Vitola: Toro- 6” x 50 (?)
- Price $??
- Cigars provided by Drew Estate Cigar Company
Background
Here we go again…a few months ago, Drew Estate did a “Freestyle Live” online event to release a new cigar. They had tasting packs sold through specific stores throughout the country including some cool swag and unbanded cigars to try without telling anyone what the cigars were. It turned out to be a very special way to introduce the Undercrown 10 to the market and overall it was well-received so they decided to do it again for the next new blend release.
Tonight (November 11), Drew Estate will be unveiling what this cigar is after releasing a new “Freestyle Live” cigar and swag pack around the country. They sent me one of the packs so I could participate in my own way…which will be trying out the cigars, giving my opinion on my regular scale, and taking a guess as to what they are. Their website refers to this new release as an “ultra-premium” cigar.
Interestingly, the 3 cigars included in the pack appear to be different sizes…I smoked the Robusto first and it appeared to be about 5” x 50 or so. There seems to be a traditional Toro that’s about 6” x 50 and one that’s closer to a 6” x 60 Gordo. For purposes of this review, I smoked the Toro. The other items included in the pack are a 3-finger leather case, a cutter (the same type you’ve seen from DE for the past decade), a double-flame torch lighter (I used it all day the other day and it’s great), and a RTIC (Yeti-like) 32-ounce travel mug (I’ll be using it, I’m sure).
Prelight
I can’t evaluate packaging when there is none to speak of, but I’ll say I can’t remember the last time Drew Estate’s packaging was less than top-notch, so let’s just assume this will be very good, as well.
The wrapper leaf is classic Connecticut Shade, golden brown in color with very little variation in shade from head to foot. It all appeared to be made very well, with flat seams and not much in the way of lumpiness under the wrapper. It had a light oiliness and a rich sweet hay and natural tobacco aroma to it…sniffing it really took me back to the times I’ve been able to visit cigar factories and the amazing olfactory experience of aged tobaccos. The foot of the cigar had light earthiness, along with floral and wood notes over a bit of sweetness.
Once clipped the draw was very good and tasted of sweet hay, natural tobacco, and wood.
Flavor
Once lit the mystery cigar was very creamy with floral and sweet notes up front, followed closely by hay and white pepper, and finishing with light cedar and earth. The retrohale was more cedary and had a slight bit more pepper to it. The first third was mild and smooth and creamy…more so than any Drew Estate blend with a Connecticut Shade wrapper that I can remember.
In the second third, there was a little more body, taking it up to the mild-to-medium range, along with the emergence of a little citrus sweetness to go along with the hay and natural tobacco notes. The floral notes receded a bit, as did the cedar. Earth and pepper continued on as a pleasant background.
The final third had more citrus and hay, with a slight resurgence of cedar and earth. Pepper ramped up quite a bit to a more “black pepper” heat, but was never overpowering.
Construction
I had a great draw, very even burn line, and solid ash.
Value
It’s hard to evaluate value when you don’t know the retail price of a cigar, but I’m going to say somewhere in the $10 to $15 range as a “super premium” from Drew Estate…and that it’s worth the price.
Conclusions
Drew Estate’s second Freestyle Live Mystery Cigar of 2021 is by far the best mild cigar I can remember having from them. It as delicately sweet with floral and citrus notes, punctuated by pepper and wood and earth. To me it was a revelation about how good they can be at milder smokes when they have made their reputation on flavored (ACID and Tabak Especial) and stronger (Liga Privada) cigars. If I had to guess, I would say this could be an entirely new Liga Privada line with a Connecticut Shade wrapper OR it could be the Undercrown Shade 10. I don’t think it’s been 10 years since the Undercrown Shade came out, but they could be putting out a version of it to coincide with the 10th anniversary of the regular Undercrown line. On the other hand, they kind of hinted that this was an entirely new line, so it could be neither of what I guessed.
By-The-Numbers
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 4.5/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9.5/10
