Acid cigars were a real eye-opener for me when I was stepping up from gas station cigars to proper stogies.
They’re a little more palatable for beginners than most, employing a sweetened tip that fades throughout the smoke to ease you in.
You really can’t do much better for the price, particularly with my top pick- the Acid Krush Classic Blue Connecticut.
The Top 3 Acid Cigars
Acid Krush Classic Blue
Famous smoke shop: $18.00 for 10
Kuba Kuba
famous smoke shop: $84.99 for 10
Acid Blondie
FAMOUS SMOKE SHOP: $55.99 for 10
The Best Acid Cigar – Acid Krush Classic Blue Connecticut
Acid Krush Classic Blue Connecticut
famous smoke shop: $18.00 for 10
Delicious chocolatey, nutty, and coffee notes combine for an ever-so-gourmand smoke.
The Boveda humidity sachet and individual wrapping. Freshness is pretty much guaranteed.
Takes 20 – 30 minutes to smoke, which is a convenient session time.
Cons
The sweetened tip might be a little sickly for traditional smokers who prefer pure tobacco flavors.
It’s a little tricky to get hold of singles, so you’ll have to get at least a box of ten (which is still pretty cheap).
First Impressions
When you open your tin you’ll find a Boveda humidity sachet to keep your cigars fresh. It’s a nice touch I wish other brands would use more often.
Combined with the fact that the cigars come individually sealed, it’s clear that Drew Estate is treating freshness as a priority.
Now, onto the smokes themselves. They’re pocket-rockets at 4 inches long and a 32-ring gauge, with light caramel color. The Nicaraguan wrapper is neat and smooth with a few thin veins and doesn’t have that oily sheen you might find elsewhere.
If you’ve heard of Acid cigars, you’ll know they all have an iconic sweetened cap. And boy is it sweet.
Even on the pre-light draw, you’re picking up notes of sweet licorice and florals. This effect diminishes throughout the lifetime of the smoke, but off the bat, it is pretty strong. This undercurrent makes it taste about 20% like a flavored vape – but in a good way.
Flavor Profile
Once it’s lit, some of the earthier tobacco notes get a chance to shine. When balanced with the flavored cap, the result is a chocolatey, coffee, mocha concoction.
After a few drags, the sugary tip is mellowed out by the bitterness of the Connecticut wrapper to create something flavorful and well-balanced. The sweetness is still there, for sure, but it’s not as potentially overpowering as the prelight taste would suggest.
Overall, it’s a little nutty. I actually have a nut allergy, so usually find this sort of association unpleasant – but here the note is pleasantly moderated by chocolatey sweetness in a Nutella-esque way.
In the second half of the smoke, notes of white pepper emerge and grow to a decent prickle towards the end of the smoke. It never becomes overpowering, just keeps things interesting.
There’s enough complexity here to engage beginners and aficionados alike, provided you’re not morally opposed to that sweet element.
Smoke Experience
One thing I’ve noticed across the Acid line is that the draw is spot on. It’s got just the right amount of resistance. Top marks.
The strength overall is mellow bordering on medium. It’s a smooth smoke overall that starts lighter and revs up in the last third.
The burn is even and consistent throughout. In fact, I didn’t have to relight or retouch the Krush Classic Blue Connecticut even once during my smoke. A well-packed cigar is always a bonus.
In terms of duration, I’d dealt with the Acid Krush within half an hour. That said, I was sort of puffing away, and I imagine if you were smoking with company, you’d stretch it out to perhaps 45 minutes between conversation and sips of a dram.
On that note, because of the sweetness, I’d recommend taking Acid cigars with something nice and neutral. For example, if you like to smoke with coffee, make it black without sugar. You’ll get the sweetness you’re looking for from the cigar. Otherwise, I fear you’d find it a bit cloying and overwhelming.
