Undercrown Cigar Review
What the heck is an “Undercrown” anyways? As far as I can tell, before Drew Estate got it’s hands on the name the only other time in the history of mankind this term was used was for the creation of a clothing company that is “The brand for champions.” Alright, that is kind of disappointing. I was hoping that the term Undercrown had some sort of medieval history about it; maybe the Undercrown could have been an English king in exile. Even though there is no link for this name to anything historical I think it still makes sense.
According to the Drew Estate legend this cigar is the product of the creativity of their torcedores who were told they could no longer smoke as many Liga Privada cigars as they wanted. So, they did what any other enterprising employee would do and used the same tobacco to make a different cigar: the Undercrown. My only problem with this story is that just because the torcedores put the tobacco in a different cigar doesn’t mean they are smoking any less of that tobacco. I wonder what new cigars the torcedores will come up with once the bosses over at Drew Estate cut the torcedores’ personal supply of Undercrowns.
They’re solid cigars. The first one I smoked was at a cigar lounge in Fullerton and even though the air was more smoke than oxygen the cigar was pretty amazing. And it makes sense that it would taste so good when you look at it: perfect shape, the wrapper is smooth to the touch, it’s oily, evenly packed and no raised veins. Another reason why it isn’t a shocker I liked this cigar is because those industrious torcedores over at Drew Estate were Wile E. Coyote enough to put some of that delicious T52 Connecticut River Valley Stalk Cut tobacco into it. And I loved the T52.
Cigar Stats
Length: 5″
Ring Gauge: 54
Wrapper: Otapan Negro Último Corte
Binder: T52 Connecticut River Valley Stalk Cut & Cured Habano
Filler: Brazilian Mata Fina and Nicaraguan Cuban Seed
Price:$167.00/Box of 25 | $35.50/Pack of 5
Coronal Mass Ejection Torch!
Isn’t all tobacco that is used to make a cigar cured? Don’t know why that was put in there but, hey, I just report in Cigar Stats.
When a cigar produces a tactile experience akin to smoking a pixy stick I love it. It’s almost like the flavor molecules have granulated and you can pick out each individual flavor granule. This is one of those cigars and some of the flavor granules I am picking up include: somewhat sweet spice, meat, yeasty sweetness as well and some cherry.
Pretty much the same during the second third but with some chocolate added into the mix. And that is fine. The flavors are still very good and the Undercrown is one of those easy going smokes that provides a lot of flavor.
As you near the end of this cigar the spice retreats into the background and leaves an earthy tableau in its place. Chocolate, meat and some sweetness for character. Each puff reveals some nuances to the flavor profile that puts a nice spin on the flavors I mentioned. Sometimes the flavors are more chocolaty and then at other times they are more meaty. I hate to say that the granulated effect has worn off now and in its place is creamy smoke, which is better than fine.
Ironically, this was the cigar that my friend found too strong when he first started smoking it. Personally, I think this is right in the middle of the medium bodied range. Keith, over at Tiki Bar Online, pegs this as a full-medium bodied smoke, which I think gives more credence to the thesis that strength is subjective. The draw was good and the burn was good as well, requiring a couple of minor touch ups at the end. Drew Estate’s Undercrown is a complex cigar with good smoking characteristics and enough variability in the flavor profile to keep even the most jaded cigar smoker interested for a couple of hours.
92 points
CroMagnon Cigar Review
A few months back I ordered some cigars that a Twitter buddy makes. Probably every cigar smoker on Twitter knows who I am talking about: Skip Martin. Anyways, the cigar is named CroMagnon because, I guess, it sounds menacing and harkens back to a more primeval existence where men were men and cigars… I think you get the picture.
ROTT I smoked one of their Knuckle Draggers (4×52) and it was insanely powerful and very flavorful. Honestly, I liked the extra kick in the cigar but many others probably wouldn’t have. Fortunately, or, depending on how you look at it, unfortunately, every other cigar I smoked from my sampler of all the different vitolas never matched the raw power of that first cigar. They were all still powerful cigars but the main thing was that the flavors were better than I experienced during the first one.
