Doc's Analysis - Drew Estate Undercrown Shade Flying Pig

If you are a cigar enthusiast, there's a good chance that Drew Estate has at least a handful of blends & vitolas that strike your fancy. They do a nice job at having a variety of vitolas for each of their brands & lines. One of Drew Estate's most sought after vitolas is the 4 x 60 Flying Pig. The size made it's debut with No.9 back in 2009. Since then, many more blends have been added to the piglet category, including the Undercrown Shade Flying Pig that was released in 2016. There is something unique in the smoking experience when putting down a flying pig. A 60 ring gauge is typically red-lining my preference, but the short 4" nature of the cigar provides a different feel and tasting experience than a standard 6 x 60. Funny what a 2" difference makes. Technically, the Undercrown Shade Flying Pig is called out as 3 15/16", but I find that amusingly ridiculous. So I'm sticking with 4 x 60! Anyway, let's snip a tail and fire up some bacon.

Oink Oink homie

This maaaay have been run over by a truck...idk

The hoof

Burn applause upon completion

The Deets

Cigar: Undercrown Shade Flying Pig

Origin: Estelí, Nicaragua

Factory: La Gran Fabrica Drew Estate

Size: 4 x 60

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut

Binder: Sumatra

Filler: Dominican Criollo 98, Nicaraguan Criollo, Nicaraguan Corojo

Appearance  8/10

 I've had plenty of DE cigars and they typically look fine, if not really good. This sample of a limited run vitola is disappointing. First thing I noticed when picking it up is that both bands were crazy loose. A swift gust would have blown'm right off! A gear grinder for me. Moving on isn't the greatest. The wrapper looks like someone backed over it with the track marks all over. Aside from that, the seams were tight, no veins in sight on the delicate wrapper, and the pig tail was curled up real good n stuff.

Draw  9/10

 Using a very conservative straight cut provided an excellent draw. It could have had a wee bit more resistance. My cut was comparable to a large punch. A very small punch may have hit the perfect resistance, but I'm not a fan of baby punches.

Burn/Construction  8.5/10

 Burn line was acceptable while the ash was very firm. There were a couple moments of chunky roll-out at the burn line, although it pushed through it with no major issues. This sample seemed to get a little squishy and a little hot earlier than I'd expected.

Taste  8.5/10

 1/3 - Starting off the hoof I pickup clean hay, cloves, and the classic Connie bitters. Retro is soft cedar with a slight touch of sweet. While it sounds odd, the finish was creamy while also having a powdery sensation. Things progress and the bitters quiet down some.

2/3 - Creaminess ramps up with some added butter. White pepper joins the cedar retro. The finish reminds me of a plain donut that has been neighbors with powdered donuts.

3/3 - Whatever butter remained in the final third found it's way onto vegetables. The cedar has transitioned into toasted cedar. Only a pinch of sweetness remains on the finish. Closing out the final third the bitters grow, but with a touch of fruitiness which took the edge off.

Overall  8.5/10

 While I did enjoy the Undercrown Shade Flying Pig, I'm not sure the jump in price is worth it to me. I suppose at the end of the day, I'd rather simply save a few bucks and grab a corona or toro. Don't get me wrong though, it's still a fun vitola! What do you think? Let's hear those 2nd opinions in the comments.

**Number of cigars smoked for the review: 1