Pappy Van Winkle Tradition

Pappy Van Winkle Tradition made a soft debut at IPCPR 2016, being formally introduced a year later at IPCPR 2017. The cigars were then later officially released to the public in the fall, coinciding with Old Rip Van Winkle's hugely popular, annual bourbon release.

The cigars mark the followup to Drew Estate's original collaboration with the bourbon makers, Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve, introduced in 2014. But while the original made use of some unorthodox methods (Kentucky Fire Cured tobaccos, etc.), the Pappy Van Winkle Tradition notably incorporated a more traditional cigar blend.

To accomplish this, the cigars were blended by Willy Herrera, Master Blender at Drew Estate—a craftsman known for his adherence to authentic, Cuban-style practices. The blend is said to be one of the three original blends created by Willy Herrera for Drew Estate when first negotiating Willy's addition to the Drew Estate team in 2010.

"I remember it like yesterday. In 2010 when JD and I talked about me joining Drew Estate, we flew down to La Gran Fabrica to test my blending style in two days of non-stop creating. I ultimately produced 3 blends, one of which eventually became the Herrera Estelí. When I heard the news that Julian Van Winkle had selected one of my three original blends from my first trip to Nicaragua, I was humbled to say the least."

—Willy Herrera