Blackened M81 Corona - Box of 20

This is the specific vitola behind M81's headline recognition. When Cigar Aficionado's tasting panel awarded the blend a 95-point score and named it the #7 Cigar of the Year for 2023, it was this exact 5 x 43 Corona they reviewed, not the Toro, Robusto, or Corona Doble. The panel's own description called it an amped-up blend loaded with strong, dark broadleaf from both Pennsylvania and Connecticut, and specifically noted that packing this much intensity into a small corona makes the whole experience reverberate that much louder.

The panel's official tasting found an electrically spicy smoke carrying heavy notes of chocolate and earth, with subtler moments revealing an assortment of saffron, nutmeg, cinnamon, and bready brioche notes, a genuine layer of complexity the panel compared to an acoustic guitar solo breaking up a metal set. Independent reviews of this size add further detail: the first third can run a bit flat on flavor before the oils fully build, but the second and final thirds open into considerably more interesting territory as the smoke develops. At around nine dollars a stick, it's specifically been called worth trying purely on the strength of how the blend performs once it gets going.

Construction earns genuine praise at this size, few burn issues reported, a self-correcting burn line, and an ash that consistently holds for about an inch before falling under its own weight. Given both the official recognition this exact vitola carries and its compact, concentrated format, this is arguably the most meaningful size in the entire M81 line for anyone who wants to experience precisely what earned the blend its reputation.

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Flavor progression:

1. Opening: a comparatively flat start as the oils begin building, chocolate and earth notes present but understated in the first third
2. Mid-smoke: an electrically spicy character emerges, saffron, nutmeg, and cinnamon developing alongside bready brioche notes
3. Close: the final third opens into the most interesting territory, semi-sweet chocolate and an earthy finish carrying the smoke to its end

Key Features:

1. Brand: Blackened by Drew Estate
2. Line: M81 Maduro to the Core
3. Collaboration: James Hetfield (Metallica), Rob Dietrich (Blackened Whiskey), Jonathan Drew
4. Released: 2022
5. Development Time: 2 years
6. Recognition: 95 points, Cigar Aficionado (this exact vitola), #7 Cigar of the Year 2023
7. Factory: La Gran Fabrica Drew Estate, Estelí, Nicaragua
8. Country of Origin: Nicaragua
9. Wrapper: Mexican San Andrés (Maduro)
10. Binder: Connecticut Broadleaf
11. Filler: Nicaraguan, Pennsylvania Broadleaf (dark broadleaf-heavy)
12. Construction: Handmade
13. Vitola: Corona (Petit Corona)
14. Size: 5 inches x 43 ring gauge
15. Strength: Full
16. Flavor Profile: Chocolate, earth, saffron, nutmeg, cinnamon, brioche
17. Smoke Time: Approximately 45 to 60 minutes
18. Box Count: 20 cigars
19. Price per Cigar: approximately $6.30