Undercrown Maduro Gran Toro (6 x 52) Cigar

Undercrown was born on the factory floor: Drew Estate let its torcedores smoke as they rolled, and they were going through so much Liga Privada that there was little left to ship to retailers. Asked to cut back, the rollers blended their own cigar using many of the same rare tobaccos in different vintages and primings, and Drew Estate put it into production in 2011, dedicating it to their ingenuity, resourcefulness and passion for a great cigar. The Gran Toro was among the formats shown when the line debuted at the 2011 IPCPR trade show, with the first retail deliveries following that September.

A dark, oily Mexican San Andrés maduro wrapper over a Connecticut River Valley stalk-cut and cured sun-grown Habano binder — the same leaf that wraps Liga Privada T52 — with Brazilian Mata Fina and Nicaraguan Habano long-fillers. Handmade at La Gran Fabrica Drew Estate in Estelí, Nicaragua. Gran Toro format, 6 x 52.

Velvety and creamy from the first draw, with cedar, leather, cocoa and coffee riding on a natural tobacco sweetness and almost no early pepper. The body climbs into the medium range through the middle as licorice and earth join in, and the flavors gradually turn bolder toward the finish while the smoke stays smooth and cool to the end.

Alcoholic: Bourbon or bold red wine. Non-Alcoholic: Dark roast coffee.

Evening — the full Undercrown experience in a larger format.