Celebrity cigars fascinate me. Are they simply a marketing gimmick designed to capitalise on a famous name, or can they actually deliver something genuinely exciting for us cigar smokers? I’ve written before about celebrity cigars — including Conor McGregor’s Notorious range, which I was pleasantly surprised by — so when I heard Metallica frontman James Hetfield was launching a premium cigar with Drew Estate, I knew I had to find out more.

I should also probably admit that I’m not the biggest Metallica fan, simply because heavy metal has never really been my genre. That said, I can ABSOLUTELY appreciate just how enormous they are and the impact they’ve had on the music industry around the world 🤘. My own music taste definitely leans more towards the cheesy end of the spectrum! 😬😂

With all that said, I wanted to know whether Blackened was simply another celebrity-branded cigar or something genuinely special.

Do you remember that viral moment a couple of years ago when James Hetfield was spotted casually smoking a cigar side stage during a Metallica concert? The clip racked up an incredible 1.9 million views.

Looking back now, it’s hard not to wonder whether it helped build anticipation for Blackened. Whether that was intentional or simply a happy coincidence 🤔😁, it certainly generated plenty of hype!

Blackened first launched in the United States in late 2022, but UK cigar smokers had to wait until 2025 before it finally reached our shores, making its UK debut at the AITS Ignite Trade Show. Its wider launch was then celebrated during the Rock & Smoke UK Tour, hosted by Tor Imports in the summer of 2026 to coincide with Metallica’s M72 UK stadium dates. It was a clever bit of timing, giving fans the chance to enjoy the cigar before — or after — seeing the band live 🔥.

I managed to make it along to the final UK launch event at Bellefields in Brixton, London, where I finally got to light one up and find out whether Blackened lives up to the hype.

The story behind the cigar

Blackened Cigars is a collaboration between James Hetfield, Metallica’s co-founder and rhythm guitarist, Jonathan Drew, founder of Drew Estate, and Rob Dietrich, Master Distiller and Master Blender behind Blackened American Whiskey.

During the COVID pandemic, with Metallica unable to tour, Rob Dietrich regularly travelled to James Hetfield’s home in Colorado. The pair would spend evenings sitting around a campfire overlooking the Rocky Mountains, smoking cigars, talking about life, motorcycles, vintage cars, hunting, music and whiskey.

During the Brixton event Rob explained that one evening he suggested creating a cigar together.

James’ response?

“Hell yeah.”

The following day Rob phoned Jonathan Drew.

Jonathan’s answer was equally straightforward.

“Of course.”

Three passionate creators, all saying “yes” almost instantly.

From there, the blending process began. Samples were sent backwards and forwards while James, Rob and Jonathan kept detailed tasting notes, gradually refining exactly what they wanted.

The result became the Blackened M81 Maduro to the Core.

The name itself is a clever nod to Metallica.

• M stands for Metallica.
• 81 represents 1981, the year the band was formed.

The M81 is built around a Mexican San Andrés Maduro wrapper, a Connecticut River Valley Broadleaf binder, and Nicaraguan and Pennsylvania Broadleaf fillers, creating a genuine Triple Maduro blend.

The aim wasn’t to create the strongest cigar possible. Instead, the trio wanted something rich, dark and flavourful, producing notes of espresso, dark chocolate, roasted coffee and earth while remaining balanced enough to smoke any time of day.

Following the success of the M81 came the S84 Shade to Black.

Using the same binder and fillers but wrapped in Connecticut Shade leaf, it delivers a lighter, creamier profile. Rob jokingly referred to it during the presentation as James’ “breakfast cigar.”

My experience

Hidden away behind The Department Store Studios and just a short walk from Brixton Underground station, Bellefields proved to be an excellent venue for a cigar event.

Inside was a stylish contemporary bar, while outside opened into a super cool Mediterranean-style courtyard with plenty of seating.

With glorious July sunshine, it wasn’t long before most of us had gravitated outdoors, where cigars, whiskey and conversation flowed throughout the afternoon.

