Pre-light Experience

The wrapper is medium brown with a decent number of slightly raised veins. The seams are easily visible as they have a darkness to the edges, but they are rolled smooth. The cap is a single that is finished off with the traditional Flying Pig style head. The band design is instantly recognizable as that of Undercrown, it just uses a red color rather than the blue or white from previous iterations. The aroma from the wrapper is a heavily hay influenced barnyard while the foot brings more hay and a slight stone fruit sweetness. The pre-light draw is a creamy mixture of leather and hay with a slight white pepper on my lips and tongue.

Pre-light Experience

The Drew Estate Undercrown Sun Grown Flying Pig has a rich and copper hue to the wrapper. Veins are well pressed, seams tight and the man bun is strong with this one. Nosing the wrapper tells cedar and barnyard. Nosing the foot gives white pepper, dried nuts and cedar. Cold draw gives white pepper, cardboard, hay and dried nuts.

First Third

The cigar begins with a slightly dry mix of oak and cinnamon. After a few draws, the perceived dryness goes away as a slight cream joins the oak and cinnamon. As the burn line reaches the end of the taper, the cinnamon fades way back as some earthiness joins in to mix with the oak. The retrohale also carries the oak with some earthiness supporting it. As the third comes to a close, the earthiness takes on a dry dirt profile, which isn’t drying to the palate, and is a bit in front of the oak. The strength in this third was right at medium.

First Third

The first third comes through with fairly robust flavors giving white pepper, creamed nuttiness, mixed nuts, cedar, barnyard and black coffee. Retrohaling deepens both the white pepper and mixed nuts notes. The finish is fairly clean with a soft lingering mixed nuts and faint white pepper on the rear palate. Strength and body is medium.

Second Third

Getting into the second third, the dry earth note still has a slight lead over the oak. At the midpoint of the cigar, the oak takes the lead back from the dry earthiness as the cream from earlier makes a mild return to the profile. At three quarters of an inch in, the cream increases a bit creating a nice smooth mixture with the earth, which isn’t as dry anymore, and the oak. As the third comes to a close, the oak gains a bit of char to go along with the earthiness and cream. The strength remained right at medium.

Second Third

The second third shifts from having a stronger white pepper to a profile that is now mixed nuts, minerals, cedar and creamed nuttiness. Greater intensities of spice is still on the retrohale (along with mixed nuts). Strength and body is still for the most part medium.

Final Third

As the final third begins, some mustiness joins the charred oak, earthiness and cream. At a quarter inch in, the cream increases some more as a slight wood bitterness joins the profile as well. As the cigar comes to a close, the mustiness and cream are up front as the charred oak and bitterness are in the background. The earthiness has completely left the profile. The strength in this third bumped up to be slightly above medium.

Final Third

The last third mirrors more of the first third as the white pepper spice becomes fuller and barnyard is re-introduced into the mix. Other than that, the other notes within the second third remains (mixed nuts, minerals, cedar and creamed nuttiness).

Burn

The burn line was slightly wavy the entire time but always kept up with itself. The ash dropped once, just past the halfway point.

Burn

Burn needed some major help. The wrapper from the first third had a difficult time burning, requiring 3 major touch ups.

Draw

The draw was slightly snug for my liking but didn’t cause any issues with the smoking experience.

Overall

The flavor profile was primarily oak and earthiness but had some added cinnamon at the beginning and added some mustiness and char towards the end. The Flying Pig vitola always provides a unique experience in the line it’s offered in and I’m interested in reviewing some of the parejo vitolas to see if the cinnamon note is a bit more prevalent as I got that when the cigar was burning in the lower ring gauge. This is definitely an enjoyable cigar and has me looking forward to smoking more in this vitola as well as the others.

Draw

Perfect draw creating just the right amount of airflow.

Overall

The Undercrown Sungrown in Flying Pig format was overall unique to hold, view and smoke. I typically don’t talk much about the look of the cigar, but props to Drew Estate for creating such a unique looking cigar. On the flavor side, the profile mixed well together and thus was well blended by Willy. Unfortunately the burn and numerous touch-ups was a let down.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

6.57

Cost/Point

$1.94

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

6.77

Cost/Point

$1.88

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Drew Estate Undercrown Sun Grown Flying Pig