Notes:
God damn finals are finally over. TIME TO SMOKE! I’ve been saving this one for review for quite a while. The Undercrown by Drew Estate, a spinoff of his famous and tasty Liga Privada line. I’ve smoked it once before and I was instantly hooked. I just had to review this one. Nice, dark wrapper. A nice, cedary pre-light scent with a hint of roasted coffee. It is packed perfectly. Perfect amount of resilience and resistance. Minimal veins and obstructions (made sure of that when I bought it). Also, I am smoking in the lounge, on a rather comfortable leather seat to the sound of Frank Sinatra’s Christmas music.
First Third:
Made a guillotine cut, knowing the cigar was well rolled. Perfect cut, excellent dry draw. And it should be—I’ve been seasoning this one for a while. The smoke is very tasty even with the first draw. The bouquet is moderately strong and very pleasant. I smell a little bit of a roasted mesquite wood scent. And oily leather. Almost meaty. Very savory. The smell of the tobacco itself is very dark and savory as well. The finish is slightly creamy without the sweetness. The aftertaste of this cigar is very light. I usually need to spit all the time and hence find it uncomfortable to smoke inside lounges, but I feel no need to do so right now. Every puff is just heavenly. Great combination of scents.
Second Third:
As soon as I enter the second third, an instant change. The woodiness and smoky, savory scents really pick up. This woodiness is definitely a creamy cedar. Very nice. The leather, meat, and oily tobacco tastes have toned down a bit, but they’re still there. I don’t say this very often, but I am seriously considering buying a box of these. Everything about the construction of this stick is spot-on. The burn is razor sharp and very quickly self-correcting. The draw is easy with the perfect amount of resistance. And the smell is just decadent. I’ve decided this great stogie needs a great drink accompaniment. I am now sitting down with a delicious Belgian white, called Duvel. The taste is light and the foam is creamy, a perfect match for this cigar. The cream accompanies the smell of the smoke very well. The taste of the cigar is light, but the beer brings out the flavor a bit more.
Final Third:
The creamy cedar is accentuated by the beer, but it is far from overwhelming the palate. The savory notes are only limited to the palate now and no longer in the bouquet, which is kind of a bummer, so I’m expecting a light finish. The woodiness and cream is still there though. I feel as if there isn’t that much oil in the final third, so the burn is actually speeding up a bit, though it’s still very even. Mmm—the meatiness is back! A very pleasant surprise. This stick is going to be quite hard to put down. Unfortunately, the pleasure is short-lived—I’ve smoked this stogie down to less than an inch, so it’s time to put it out. Perhaps it’s a business tactic, because I cannot wait to have my next Liga Undercrown.
Verdict:
Great cigar. So great that I would definitely buy a box when my financial aid money comes in next quarter. This just might be my go-to stogie. The taste is clean and so is the finish. The bouquet is a nice combination of dark, sweet-ish tobacco, savory, smoky, slightly salty, and meaty with a light touch of cedar and cream. The smell reminds me strongly of the Partagas 1845, another fantastic cigar. I’m surprised I never got any hints of coffee. Maybe there were and I just missed them. I will be sure next time, when I buy a box of these. Anyway, for those of you reading this, great smoke. Light on the palate, flavorful, and well-constructed.
Total Smoking Time: 1 hour and 33 minutes
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Mr. Aficionado 