After a fine Thanksgiving turkey dinner with my family I figured something a special cigar was in order. I was in a Liga Privada mood, so I was riffling through the Drew Estate box and came across a 6″x 60 Liga Privada T52. Now tell me, what could be better than more of a good thing? Probably just about every other size of the T52! Not that it wasn’t a spectacular cigar, it certainly was! It was loaded with flavor, just not quite the concentration of flavor that the narrower ring gauge T52s present. I enjoyed every last bit of this cigar, but couldn’t help to think that the wrapper to filer ratio just isn’t quite right to showcase the wrapper on the T52 line. I think this came from a goodie bag at a blogger party Drew Estate threw in Vegas at the 2011 IPCPR show. Great cigar, but I’m not really surprised that it isn’t in regular production, but it’s always fun to see how blends translate into different sizes. It’s a cigar I’m glad to have had the chance to try in this format to see the impact that the wrapper has on a blend.
Friday evening I took a drive down to Old Havana Cigar Co. just south of West Chester, PA. for an Alec Bradley event. This shop always has good events and they have a really nice lounge as well as a huge, well stocked humidor. They have food in the lounge and always have quite a crowd. I picked up a couple of American Sun Grown robustos and lit one up. For right around $5 these cant be beat. I think I prefer them over some of the pricier lines. I had a nice time talking with “the Player”, Jonathan Lipson, and hanging out and enjoying my smoke. Since I moved a few months ago I’m a lot farther away from this shop than I used to be, but I’ll make the trip occasionally to catch an event. I ended up with new Connecticut offering from Alec Bradley which I’ll smoke in the not too distant future (maybe today).
Last night, after a two day battle with a migraine, I went for a favorite, a Gurkha Seduction Robusto. This is an excellent smoke that I really like and didn’t have to think to hard about, I could just enjoy it . A year ago I don’t think I’d even had a Gurkha cigar, and now I find that I have a handful floating around the humidors. So far the Seduction is my favorite, but I have a bunch more to sample. I’ll wait until the weather is nicer though as the all seem to be toro sized!
I hope everyone had a fine Thanksgiving and is ready for the start of my 12 Days of Spectacular Giveaways coming up in a few short weeks! It’s looking like it’s going to be even better than last year! I’m going to go string some more lights outside after I send a few e-mails lining up stuff for the contests.
Until the next time,
CigarCriag
Craig,
How do you think the T-52 compares to the #9?
As far as I know, the only difference is the wrapper. BTW, the 12 days is turning into a nice tradition.
I think they are a little different. The wrapper on the #9 is heavier in flavor to me. I like them both, but I think I lean towards the #9.
I was gifted a T52 6X60, and I have to say it fell flat compared to the smaller ring gauge versions. The T52 wrapper is magical, not that the rest of the tobacco isn’t great. It seems a shame to dilute such a fantastic (and expensive) wrapper with other tobaccos. Not that i would turn one down if someone handed one to me.
Alex, thanks for the comment. I agree with you and I’m glad it’s not just me! What would a 6×60 #9 be like? Same deal you think? Some blends work in that format and others fall flat.
Craig – thanks for the kind words, glad you enjoyed the smoke.
The ultimate reason why the 6×60 wasn’t made in the T52 line was what you and Alex alluded to – the larger girth imo robbed the T52 blend of its boldness which is not ideal. I know I expect to get that spicy, leathery pop from a T52 and for me this larger format just subdued the experience too much. Ultimately this larger ring just didn’t generate the heat needed to sustain the blend imo.
We made about 1,000 or so of these and I know some folks have expressed their love for them, but ultimately we didn’t feel they were right and would end up mildly disappointing more folks than it pleased.
Like you alluded to, the cigar’s liga was crafted to be in the 50 to 54 ring – once we go larger or smaller, it really needs to be significantly adjusted imo. And to achieve the desired flavor profile with these particular tobaccos in a 60 ringer would be impossible imo.
That being said, we have been tinkering with a 60 ring LP, but I will admit the project hasn’t really captured our hearts as neither Nick or myself are personally into the uber-fatties.
BR,
Steve Saka
CEO, Drew Estate
Thanks for the inside scoop Steve! I did enjoy the cigar, it just didn’t have what I expected from a T52. Your input here is greatly appreciated!
Hey Craig have you been back to CI as of late? I gotta head up there agian. Love the T-52
I haven’t been up there since the grand opening Corey. I have to get up there again one of these days myself.