Tag Archives: liga privada

by Craig Vanderslice | October 28, 2022 · 9:32 pm

Contest! Win Some Drew Estate Goodies with a Twist! – Updated –

Back in August we attended the Drew Estate Connecticut Barnsmoker, and came home with a boatload of cool goodies! Normally I would have a simple contest, but with this amount of great Drew Estate gear and cigars, I wanted to try to do some good. It’s tricky, but I’ve decided to put a fundraiser on Facebook, and ask people to donate to what I consider a worthy charity. We’ll compile a list of entries and pick winners of two prize packages from the entrants. In an effort to avoid any problems, I’ll just add an entry for every five dollars donated and chose winners at random. Since I don’t think Facebook is keen on tobacco products, the description in the fundraiser will be limited. It won’t be easy on my end, but two people will win these two prize packages.

Package number 1, the pre-party package:

There’s a backpack, sunglasses case, lighter, cigar stand, travel humidor, lighter, battery pack, wallet and toiletries case. There’s also some cigars (from my personal humidor, for legal reasons), including the DE 25 collection of nine cigars, and event only two packs of Liga 10, Undercrown Tuani, and Herrera Esteli Caja China. This is a very nice collection.

Package number two, the Barnsmoker package:

Included in this package is a Barnsmoker sling bag, cutter, lighter, cigar stand, cap, travel humidor, pocket knife, bandana, banner and challenge coin. The cigars are the ten cigars we got at the door, and nine cigars collected at the event. I’m not sure which collection is better, they are both pretty great!

UPDATE!

Pack number three, the Liga Privada Pequeńos:

Steve Saka is providing a rare box of Liga Privada cigars from 2012. The box has some writing on the bottom, but is the first of four boxes ever created. These Pequeńos are about the same size as the Dirty Rat, if memory serves. Steve has posted a video about the box here. Since it seems like this has become the premier item in this giveaway, so here’s how I’m going to do it. I’ll pick one winner, and ask what prize they prefer. I’ll do that with the second also, and the third, well, that person will get what’s left (which will still be spectacular!). Here’s Will Cooper’s take on this great cigar, one of which he shared with me and it was exceptional. https://cigar-coop.com/2012/09/cigar-pre-review-liga-privada-no-9.html This is a real unicorn, I doubt there are any in the wild. I can’t thank Steve enough for helping out!

UPDATE #2!

Pack number four, a NewAir Humidor:

Kevin at CigarProp/I’d Tap That/TrashPanda is providing this Newair® Smoker’s Club Electric Cigar Humidor 250 Count Electric Humidor. From NewAir: This Electric Cigar Humidor comes with Opti-Temp™: a heating and cooling system designed to preserve the full flavor of your cigar collection. Inside the stylish stainless-steel design, you’ll find removable Spanish cedar shelves, a cedar drawer, and an easy-touch digital thermostat that gives you full temperature control from 52-74F degrees Fahrenheit. I have a larger NewAir that works wonderfully. This is a $675 value! We are down to the last few days, so get in for a chance to win one of these four packages! Thanks Kevin!

I’ve chosen K9s for Warriors as my charity. This covers two areas of interest for me, dogs and veterans. From their website:

Determined to end veteran suicide, K9s For Warriors provides highly-trained Service Dogs to military veterans suffering from PTSD, traumatic brain injury and/or military sexual trauma. With the majority of dogs coming from high-kill rescue shelters, this innovative program allows the K9/Warrior team to build an unwavering bond that facilitates their collective healing and recovery.

Please visit this link:https://www.facebook.com/donate/676320833848466/6876379542374088/ and make a donation. Facebook handles the money, and gives it all to K9s for Warriors. I’ll track the donations and keep a spreadsheet, assigning numbers to each donation. The donation period will end on November 11th (Veterans Day) and I’ll post the winners on November 13th.

Thank you to Drew Estate for having us at the Barnsmoker and for providing amazing products!! If you haven’t been to one of these, go! Thanks also to Steve Saka and Kevin Shahan for their contributionsThat’s all for today, until the next time,

CigarCraig

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Tagged as Barnsmoker, cigar, cigars, Contest, drew estate, liga privada, NewAir, Pequeńo, Saka

by Craig Vanderslice | June 22, 2022 · 5:47 pm

News: Drew Estate Expands Liga Privada 10 Aniversario Connecticut Criollo Distribution

I haven’t had a 10th Anniversary Liga since they came out with them initially, I think they had a 100th Anniversary too, because it was around 2016 when the FDA deeming regs were announced and everyone was releasing everything to get it in market. I can’t really remember what it was like, nor do I have any idea if the cigars now are even the same. Anyway, here’s some news from Drew Estate!

For the first time in its history, Drew Estate’s Liga Privada 10 Aniversario Connecticut Criollo cigar will be regularly available as monthly allocation for qualifying Drew Diplomat Program participants beginning in mid-June.

