Drew Estate

Year Of The Rat (2020) Liga Privada Unico Serie

Year Of the Rat Unico SerieThe Unico Serie, we all know it, we all like it, and we all try to get our hands on them. While the original 2016 release of Year of the Rat was challenging (to say the least) to get a hold of, Drew Estate’s launch of the Liga Privada Unico Year of the Rat 2020 will be available at upcoming Drew Diplomat events to coincide with the Chinese New Year.

Now, normally I don’t waste time talking about the labels or packaging, you have eyes, you can see what it looks like, I don’t need to describe it to you. However in this case it bears mentioning. While the bands are your classic style DE Unico bands the gold foil really makes this cigar stand out and makes you feel a bit like Charlie unwrapping his Wonka Bar to find the Golden Ticket underneath.  Once the foil is removed the wrapper underneath has the color of dark aged rawhide. While the seams are nice and tight, there is some veining noticed giving it a great rustic look and feel. The cigar feels well rolled and full but complies when pressure is applied with the fingers.

The smell from the body is earthy with notes of fresh cut wood and a chocolate sweetness, the sweetness is more prominent from the foot. The cap cuts with no issues and from the cold draw flavors of rich tobacco and chocolate are present.

The first half starts with the taste of red pepper and earth with a good meatiness to it. There is loads of smoke production that’s nearly heavy enough to chew on. The draw is easy and it burns evenly.

In the second half the flavor becomes even greater. A rich mocha coffee flavor comes to the front with pepper kicking its way in on the finish. It ended with a soft creamy finish, similar to reaching the bottom of a latte with a splash of licorice on the finish. The burn remained even and only had to be re-touched with the flame once due to operator error. The smoke production remained full and heavy for the duration of the cigar.

While each article is summed up by saying I enjoyed the cigar (this is because I choose to only write about cigars I like, who wants to waste their time reading, or writing, about a bad cigar) this was really a lot of fun to smoke. The flavor was very rich and complex combined with impeccable craftsmanship, this is one I smoked down until my fingers burned because I didn’t want it to end. The Year Of The Rat 2020 is only available for purchase at Drew Diplomat Retail events. Each store hosting a Drew Diplomat event will be able to purchase up to four boxes that will be made available for sale to us consumers. So while it might be a little difficult to find its worth searching out a DDRP event and pick up as many as you can get your hands on.

Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Brazilian
Filler: Nicaraguan and Honduran
Price: Around $16.00 – $18.00 a stick, of course you know there always discounts on box purchases at events so grab a box.
Rating: 4.9 out of 5 pints

 

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