Acid Krush Classic Blue Connecticut – At a Glance
| Strength | Mild – Medium |
| Length | 4 Inches |
| Ring Gauge | 32 |
| Wrapper | Connecticut Shade |
| Filler | Nicaraguan |
| Binder | Nicaraguan |
Runners Up – Acid Cigars Review
Kuba Kuba – Most Popular Acid Cigar
Kuba Kuba
famous smoke shop: $84.99 for 10
Creamy sweetness that delights, but never overpowers
Excellent build quality provides a consistent draw throughout the whole smoke
Cons
Towards the end, things get a little spiced. Steer clear if you can’t handle a touch of pepper and cinnamon.
Like the rest of the acid range, this is a sweet cigar. Purists, take heed.
The Kuba Kuba is probably the most popular Acid cigar out there. It’s a little larger than the Krush Classic, so better for you if you’re looking for a longer session with the boys.
Instead of the prickly pepper, you find at the end of the Krush, you’re treated to warmer spices like cinnamon and cloves.
The idiosyncratic sweetness is still there, but this time it’s a little creamier – not dissimilar to a shot of Bailey’s liquor. Again, the sweetness serves as a complement to the rich tobacco notes, rather than as a substitute to mask the flavor.
The smoke experience is, as I’ve come to expect across the range, stellar. The draw is noticeably consistent, with zero relighting required.
| Strength | Medium |
| Length | 5 Inches |
| Ring Gauge | 54 |
| Wrapper | Ecuadorian Sumatra |
| Filler | Nicaraguan |
| Binder | Nicaraguan |
Acid Blondie Cigar – Best Acid Cigar for Beginners
Acid Blondie
famous smoke shop: $55.99 for 10
A lighter blend of tobacco for people who prefer a milder smoke
Sweet floral flavor for the whole smoke
Cons
Might lack a bit of punch for experienced smokers
Linearly sweet – so don’t expect an evolving smoke experience
They say blondes have more fun, and you’ll find that to be true again with the Acid Blondie if you prefer lighter tobacco blends.
This one is even sweeter than the Krush and Kuba Kuba due to the sugar syrup gum that holds the cigar together. While the sweetness tends to fade in most Acid cigars, it’s consistent throughout with the Blondie.
It’s more floral and gourmand than the other two – think Palma Violet candies and you won’t be far wrong.
The lighter tobacco blend makes the blondie ideal for newer smokier who find other cigars too harsh.
If you’re looking for something light, fun, and accessible, you won’t be disappointed.
| Strength | Light |
| Length | 4 Inches |
| Ring Gauge | 38 |
| Wrapper | Connecticut Shade |
| Filler | Nicaraguan |
| Binder | Nicaraguan |
Final Thoughts
Acid cigars aren’t for everyone. Purists will turn their nose up at the sweetened element, and that’s fine. There’s plenty on the market for people who just want a deep, earthy tobacco flavor.
But if you’re looking for something sweet, smooth, and with a uniquely vibrant flavor, it’s definitely with giving Acid a chance.
I find them pretty delicious, and they’ve become one of my go-to short smokes to enjoy with an espresso in the morning. Yum.
Where to Buy Acid Cigars
I recommend buying Acid Cigars through Famous Smoke Shop. They’ve got the best prices I’ve been able to find online and are pretty much always in stock.
They also offer a pretty generous returns policy, so you can send your smokes back if you try one and decide the sweet tip isn’t for you.
About the Brand
Acid Cigars
Drew Estate introduced the Acid line back in 1999 as a way of modernizing cigars for urban culture. The cigar industry had become pretty boring and stale, and it just wasn’t a hobby young people were interested in.
By launching exciting new flavors, Drew Estates were able to present an exciting alternative against the stuffy status quo.
Drew Estate
Acid Cigars are produced by Drew Estate out of their factory in Nicaragua.
They started out in a humble 16 sq ft retail kiosk in New York in 1996, before moving to Nicaragua two years later to get serious. They’ve since become one of the leading lights in the cigars niche, and are ubiquitous when it comes to flavored and infused smokes.
They also produce the Deadwood range, one of my personal favorites. You can read about their most popular smoke, the Fat Bottom Betty, in our review.
Check out our full guide on the best Drew Estate cigars for more.
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