For this review I am smoking a CroMagnon Anthropology. It’s extremely oily and has an almost velvety feel to it. Dark brown wrapper with some minor veins on the wrapper. The shape is spot on and there are no obviously hard or soft spots.
Cigar Stats
Length: 5 ¾″
Ring Gauge: 46
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro
Binder: Cameroon
Filler: Nicaragua
Price: $37.50/5 Pack | $236.25/Cube of 35
Pyongyang Flame!
After some months resting in my humidor it has lost that audacious amount of strength that nearly made me sick when I first smoked one of these cigars. However, it does still retain all of its flavor. There’s this dark sweetness that lingers on the tongue that is a nice counterpoint to the bright spice notes and there are also raisin and leather flavors as well.
The second third is a more well rounded experience. The sweetness has morphed into being more floral and the spice and leather are working together better now. Basically, it’s a savory sweetness in the mouth and a simmering spiciness on the retrohale. Very nice.
Nearing the end of the final third and, while it’s not as good as the first two thirds, it’s still a very good cigar. The flavors are just muted somewhat. It’s a full bodied cigar with a great draw and and burn. Overall, I really have liked this line of cigars and will go back to them frequently.
92 points
Cuban Stock Extra Cigar Review
What the extra stands for… I know it stands for something but I forget. Early onset senility, I suppose.
Oh well, on the bright side it is a good looking cigar. Well crafted with a couple of small indentations along one of the veins. Oily. There is a bit of tobacco coming off the apex of the cap but, since I’m going to be shortly cutting it off anyways, I won’t hold it against this cigar. This is the torpedo vitola for this cigar.
By the way, I got this cigar as a sample from Cuban Stock. I appreciate it guys but if the cigar is a stinker I’m going to have to tell the truth. And here is what they have to say about this cigar:
The Cuban Stock Extra is made from pure Dominican grown tobacco. The filler, binder and wrapper are all specially fermented in the Dominican tobacco fields for phenomenal flavor. The tobacco is aged for many years in oak wine barrels. They rival any Cuban cigar out there! A delicious blend, full and spicy, the wrapper is mocha colored with an oily finish. You have to taste it to believe it.
Cigar Stats
Length: 6 ¼″
Ring Gauge: 52
Wrapper: Dominican Republic
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic
Price: $27.00/5 Pack
CigarCyclopedia Flame!
It starts out with a fairly aggressive spice (could that be why they tagged it with the “Extra” moniker?) and a subtle grassiness. Shortly thereafter, the spice takes over.
Savor this cigar. This is the third one of these that I have had and the first two were merely very good; probably because of the fact that I smoked them too quickly. It’s not like I was sucking on them nonstop but it was a healthy clip nonetheless.
[For all reviews and for the vast majority of the time that I smoke I take my time with a cigar. Those two times of fevered puffing were a result of extenuating circumstances that required a quicker pace. If you are going to spend money on something you should take the time to savor it, I didn't.]
After nearly an inch the flavor profile has added on a touch of sweetness and leather. The spice is still, thankfully, in charge.
It is a full bodied cigar with a full boat of flavors. Good draw and burn. This Cuban Stock Extra has a little kick to it that fits what I look for in a cigar nearly perfectly.
The flavors stay fairly consistent after the first inch. The burn goes a little awry after the halfway point, requiring a few minor touchups the rest of the way. But I still really love this cigar.
92 points
Padron 1964 Anniversary SI-15 Maduro Cigar Review
Yesterday I posted a review for this cigar with the natural wrapper; it received 90 points from me. It was a very enjoyable cigar that exhibited flavors like chocolate and earthiness. The strength for that cigar can sneak up on you a bit because the flavors are fairly subtle and mellow. So, how is the maduro version different?
