Meet Drew Estate's sneaky-good daily driver - the Undercrown Maduro Corona Viva. This 5 5/8" x 46 Nicaraguan puro packs medium-full punch in its oily Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro wrapper. Box of 25 costs about $183, landing it in the "affordable luxury" zone. You're looking at 60-70 minutes of smoke time perfect for that post-dinner wind down. Starts sweet but don't get too comfortable - the second act brings pepper spray to a chocolate party.
The initial light serves raisins dipped in espresso - surprising sweetness through that dark wrapper. Smoke production's modest at first, like it's conserving energy. Ash holds tight for two inches while earthy undertones start creeping in. Watch for this tell: when the sweetness fades at 15 minutes, the real show begins.
Pepper blast right on cue at the 1/3 mark. Black pepper crusted on 70% dark chocolate with a licorice backbone. Smoke output doubles here - proper mouth-coating thickness. Retrohale cautiously unless you enjoy nasal fireworks. Pair with something sweet; my last one clashed horribly with IPA.
Last third morphs into leather-bound books stored in a cedar humidor. Strength ramps up to "I need to sit down" territory. Burn stays true if you nurse it, but hurry - tar builds quick in the home stretch. Nub at your own risk; that final inch packs more nicotine than three Red Bulls.
Born from factory workers sneaking Liga Privada scraps, this blue-collar blend uses Nicaraguan fillers wrapped in Connecticut Broadleaf. The "Corona Viva" tweak adds half-inch to traditional corona size - perfect for commuters missing their last train. Pro tip: Buy boxes from late 2023 batches; recent rollers nailed the wrapper fermentation.
