Liga Undercrown Shade Staff Review
I’m smoking the 5-by-52 Gran Toro in the Liga Undercrown Shade blend from Drew Estate. The fellas at Drew Estate introduced the Liga Undercrown line to satisfy demand for the original Liga Privada No. 9 and T52 blends, which were initially produced in small batches that retailers quickly sold through. Undercrown Shade offers a more approachable taste than the other Liga cigars, which are typically stronger. Let’s find out how it stacks up.
Liga Undercrown Shade cigars come in chestnut-brown, wooden boxes of 25, unless you’re buying one of the rarer sizes, like the Flying Pig, which comes in a box of 12. The cigars feature white-and-gold bands, with the Liga Privada logo on the front, and a secondary band at the foot. In 2011, cigarmaker Willy Herrera left his family’s cigar-rolling operation, El Titan de Bronze, in Miami’s famous Little Havana neighborhood, to join Drew Estate. Herrera became an additional face for the brand, alongside founder Jonathan Drew, and expanding the Liga Undercrown brand was one of his early projects.
Liga Undercrown Shade cigars showcase an oily, blond Ecuador Connecticut wrapper leaf and a complex core of Indonesian, Dominican, and Nicaraguan long-filler tobaccos, handcrafted at the company’s factory in Estelí, La Gran Fabrica Drew Estate. When I crack open a box of Gran Toros, the cigars appear meticulously color-sorted and assembled. After cutting the cap with my guillotine, delicious notes of cedar, nuts, and toast create a nice impression in the cold draw. The Gran Toro offers ample airflow through a consistent shape when I gently squeeze it from head to foot.
Creamy and spicy waves of smoke cover my palate and hover over my computer screen as I slowly toast the foot of the cigar with my torch lighter. Liga Undercrown Shade evolves with herbal and tangy flavors in the first ten minutes. Hints of citrus and white pepper add complexity to the aftertaste. The blend starts mild but shows its teeth slowly as a firm white ash forms at the foot.
The Gran Toro develops with nutty undertones of almond and cashew, while a touch of bitterness underscores the cigar’s floral and herbal quality. Liga Undercrown Shade alternates between a creamy and bitter profile throughout the middle. The cigar performs well, revealing a stable ash and maintaining an effortless draw with no obstructions or soft spots.
After thirty minutes, traces of honey pull the cigar in a sweeter direction, relieving its temporary bitterness, while black pepper and wood come into focus in the second half. I’m not sure what to pair with this cigar. A wheat beer would be fitting, but seltzer would work too. Liga Undercrown Shade introduces a hint of chalk after I remove the band to savor the nub. Overall, this woody, nutty smoke could be more cohesive, especially compared to other premium Nicaraguan cigars with an Ecuador Connecticut wrapper. After an hour of smoking, the Gran Toro concludes with a medium-bodied finish.
If you’re already a fan of Liga Privada cigars and you’re looking for a less-intense smoke, Liga Undercrown Shade is worth exploring. If you’re a beginner, this cigar may be a bit too strong to start with, even though it’s lighter and nuttier than the original Undercrown blend. Smoke a few singles before you invest in a whole box.
