LIGA PRIVADA T52 BY DREW ESTATE

For those of you who aren’t familiar with Drew Estate, they’re the makers of the highly popular ACID line of cigars.  I read a story about Drew Estate in an issue of Cigar Aficionado.  It’s a pretty cool story and I recommend doing a Google Search and getting familiar with Drew Estate.  Recently they’ve began releasing cigars with more traditional blends unlike their ACID line which are infused…btw don’t call then flavored because Jonathan Drew might kick your ass!  I recently dug into the ARK and pulled from its dark depths a Liga Privada T52 robusto I purchased at Binny’s around a year ago.

Country: Nicaragua

Wrapper: Natural

Strength: Full

Length: 5

Gauge: 54

Price: $10

Liga Privada T52 Cigars offer a luxurious full-bodied smoke designed for cigar smokers who appreciate the finer qualities of robust, complex cigars.  The core is blended with Nicaraguan, Dominican and Honduran long-fillers bound by a zesty Brazilian leaf.  But the piece de resistance is the U.S. grown stalk-cut Habano-seed oscuro wrapper.  The result is a leaf that’s more intense in flavor and richer oils.  The smoke teems with creamy flavors of wood, espresso, peppery spices and sweet tobacco.  A must smoke!

Pretty sweet press release actually!  I was unfamiliar with the Liga Privada until I read a review in a cigar magazine and I pretty much had to try one.  Prior to the T52 I bought a Liga by Drew Estate as well.  I reviewed this cigar a while back and wasn’t impressed with it.  So naturally I was a little hesitant to spend $10 on a top of the line cigar from Drew Estate.  For the record they make some of the coolest cigars on the market today. 

The T52 is a beauty as well.  It is well made, maybe too well made.  When you hold the T52 in your hand it looks like a museum piece!  The cigar cut easy and true but here is where I got worried.  The Draw was terrible.  I was super butt-hurt too!  That’s why I said the T52 is maybe a little too well made.  The draw was way too tight and it would be a problem throughout the whole smoke!

Despite the terrible draw the T52 was a flavor monster.  The smoke was definitely aromatic and sweet smelling…and man did the T52 smoke.  Smoke just rolled off that thing!  The flavors were all over the spectrum of taste!  I got coffee notes, hints of nutty smoothness.  There were a few instances where spice showed through.   The most prevalent taste was that of a creamy, rich bitter dark chocolate.  Smoking the T52 was like eating a double chocolate cake soaked in crude oil!  It was a great smoke, but I still didn’t enjoy it as much as I would’ve liked because of that damn terrible draw!  At the end of the day I don’t think I will get any more Ligas from Drew Estate because the two I’ve had haven’t had good draws!   At $10 a stick the cigar is pricey and it shouldn’t exhibit the inconsistencies that I’m feeling is associated with the Ligas!  If I had a choice right now between a $10 Liga Privada or an $8 Gurkha Ghost I’d go the Ghost based on the problems I’ve had with the draws.  I just trust the Ghost more!  That being said I look forward to trying more of Drew Estates traditional line of cigars in the future!

Cheers!