, Los Angeles, Orange County, San Francisco and the Bay Area, Santa Barbara and Montecito, Las Vegas and Nevada, Scottsdale and Arizona, Texas, Florida, New York City, the Hamptons, Boston, Princeton and New Jersey, Washington, DC, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. Collectors abroad order through a U.S. forwarding address. Every order ships with a Boveda humidity pack.

Where can I buy Blackened M81 cigars online? Right here. Every Blackened M81 cigar we list online is on this page with its current price and live stock, and ships from our walk-in humidor in Yuma, Arizona. Every cigar comes through authorized distribution.

Where can I buy Blackened M81 cigars in Yuma, AZ? At Sun of a Gun Cigars & Spirits, 1651 S Arizona Ave, the official J.C. Newman Diamond Crown Cigar Lounge, with a walk-in humidor and a full bar; see our Yuma cigar lounge page. Call 928-276-3500 to check a size before you visit.

More from the collaboration: Blackened cigars, including S84 Shade To Black. More from the house: Drew Estate cigars, Liga Privada and every brand we carry, A to Z.