The atmosphere was relaxed and welcoming, feeling more like a summer social gathering than a formal cigar launch.

As with most cigar events, the afternoon began with an introduction to the cigars and the drinks selected to accompany them. Rob Dietrich spoke passionately about how Blackened came together.

Rob had actually worked as a stagehand for Metallica back in 1996 before eventually becoming the man responsible for creating Blackened Whiskey then the cigars! Sadly we can’t get the Blackened Whiskey here in the UK.

We were also introduced to Ron Abuelo Rum, which had been carefully paired with the cigars.

Throughout the afternoon, a guitarist entertained everyone with Metallica classics, helping create the perfect soundtrack for the occasion.

As for the cigars, I’d actually smoked the M81 before attending the launch, so I already had a good idea of what to expect. For me, it sits somewhere in the same territory as Drew Estate Liga Privada No. 9. They both deliver rich, dark flavours. The M81 produces notes of espresso, cocoa and earthy notes, supported by a gentle natural sweetness that keeps everything balanced. My rating 7.75 out of 10.

One of the biggest surprises of the afternoon came later when Rob handed everyone an M81 Lancero. I wouldn’t associate the Lancero vitola with Metallica somehow. It’s a slimmer, more elegant cigar than you might expect from one of the biggest heavy metal bands on the planet. I reckon they should have done a Gordo size – 60 ring gauge size – a nice big fat cigar!

Rob explained that the Lancero hadn’t been released commercially and had only been brought over specifically for these UK launch events – I haven’t smoked that one yet so will save that for another occasion.

Another thing that really stood out was just how many cigar smokers were passionate Metallica fans – who knew. Dave & Vlad proudly wore their Metallica T-shirt’s throughout the afternoon…

… while several guests including Liam, Vlad, Andrew & Jack had already attended Friday night’s London Stadium show and were heading back again on Sunday for the band’s second performance.

Rob was a genuinely nice guy. I asked whether James ever makes appearances at these cigar events. There were rumours that he was going to attend the JJ Fox event, but unfortunately it never happened. Apparently, organising an appearance with James takes a lot of planning and coordination, and wherever he goes he’s quickly surrounded by people.

That said, he did make appearances during the US cigar tour and, if I remember correctly, the European cigar tour as well.

As the afternoon drew to a close, there was a raffle packed with Blackened ashtrays, branded merchandise and other Metallica-themed prizes.

An unexpected reunion

One of the most surreal moments of the afternoon came completely out of the blue. A man named Paul walked over and said:

“Steve, I remember you from years ago.”

It took me a moment to place him, but then it all came flooding back. Sixteen years ago, I’d joined the late Nic Wing on one of his Cuban Cigar Walk’s — the day that really introduced me to London’s cigar scene and showed me that cigars are as much about the people you meet as the cigars themselves.

One of the stops was JJ Fox, where Paul happened to be a customer. By pure chance, we all ended up sharing a cigar with Billy Connolly.

Standing in Brixton all these years later, chatting to someone from that very first cigar experience, felt like coming full circle. We reminisced about the early days of the UK cigar scene, JJ Fox, Billy Connolly, and just how much things have changed over the years — especially the cigar prices!

To make the coincidence even more surreal, I later mentioned the reunion to Scott Vines from Tor Imports, who told me he’d also been on one of Nic Wing’s cigar walks. 🤯 #mindblown

Now all that’s left is for me, Paul and Scott to persuade Billy Connolly to collaborate with Drew Estate on his own celebrity cigar! 😁

Final thoughts

Overall, this was a fantastic afternoon and a brilliant launch event. Huge credit to Tor Imports and Fine Cigars Club for putting everything together — it was relaxed, welcoming and great fun from start to finish.

As for the cigar itself, celebrity cigars often receive mixed reactions. Some are little more than marketing exercises, but Blackened doesn’t fall into that category. Rob Dietrich & James Hetfield’s genuine love of premium cigars gives the project authenticity, while Jonathan Drew’s blending expertise have produced a cigar that stands firmly on its own merits. Rock & Smoke.