“The cigar delivers a wonderful representation of a Connecticut Shade blend from start to finish offering lots of creaminess and no aftertaste.”

 

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade
Binder: Sumatra
Filler: Dominican Criollo ’98, Nicaraguan Criollo, and Nicaraguan Corojo
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Factory: La Gran Fabrica Drew Estate
Suprema: 6 x 50/54
Price: $9.60

Sponsor: Yes
Samples Provided for Initial Review: Yes
Review: Undercrown Shade Suprema by Drew Estate (3/20/20)
Appearances on Countdown (By Year/Brand): 7 (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2018, 2019, 2020)

Coming in at #12 is the Undercrown Shade Suprema by Drew Estate.  In 2019, Drew Estate introduced the Undercrown Shade Suprema, a line extension to the popular Undercrown Shade. The Suprema was intended to be a bolder version of the Undercrown Shade. The Suprema featured  a size that Drew Estate had never released before  – a 6 x 50/54 perfecto.

While the Undercrown Shade Suprema uses the same tobacco components as the rest of the line, it’s the perfecto shape that results in a bolder flavor. The blend itself uses an Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade wrapper over a Sumatra binder and fillers consisting of Dominican Criollo ’98, Nicaraguan Corojo, and Nicaragua Criollo. One unusual feature of the Suprema is that it is packaged in five-count boxes.

The Undercrown Shade Suprema delivered a medium strength, medium-bodied smoking experience. It’s definitely going to be a notch up compared to many traditional Connecticut Shade smokes. Flavorwise, the cigar delivers notes of cream, wood, berry sweetness, black pepper, and cedar.

This is the second Drew Estate cigar as well as the second cigar from the Undercrown brand to land on the 2020 Countdown thus far. It’s also the second cigar from La Gran Fabrica to secure a spot on the Countdown. These 2020 entries mark the seventh year Drew Estate has appeared on a Cigar Coop Countdown.

Most importantly, this might be the best size offered under the Undercrown Shade line to date.

 

For details of the 2020 Cigar of the Year Countdown, see our 2020 criteria.

Photo Credits: Cigar Coop