Drew Estate Undercrown

Undercrown Shade Suprema

Undercrown SupremaSince the inception of the Drew Estate Undercrown series they have been a great priced sought after cigar and the shade variation was no exception to this. Now with the limited edition release of the Suprema there’s another great cigar in the catalog.

The Limited Edition Undercrown Shade SUPREMA is a 6 x 50-54 perfecto wrapped in a creamy Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade leaf, with rich Sumatran binder and filler leaves of Dominican Criollo 98, Nicaraguan Corojo, and Nicaragua Criollo. The limited vitola presents a bolder profile on the palate compared to core sizes while remaining a smooth smoking experience.

Jonathan Drew President and Founder of Drew Estate highlights, “Since the release of Undercrown Shade in 2015, it has been a staple in humidors nationwide. We knew it was the right time to release the first Limited Edition for Undercrown Shade, and it’s packaged beautifully in a clean white box.”

From the Drew Estate offices, Factory Spokesman Pedro Gomez notes, “Man, when Willy Herrera handed me this stick I immediately knew it was something special bro. Let me tell you something, when I lit this up with my morning cafe I knew I needed more, the creamy bold flavor coming off this SUPREMA is just supreme. Every Undercrown Shade fan needs to smoke this cigar. I’m telling you something.”

The general smell of this cigar is a light hay with a touch of spice. The cold draw is light, airy and has some sweetness to it. The construction is top notch, typical of DE, wrapped in a milk chocolate covered wrapper with very minimal veining and tight seams. The cap cuts easy and it lights with minimal effort.

The first half has a light but somehow full flavor. I know a contradiction but if you smoke this you’ll know what I’m talking about. The flavors are somewhere in-between toffee and bitter chocolate, a bit of roasted nuts. Theres a sneaky pepper taste coming in on the back end towards the end of the first half as well. The draw is easy but not loose feeling and it produces plenty of light weight smoke. The burn is sharp and the ash holds tight until knocked free.

In the second half flavor becomes fuller with the spicy/pepper flavor rising to the front. The sweetness can still be found but you have to look for it. The burn remains solid and the ash is as tight as ever. Thanks to the excellent construction the draw remains nice and easy making this a breeze to smoke all the way down to the end.

As a whole this cigar was totally enjoyable from start to finish. The flavor profile is complex but easily accessible to novice smokers. While its overall size might be off putting to beginner smokers there’s no need to worry, however if you want something smaller try out the Corona Pequena. If you’re looking for a cigar that will last you a solid 70-90 minutes (depending on your smoking style) and something with great flavor, this is the cigar to try.

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade
Binder: Sumatra
Filler: Dominican Criollo 98, Nicaraguan Corojo, and Nicaragua Criollo
Price: $47.99 for a box of 5
Rating: 4.7 out of 5 pints

 

Undercrown Corona Pequena

In January Drew Estate announced the national launch of the Undercrown Corona Pequena in both Maduro and Shade wrappers. These cigars were showcased at the TPE trade show held in Las Vegas, NV on January 29th-31st.

The Undercrown Corona Pequena is a 4” x 44 petite corona, perfect to light up on the go or on those frigid winter days. The Undercrown Maduro Corona Pequena features a Mexican San Andres Maduro wrapper, Connecticut Stalk Cut and Sun cured Habano binder, and Brazilian and Nicaraguan filler leaves. The Undercrown Shade Corona Pequena features an Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade wrapper over a Sumatra binder with Dominican and Nicaraguan Filler leaves.

From the Wynwood Safehouse, Jonathan Drew Founder and President of Drew Estate adds, “Corona Pequena’s are short, squat, flavor bombs that sit between the tin size and the robusto size in the Undercrown brand family.  We could go on and on about the “functionality” of this short smoke during winter months – but there is something absolutely beautiful about the Corona Pequena that is more meaningful than just utilitarianism. This cigar is a stunner in both taste and trade dress. The whole DE team is really proud of this little gem.”

For this article, while I thoroughly enjoyed the Shade, I’ll be speaking about the maduro. The construction on these is as solid as anything else from DE. The seems are tight and are full to the touch. Stiff but yielding to pressure between the fingers. They cut easily and light with no trouble either.

The first half has the expected wonderful Undercrown notes of leather and spice with a burn that is razor sharp, the ash holds tight and for its size, produces plenty of well weighted smoke.

