Down here in The Corner Of No Hope, we are all longtime fans of the Undercrown brand. From the original 2011 release which was straight-up magical, to 2015’s delicious Shade line extension, to the various Pig vitolas, and everything in-between and swirling around, the Undercrown brand has been a favorite of ours and there’s always a handful of both the blue and white labels in my personal humidor. Why share all of this information? Because, numbnuts, I want to make it very clear to you that we have a long history of being Undercrown lovers around here as opposed to haters.
When we received an Early Access pack from Drew Estate back in the Spring, I smoked the mysterious “Fire” cigar that was included and it didn’t do much for me. I thought it lacked personality and I was shocked when it was later revealed to be the new Undercrown El Tigre Dominicano offering. Shocked I tells ya! So, once the cigar was officially released in April, I made the decision to not purchase any Undercrown El Tigres for review on this site. The TNCC has limited funds and I’m not a big fan of spending money on cigars that have already been smoked and left something to be desired. But then another box from Drew Estate recently arrived on our doorstep with a sampler of these latest Undercrowns. I couldn’t hide from it any more. You can run from your destiny but you simply can’t escape it. Which brings us to tonight…
THE CIGAR – UNDERCROWN EL TIGRE DOMINICANO by DREW ESTATE
Size: 5 x 50 (robusto)
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra-seed
Binder: USA Connecticut Corojo H99 hybrid
Filler: Dominican Republic Criollo 98 & HVA
Price: $12.75 (head over to Famous Smoke Shop and use promo code TNCC20 to receive $20 off your purchase of $100 or more!)
Upon sliding the Undercrown El Tigre from its cello sleeve, there’s a predominantly earthy aroma detected along with a subtle hint of dried dates (or whatever that chewy orange stuff is in trail mix). The wrapper leaf features minimal surface oils and the box-pressed cigar is noticeably lumpy to the touch, unlike yours truly.
I ran my fingers over all the bumps along the cigar’s body, left to right, and they revealed to me a message in braille ~ “Don’t give up hope” ~ so I won’t. After an effortless punch to the cap, the cold draw reveals more earth and a thick mineral presence.
Once flame meets leaves, the Undercrown El Tigre’s retrohale immediately delivers crisp white pepper backed by a heavily-subdued black licorice note and some mineral. The draw’s earthy profile is quite singular at the start.
The black licorice vanishes quickly through the nose, replaced by an equally muted walnut note. Meanwhile downstairs, towards the end of the initial third, the heavy earth flavor has now been accented with some char. The overall construction of the Undercrown El Tigre is fine so far with a smooth draw and a slightly uneven burn line that seems to be taking care of itself as the smoking experience progresses.
The mineral sensation via the retro begins to come through louder as we approach the fifty yard line. The white pepper is still very much leading the way but its potency has receded a bit. I’m almost halfway through the Undercrown El Tigre and I’m still not sure what the intent of this blend is BUT I’m not giving up hope. I thump off the solid grey ash to prevent it falling and burning the precious tigre in my pantalones. Despite the lumpy “rustic” appearance of the cigar, it has required zero maintenance and is performing flawlessly from a construction standpoint.
As the Undercrown El Tigre continues along its straightforward path, my mind wanders to potential beverage pairings. I think introducing some rich sweetness via rum or bourbon would elevate the enjoyment of this cigar immensely. Hell, Jonathan Drew Sann once created an insanely unique (and insanely enjoyable) bourbon/rum mash that would pair amazing with the Undercrown El Tigre. Alas, I only have one remaining, unopened bottle of Brixton Mash Destroyer and it’s staying sealed for the foreseeable future. There is an overall smoothness to the Undercrown El Tigre in its final act, where the few active flavors present are suddenly more pronounced and working together better in a newfound harmony, that I wish had been the case for the first 45 minutes.
THE NUB
TNCC Final Score = 87
Long story short, after smoking the Undercrown El Tigre Dominicano I still don’t know what its identity is supposed to be. Unlike its blue and white banded older siblings, nothing jumps out of this Undercrown smoking experience as special. Why is that? Honestly, because nothing jumps out at all. It’s a mostly singular profile from beginning to end. And while that profile isn’t for me, maybe it’s in your preferred wheelhouse. So grab a few sizes, smoke them for yourself, and let us know what you think.
* Total Smoking Duration: 68 minutes
