Undercrown Shade Gran Toro

Length:  6″
Ring Gauge: 52
Strength: Mild-Medium
Rating: 90 by Halfwheel

Undercrown Shade was the first blend created by Willy Herrera, Drew Estate’s Master Blender, not to carry the Herrera Esteli brand name. Of course the inevitable goal of his hire, was to expand their range of premium, non-infused cigar lines. But, they felt he needed to establish his name in marketplace. Industry insiders knew him from his time working at his family’s El Titan de Bronze cigar factory on Calle Ocho in Miami. It’s there where he quickly gained a reputation as an up and coming blender and attracted Drew Estate’s attention. When they tasked him with creating a new version of DE’s popular Undercrown line, Willy wanted to create a blend that was a stark contrast from the original, but retained the complexity and quality of the original.

Working hand-in-hand with the team that created the original Undercrown line, Willy Herrera knew he had a heavy lift to create this line extension. But his commitment to create a cigar worthy of the Undercrown name drove him to create hundreds of different variations before he settled on this one. The Undercrown Shade begins with a blend of Dominican Criollo ’98 and Nicaraguan Criollo & Corojo filler tobaccos. It is held together with a choice Sumatran binder and topped off with gorgeous, gold-colored Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade wrapper. It is a lush, complex, and smooth cigar featuring notes of caramel, cream, and vanilla with hints of pepper and baking spices. The result is an outstanding addition to Drew Estate’s lineup and worthy of bearing the Undercrown name.