Drew Estate has announced a new partnership with Shady Records, with the first collaboration being the Undercrown ShadyXV cigar, a 5 x 50 box pressed belicoso size featuring the same blend as the ¡Corona Viva! line. The production is being limited to 500 ten-count packs, with sales limited to just ten retailers in the Detroit area and shipping scheduled to begin by Nov. 27.

Drew Estate Undercrown ShadyXV feature

Shady Records, best known for being home to rapper Eminem, is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year, and will be releasing ShadyXV, a compilation celebrating the label’s anniversary and featuring greatest hits, alongside new music from Shady Records artists, on November 24.

In a press release, Drew Estate co-founder Jonathan Drew said that “this project has been in the works for some time and I couldn’t be more amped that it’s finally coming to fruition. Anyone who knows JD understands my affinity towards hip-hop, so to have this opportunity to work with Paul Rosenberg and the Shady family is a true honor. Drew Estate is always on the cutting edge and ‘in the cut’ — and the Undercrown ShadyXV is no exception. This will be a collector’s piece for both the Drew Estate and the Shady fan.”

Paul Rosenberg, Eminem’s long-time manager and partner in Shady Records, was described in the announcement as being the impetus behind this collaboration, saying that “as an avid boutique cigar smoker and a long-time Drew Estate fan, this collaboration on our label’s 15th anniversary is a huge honor that I’m really excited about. JD and his team went all-out to create a really special smoke that I’m very proud to be associated with.”

Given its shared roots of the Undercrown ¡Corona Viva! as well as the Undercrown Dogma, the Undercrown ShadyXV uses a Mexican San Andrés Negro wrapper, Connecticut River Valley Stalk Cut & Cured Sun Grown Habano binder and a filler blend of Brazilian Mata Fina and Nicaraguan Habano.

The packs also bear the Latin phrase habe fiduciam sumus umbriferum, which Shady Records says translates as “Trust Us, We’re Shady.” It has been recently used on a polo shirt as part of the company’s “Country Club Rejects” bundle.

The ten-count soft packs of the Undercrown ShadyXV will have an MSRP of $99.95, and will be sold at the following retailers:

  • Churchills, Birmingham, MI
  • Churchills, West Bloomfield, MI
  • Wild Bill’s, Roseville, MI
  • Wild Bill’s, Commerce, MI
  • Smokes on Burdick, Kalamazoo, MI
  • La Casa, Detroit, MI
  • The Wine Garden, St Clair Shores, MI
  • Jenuwine’s, Troy, MI
  • Jenuwine’s, Sterling Heights, MI
  • Jenuwine’s, Royal Oak, MI

A dedicated website has also been set up as part of the cigar’s release.

Update (Dec. 11, 2014) — Retailers in Detroit are reporting the cigars have arrived.

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Patrick Lagreid

I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for MLB.com, plus I'm a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.