Honestly, I think the darker wrapper looks better. It feels velvety to the touch and gives off some oils. There is one moderately raised vein but no visible blemishes other than that (can you really call a smallish vein a blemish?). As was the case with the natural wrapper version of this cigar the maduro has a slight box press, which I think helps out the draw (maybe too much) and looks good as well.
This cigar was provided to me for review by Smoke Inn; all reviews are my own.
Cigar Stats
Length: 6″
Ring Gauge: 60
Wrapper: Nicaragua (maduro)
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Price: $92.50/Box of 5 | $277.50/Box of 15
Apeirogon Flame!
Right out of the gates there are significant differences between the two cigars. Whereas the one with the natural wrapper had flavors that held back too much for me in the beginning this one is bold. At first I thought the leading flavor was spice but that is not true. It’s a secondary flavor to this multifaceted earthiness and chocolate mixture. It is honestly bowling me over with the intensity of its wonderful flavors.
As the first third progresses there are some changes. Think mole sauce with some sweetness. This cigar is already pretty strong strength-wise.
The second third is continuing with where the first third left off. But then, about halfway through this third the flavors begin to revert back to that combination of earth and chocolate that was prevalent during the middle parts of the first third. These flavors can be experienced most fully during the retrohale.
The final third has chocolate and some grassy undertones. I was a little worried because the intensity of the flavors seemed to dim a little during the second third but they are coming back here. During the last half of the final third there is bitter cocoa along with that grassy undertone. It’s quite good.
Overall, this is a better cigar than its brother. The flavors are more alive and complex. One of my problems with this cigar and, in hindsight, with its brother is that the draw is too loose. The burn has been good with this cigar and I would peg the strength as being full bodied.
92 points
PS: You can preorder this cigar now from Smoke Inn and they will ship April 18th.
CAO Lx2 Cigar Review
This is a natural pick for me because this cigar has got some kick and some oomph. Or is it a natural pick for me? To find out read on and, oh, yeah, have a great New Year’s Eve!
A beautiful dark and oily wrapper is obscured by two ornate bands. I get it, it’s about marketing. You’ve got the big CAO with an LX2 on one band and “Forteleza Tres” on the second band (according to Brian Hewitt forteleza tres means triple the strength).
The feel of the wrapper is very oily. A couple of medium sized veins mar the surface of the wrapper. The cigar itself feels relatively tightly packed.
Cigar Stats
Robusto
Length: 5″
Ring Gauge: 52
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Binder: Honduras
Filler: Nicaragua (Pueblo Nuevo) & Dominican Republic
Price: $7.10/Single | $112.00/Box of 20
Federation Flame!
Unrelenting spiciness is the theme for the first third of this cigar. Cherry would be the second flavor that I am picking up. Overall, the first third of this cigar has turned the intensity level all the way to 11 (that is the point of this cigar after all, right?).
I ran into a little bit of a burn issue during the transition from the first to the second third of this cigar. After smoking it a little after I made a course correction to the burn the cigar does not seem any worse for the wear.
Flavorwise, the second third does have some differences from the first third. That unrelenting spice has moderated some and that moderation has made it possible for some other flavors to come out and play. In addition to the spice and the cherry flavors, which were relatively minor during the first third and still are during this second third, there are some oak and some other minor fleeting flavors that I cannot quite pin down. My inability to pin those flavors down is because the spiciness, while it has moderated some, is still very strong.
The final third is a steady march of what has come before. Flavors have been all good but there needs to be a note of caution. This is a fairly strong cigar and the flavor profile could safely be described as being aggressive. That is why I like this cigar so much. There is some complexity in the flavor profile but what really sets it apart from other cigars is that it is exactly what it is advertised as being. Strong.
Other than the flavor the burn had some problems that I have already mentioned. After correcting it at around the transition from the first to the second third there weren’t any more major problems. The same could be said of the draw. It was a little tight at first but after correcting for the burn problem the draw was fine. In the end this is a delicious cigar that should be liked by fans of full bodied cigars.
92 points
