Product News
ACID by Drew Estate Turns 20: The Infused Cigar That Defined a Category Marks a Milestone
ACID, the botanical-infused cigar line that turned a niche idea into a mainstream category, is marking its 20th anniversary — and Drew Estate has built a commemorative blend around the occasion. For a shop where ACID is a hero product, it's a milestone worth knowing about: the anniversary release, the ACID 20 and ACID 20 Connecticut, gives longtime fans and curious first-timers a reason to revisit the line that made infused cigars famous.
What ACID is, and why it mattered
When Drew Estate introduced ACID in the mid-2000s, infused cigars were a fringe idea. The line — built around tobacco steeped with botanicals, oils, and aromatics, and finished with a signature sweetened tip — went on to become one of the best-known names in flavored cigars and a gateway for many new smokers into the broader Drew Estate catalog. Two decades later, blends like Kuba Kuba and Blondie remain staples, and the brand's distinctive aromatic profile is still what sets it apart on the shelf.
That longevity is the story here. Reaching 20 years is unusual for any cigar line, and rarer still for one that started as a category experiment.
The anniversary release
To mark the milestone, Drew Estate created the ACID 20 and a companion ACID 20 Connecticut, according to trade coverage from outlets including CigarScore. The Connecticut edition wraps the blend in Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade leaf over an Indonesian binder and Nicaraguan filler, landing at a medium strength — a lighter, smoother profile than ACID's bolder offerings. Understanding different cigar wrapper types can help smokers appreciate how this shade leaf changes the experience.
One vitola has drawn particular attention: the Bronxilla, a 5 x 54 size described as a nod to Drew Estate's New York roots. It runs around a 70-minute smoke and has appeared near $10.56 through Drew Estate's subscription channel. As with the rest of the line, it carries the brand's hallmark sweetened tip rather than a traditional clipped cap.
Because ACID is a flavored and infused cigar, it sits in a different regulatory bucket than classic handmade "premium" cigars. The FDA's premium-cigar exemption applies to handmade cigars without added flavors, so infused lines like ACID remain FDA-regulated tobacco products.
That's a distinction about oversight, not quality — but it's worth knowing if you follow the cigar-regulation headlines, such as recent rulings where a federal court reaffirmed premium cigars are exempt from FDA regulation.
What it means for shoppers
For an ACID fan, an anniversary blend is a natural pick-up — a chance to taste how Drew Estate interprets its own signature style two decades on, with the milder Connecticut wrapper making the 20 line approachable for anyone who finds the original ACID profile intense.
For newcomers, the line remains one of the more recognizable entry points into infused cigars, though the aromatic, sweetened character is polarizing by design: people tend to love it or leave it, so a single stick is a smarter first move than a full box. If you prefer traditional profiles, you might explore Factory Throwouts No. 49 Premium Cigars for a non-infused experience. Those just starting their journey may find premium cigars for beginners helpful for navigating these choices.
A few honest caveats belong here. Infused cigars are still cigars — they are not a reduced-risk product, and the appealing aromatics don't change that. Availability of specific vitolas, anniversary editions, and subscription-only sizes varies, and pricing and shipping depend on your state tobacco laws.
The bottom line
Twenty years in, ACID remains the line that proved infused cigars could be more than a gimmick, and the ACID 20 anniversary blend is a fitting way to mark that. Whether you're a longtime fan or just ACID-curious, the milestone is a good prompt to revisit a brand that's a fixture on the shelf — bought thoughtfully, and strictly as an adult indulgence. If you enjoy the convenience of smaller formats, you can also browse our Al Capone Cigarillos or other filtered cigars for a different flavored experience.