Categories
Cigar Reviews

Tallchief Cigars #3 Cigar of the Year 2022: Undercrown 10

The Undercrown 10 cigar by Drew Estate is a true gem of a smoke. As a seasoned cigar aficionado, I was excited to try this new offering from one of my favorite brands, and I was not disappointed. The Undercrown 10 is a limited edition cigar that was released in 2020 to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Undercrown line. This cigar features a stunning Mexican San Andres wrapper, a Connecticut River Valley Stalk Cut Habano binder, and a blend of Nicaraguan and Brazilian Mata Fina fillers. The end result is a complex and flavorful smoke that is sure to impress even the most discerning cigar connoisseur.

The first thing I noticed about the Undercrown 10 is its impeccable construction. The cigar is perfectly rolled and has a nice weight to it. The wrapper is smooth and oily to the touch, with a deep brown color and a slight sheen. The band is understated and elegant, featuring the classic Undercrown logo with the number 10 underneath it. It’s clear that a lot of attention to detail went into the design and presentation of this cigar.

Upon lighting the Undercrown 10, I was immediately struck by its bold and complex flavors. The first third of the cigar features a rich mix of dark chocolate, espresso, and black pepper, with a subtle sweetness that lingers on the tongue. The smoke is thick and creamy, with a perfect draw that allows for ample smoke production without being too loose. The burn is even and consistent, producing a solid ash that holds on for a good inch or two before falling off.

As I progressed into the second third of the cigar, the flavors began to evolve and deepen. The chocolate notes became more pronounced, with a hint of nuttiness and a touch of leather. The pepper mellowed out a bit, but still provided a nice kick on the retrohale. The sweetness remained present, but shifted from a subtle hint to a more prominent note that balanced out the richness of the other flavors.

In the final third of the cigar, the flavors continued to build in intensity. The chocolate became almost fudgy, with a distinct note of caramel and a touch of spice. The leather and nuttiness remained, providing a nice earthy undertone to the smoke. The sweetness remained present but became more of a background note, providing a subtle contrast to the other flavors. The smoke remained thick and creamy, with a perfect draw that allowed for ample smoke production without being too loose. The burn remained even and consistent, producing a solid ash that held on until the end of the cigar.

Overall, I was thoroughly impressed with the Undercrown 10 cigar by Drew Estate. This is a complex and flavorful smoke that is sure to satisfy even the most discerning cigar connoisseur. The construction is impeccable, the flavors are bold and complex, and the smoke production is ample and creamy. If you’re looking for a special cigar to celebrate a special occasion, or simply want to treat yourself to a top-quality smoke, I highly recommend the Undercrown 10. This limited edition cigar is sure to be a hit with cigar enthusiasts and newcomers alike.

Categories
Cigar Reviews Uncategorized

Undercrown 10 Robusto

To illustrate just how good I believe this cigar is, I’m going to tell a quick story…

So I’m in Las Vegas with Carl at the Tobacco Plus Expo, an enormous gathering of basically every cigar manufacturer in the industry. Three days of sampling the latest and greatest smokes that each company has to offer. We tried them all. From major blockbuster releases like the H Upmann AJ Fernandez Heritage to little known boutiques like the ADVentura Queens Pearls. It was awesome.

At the end of this three-day cigar bender, we sat down for one final smoke before heading for the airport. Drew Estate had the largest, most extravagant booth in the entire convention center, complete with a cigar lounge, the perfect spot to rest our legs before the journey home. Out came the new Undercrown 10 in Robusto, and wouldn’t you know it, it turned out to be the best cigar I’d smoked all week. With the entire industry there showing off their stuff, old favorites and new unheard-of’s, and the best cigar in the building was this cigar.

So let’s break down the blend.

Like its predecessor the Undercrown Maduro, here we have a blend of Nicaraguan fillers and a thick, dark, Mexican San Andres Maduro wrapper. The difference with the UC10 comes in the form of a Connecticut River Valley Broadleaf binder, and those classic Broadleaf flavor traits are clearly noticeable once lit. But more on that in a minute.

Upon removing the cellophane, I brought the cigar to my nose as was overcome with the clearest chocolate note I’ve even smelled on a pre-lit cigar. Somewhere between Milk and Dark, but unmistakeable. Make sure don’t skip this step with yours. Then it was straight-cut, and the dry pull yielded more chocolate notes, but different as they blended with earth and leather.

Once lit, it was much the same, with a note that feels like thick molasses holding the flavors together. Even at 5×50, this stick feels solid and heavy, and burns very slowly even while producing puff after giant puff of smoke with the density of star-forming nebulae. The Robusto is the right choice for this blend. The Toro has more girth, which means a lower wrapper/binder-to-filler ratio and therefore doesn’t show off those flavors quite as prominently. But typically, longer sizes will smoke cooler, and that tradeoff can be worth it. I’ve found that choosing a Robusto over a Toro or Churchill can often mean a hotter smoke, and the heat can overcook the flavors and detract from the experience, but not in this case. The resistance in the draw and slow burn lead to a relatively cool smoke for its size. For UC10, the Robusto is where it’s at.

At Tallchief, we carry this smoke in both Toro and Robusto, so definitely try them both and let me know if you agree with me on the size. But I’m pretty confident that you will agree with me that this is one of the best cigars to come out in the last few years.

Buy this cigar online here, and use the code UC10 for 10% off at checkout.

Keep Coming Back.

-DP

Skip to content