The second half brings out more of the espresso flavor mixed with some faint floral tones. The burn remains tight throughout and no fault can be found in construction from beginning to end.

If you only have a short time or just want a quick smoke the Undercrown Pequena in either the maduro or shade is a perfect treat. Great for that quick walk with the dogs or with a colada before work. This ciagr is a very accesable smoke for first time and long time smokers alike. Definitely something to have in your humidor at all times. The Undercrown Corona Pequena is packaged in 32 count boxes with an MSRP of $176.00/box, available in both Maduro and Shade, and started shipping early February. Go get some from your local B&M now!

Wrapper: San Andrés Negro
Binder: Connecticut Habano
Filler:  Brazilian
Price: $176 for a box of 32 (but have seen them on sale for $144)
Rating: 4.8 out of 5 pints

Paul Rosenberg + Drew Estate = Undercrown ShadyXX
 

 

Undercrown ShadyXXMiami, FL- Drew Estate announces today the national release Undercrown ShadyXX, in collaboration with Shady Records for their 20th Anniversary. The Undercrown ShadyXX will be displayed in Drew Estate’s Booth at the IPCPR Convention and Tradeshow, held June 29-July 2, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Originally released in only 10 Detroit area retailers in 2014, the Undercrown Shady remains one of the most consumer demanded limited editions in the Drew Estate portfolio. This powerhouse blend, like the Undercrown Corona Viva, features a toothy Mexican San Andres wrapper, spicy Connecticut Stalk Cut Habano binder, and the highest quality filler leaves from Nicaragua and Brazil. The ShadyXX is offered in a 5” x 50 box pressed belicoso, this cigar packs a punch and is packaged in a majestic, gold embossed 10 count petaca.From the Wynwood Safehouse, Jonathan Drew President and Founder of Drew Estate reminisces, “Eminem, Paul Rosenberg, and Shady Records have changed the world. It’s undeniable!! While selling 230 million records is impressive on its face, it’s the unique way that Shady has connected with so many of us “regular folk” that’s impacted me the greatest. Shady made it okay to be different, no matter how weird or how fucked up we might be. The conceptual space of Shady Records is connected to the Undercrown brand because UC is cut from a different cloth, and not afraid to admit it. THE Undercrown is not the king in this romantic cigar story. The Undercrown’s position is juxtaposed to the king, like a wildin out prince on some DE, homegrown shit. The UC don’t want to be king. He’s deep in the cut, robust, and got mad flavor. I love the connection to Shady Records and am very proud to celebrate 20 years with the dudes.”Paul Rosenberg, Eminem’s long-time manager and Shady Records’ President, had this to add, “I’m honored to team up with JD and Drew Estate again on our second collaboration resulting in the stellar ShadyXX.  20 years is a huge milestone, and I couldn’t think of a better way to reflect on the label’s legacy and celebrate our achievements than by lighting up another limited edition cigar that we can share with the world. This smoke is a superb, authentic blockbuster and just like one of our classic albums I expect it only to get better with time.”The Undercrown ShadyXX is packaged in a 10-count petaca with an MSRP of $104.00/petaca. It will be shipping in August with a merchandising solution to Drew Diplomat retailers nationwide.

About Shady Records:

Shady Records was founded in 1999 by Eminem and his manager Paul Rosenberg as a boutique hip-hop joint venture with Interscope Records.  The first signing to Shady was Eminem’s original group, Detroit rap collective D12, who immediately put the label on the map with the commercial and critical success of their multi-platinum first album, Devil’s Night.  The momentum continued with the release of Music From And Inspired By The Motion Picture 8 Mile, garnering Eminem and Shady Records an Academy Award for Best Original Song with the hit single “Lose Yourself”; a first for a rap song.  The label also partnered with Dr. Dre’s Aftermath Entertainment to sign rap superstar 50 Cent, who over the course of his career has sold more than 30 million albums worldwide.  Shady Records continued its success into the aughts and beyond with successful releases from Obie Trice, D12, Yelawolf, rap supergroup Slaughterhouse and others amassing worldwide sales in excess of 40 million albums.  Shady is currently home to Bad Meets Evil, Eminem’s long-running project with Royce da 5’9”, as well as Compton-bred rapper Boogie and Griselda Records own underground cult heroes Westside Gunn and Conway the Machine.