Wrapper: Mexican San Andrés
Binder: Connecticut River Valley Broadleaf
Filler: Nicaraguan Habano
Size: 6 x 52 Toro
Strength: Medium/Full
Price: $13.50
Release Date: May 2021
Quantity Released: Regular Production
Factory: La Gran Fabrica Drew Estate

My cigars received 4 months of naked humidor time.

THE WHOLE MEGILLAH:
Thanks to Cigar Page being a sponsor, I am looking at new cigars that I might not have been interested in. And when I say ‘new,’ I mean certain stalwarts I’ve avoided because I’m a snob who has given his heart and palate to the nouveau riche array of boutique blends. Most cigars I get from Cigar Page, I buy. I remember UC 10 fondly but then I’m not sure as I now have a decaying brain pan that can remember what I ate for breakfast 50 years ago but can’t remember to only put on just one set of undies in the morning.

The cigar’s presentation is fancy. I can remember from my brick-and-mortar salesman days a smoker asking if they should smoke the footer band. Sometimes I said yes because I needed a laugh but kept a fire extinguisher nearby. I remove the ribbon but don’t hear a pop so it must have been a dud.

Aromas from the wrapper lean towards being sweet and sour. They are subtle with added notes of dark chocolate, musk, slight barnyard, aged leather, and black coffee.

I grab my trusty guillotine cutter. I hear a scream and then sobs. My PerfecPunch is a drama queen. Sometimes I think it is faygelah. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but I wish it wouldn’t bedazzle itself while hiding in the closet.

The draw is dead in the water. Something I’ve experienced with all three of my review subjects. My PerfecDraw is manly and stout. The plug is in the usual area of the cigar band and with one swisheroo, the offending detritus is removed. Cracks me up when some reviewers go on and on without trying to unplug a sonovabitch. I get that it’s about the quality of the rollers. I do. I have experienced the frustration of cigars, that no matter how much you attack; they never get a perfect air hole. But that is rare.

The cold draw is all about dark chocolate, mushroom, almonds, espresso, black pepper, and dried figs.

I’ve written 436 words and nothing about the smoking experience.

Lighting up, I get a sophisticated blast of flavors: dark chocolate, pumpkin pie spices, dried cranberries, black pepper, old leather, earthiness, sweet cedar, and rye toast. Wow. I check in the mirror to see if I have drugs on my nose and a missing C note. Just a flashback, I’m OK.

It is a heavily well-built cigar. A roller can be forgiven for a minor plug if the result of the cigar event is a slow enjoyable roll. I feel like a 1940’s sportswriter when I can dangle a participle while dangling a good cigar from my mostly intact pursed lips.

I received my new Ibanez SRF700 fretless yesterday. I am over the moon. It’s better than my beloved 1980 Schecter fretless. I don’t say that lightly. The SRF700 is the best bass I’ve owned. While it is not really fair to compare new technology with 45-year-old technology, I am comfortable with my statement. I have a sudden urge to play out once again. If only I didn’t have arthritis and could memorize 100 songs. My favorite bass design is the Fender Jazz. It has a slim neck and a beautiful warm sound. The neck on the SRF700 is more like the Fender Precision which is like holding a 2 x 4. But the neck is so fast that it is a minor adjustment for hands that are older than Adam. Look at the length of the neck. 30 frets access (fret markers on the side of the neck) instead of the usual 24. Its neck is longer than my upright’s. Amazing. I have never owned a bass that had more than 3 controls. This one has 6. I found myself laughing at the baphillion katman-phonic options. Great bassists have big banana fingers. My fingers are mini cucumbers. Starting today, I will take lessons from several YouTube video instructors that are quite good. You are never too old to learn…or freshen up on things forgotten.

Strength is medium. An inch in, and the cigar ramps up. The dried fruit sweetness is striking. Earthiness makes for a fertile companion. The balance is spot on. Complexity seems to have arrived early.

This is going to be a two-hour barrel of fun. I read a review that described exactly my experience. I agree that as inch two progresses, a beautiful floral aroma is matched by a floral flavor. Exceptionally amusing.

The char line is sharp. Much like my sense of humor 3 years ago. I was nuts in 2021 and 2022 from sleep deprivation. Cervical radiculopathy made my life miserable. One hour of sleep per night produced diagnosed psychosis. Hence, my writing was better.

I know I talk ad nauseum about my days in Curved Air. I’m tired of it too. But I saw a Stewart Copeland interview, and he spoke enthusiastically about his experience during the same time I was in the band. Cracked me up. The last time I saw him was at a Hollywood party celebrating one of The Police’s albums going platinum. He was running around the huge hall like a crazy man. We spoke for a while, but he was manic and my conversation shifted to talking with Sting. He was standing alone as everyone was intimidated. I had met him previously and we got along fine so I approached him. We spoke, laughed about Copeland, and discussed the music business. Copeland saw this and continued his manic behavior disrupting a calm conversation. Sting was miffed. I laughed. Stew walked away. And I went back to my recording studio to smoke a J and enjoy the company of sane people.

Where was I? The cigar. This is a wonderful morning cigar. The mocha java works well with my coffee and a crawling from the wreckage mentality early on a Sunday morning. I am now finishing the first half. Not a single criticism. Wonderfully rich and interesting. Earthy goodness with a regalia of flavors. Will the sweet spot enter stage left, or will the cigar discontinue its morphing and become just another catalog blend.

I prefer a Toro for midmorning or early afternoon. Size of choice for my first cigar is a Robusto. Like everyone, I get busy in the morning, and I hate not finishing a good cigar.

While in Curved Air, a friend who was a great guitar player sent me a gaggle of bumper stickers he produced in his print shop. They say BASS KOHN. I had no idea what that meant. So, to get rid of them, I stuck them up in every town, every venue, and every hotel the band stayed in. How I still have a few remaining is a Maccabean miracle. One is shown in the above bass photo in the framed picture of me and my sister taken around 1962.

How do you know construction is good? The slow roll, the burn line, and it can sit in your ashtray forever and not go out. The UC 10 is performing wonderfully.

The sweet spot is intact. It’s everything I want from a cigar. The transitions are notable. Its depth digs a well in North Dakota for some stupid kid to fall in. I want to constantly huff and puff. But I restrain myself using my set of Ben Wa balls and a butt plug I bought at a store in downtown Kenosha known for its brilliant range of kishkas and dreidels.

Dark chocolate, malt, dried fruit, almonds, espresso, earth, wind, leather, pumpkin pie spices, floral, mushroom, and black pepper. You don’t need anything else. The strength is barely medium/full in the second half. No nicotine. No harshness. Smooth as silk. I gotta get more.

A morning cigar can paint your mood for the rest of the day. I rarely sit still for a 6 x 52 because I have things to do. But for the UC 10, I am in the plotz position and I ain’t moving. Great cigar. I can eat breakfast tomorrow.

This is a no brainer. The thing that impresses me the most is the blend’s smooth character. Full of flavor. Oozing depth and richness. Delicate transitions. I have a bite to eat and return to the cigar. It doesn’t miss a beat. A nubber.

You can purchase the Drew Estate Liga Undercrown 10 from sponsor Cigar Page. Instead of the advertised prices (4 sizes) of $12.00-$15.00, CP sells them in the range of $10.00-$13.00. On top of that, Alex Gougher is giving you another 10% off with promo code KATDEC25. That’s a 33% reduction from MSRP. Get them at Cigar Page.

RATING: 96

Categories: CIGAR REVIEWS

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