Due to the limited supply of the tobaccos used in each Liga Privada expression, production for all Liga Privada cigars is limited because the magnificent Connecticut River Valley capa leaves, which are the hallmark for every Liga Privada cigar, remain the most difficult component to secure. This is especially true for the Liga Privada 10 Aniversario Connecticut Criollo.

Just one Connecticut River Valley farmer cultivates the capa leaf for Liga Privada 10 Aniversario cigars. This very rare hybrid leaf combines the best elements of Broadleaf and Criollo and it is used only for Liga Privada 10 Aniversario. Since Liga Privada 10 Aniversario’s introduction, Drew Estate has only periodically released small batches of the cigars due to the rarity of the Connecticut Criollo leaf. Working with the farmer, Drew Estate has planted more of the Connecticut Criollo each year and has steadily aged and stockpiled enough of the precious leaf to ramp up Liga Privada 10 Aniversario’s production to now make it regularly available.

Liga Privada 10 Aniversario is a brawny gem that celebrates the unrivaled artistry of Liga Privada. Featuring a signature Cola de Pescado (fishtail) head and a closed foot, only Drew Estate’s most celebrated torcedores may roll the cigars. Liga Privada 10 Aniversario’s Connecticut Criollo capa covers a San Andres Otapan Negro Último Corte capote from Mexico and a tripa blend of Honduran and Nicaraguan tobaccos, as well as Pennsylvania Green River One Sucker. Dense and earthy with an intense peppery spice, Liga Privada 10 Aniversario is a full throttle beast of a smoke that commands your respect from its first light through the last puff.

“Liga Privada 10 Aniversario is a tribute to the remaining old-school tobacco growers in the Connecticut River Valley who produce the capas for Liga Privada,” says Drew Estate Founder and President, Jonathan Drew. “The magnificent cigar also honors our loyal consumers who’ve stood by our side through the ups and downs all these years. Today’s news is certainly welcome, as more people will now get to experience Liga Privada 10 Aniversario’s bold, luxurious and commanding presence … so let’s get luxuriating, party peoples.”

Available exclusively at qualifying Drew Diplomat Program participants, Liga Privada 10 Aniversario cigars are packaged in 10-count boxes with an MSRP of $183/box and $18.30/cigar. A list of qualifying Drew Diplomat retailers can be found at https://drewestate.com/liga-privada-h99-10-year-aniversario-select-retailers/.

About Drew Estate

Founded in New York City in 1996, Drew Estate has become one of the fastest growing tobacco companies in the world. Under their mantra “The Rebirth of Cigars”, Drew Estate has led the “Boutique Cigar” movement by innovating new elements to the tobacco industry with their unique tobaccos and blending styles that attract new and traditional cigar enthusiasts. In their Gran Fabrica Drew Estate, the Nicaraguan headquarters, Drew Estate produces a variety of brands such as ACID, Herrera Estelí, Herrera Estelí Norteño, Isla del Sol, Kentucky Fired Cured, Liga Privada, MUWAT, Larutan by Drew Estate, Nica Rustica, Pappy Van Winkle Barrel Fermented Cigars, Tabak Especial, Undercrown, Florida Sun Grown, and Java by Drew Estate.

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Tagged as 10 Aniversario, cigar, cigars, drew estate, liga privada

by Craig Vanderslice | January 3, 2021 · 10:59 am

New Year’s Cigars, A Don Lino Africa and a La Aurora 107 Nicaragua

Happy New Year and welcome to the 12th year of CigarCraig.com. Hopefully everything keeps going on the same as it has been for the past 11! I hope everyone had safe and healthy celebrations on New Years Eve, I fell asleep on the couch after smoking a really good cigar. I dug to the bottom of one of the rarely ventured into humidors and found a Havana Romeo y Julieta Tubed Churchill that has been there for well over a decade that was simply sublime. I figured with everything happening in the world it was as good a time as any to smoke this cigar. It was floral and woody (cedar sleeve in the tube, ya know), burned perfectly and was absolutely wonderful. I find that I’m more often than not disappointed by Havanas lately, but this older cigar was exceptional. I have a few very old Havanas in the humidor yet, I hope they provide a similar experience.

For my first cigar of the new year I selected a Liga Privada Serie Unico Year of the Rat. This is a Corona Gorda, 5 1/2 x 46, with a Broadleaf wrapper, Brazilian binder and Nicaraguan and Honduran fillers. One may think that this cigar is in the same family as the Dirty Rat and Ratzilla, but those two have the Stalk Cut Habano wrapper and this has a blend closer to the No.9. It’s a really good, bold cigar, lots of dark espresso flavor and very meaty. I would love to have tried the original 2016 version that was made for the lounge at the Florida Panther’s Sunrise Center Arena, but I never made it to a game, and I don’t know if they ever managed to sell any there anyway! I’m sure they are pretty much the same as they were then. I had one of these art the TPE show and it was quite good too. A nice way to start the year. I could do without the foil wrap, only because it’s a pain to remove, but it looks spiffy.

Yesterday I stopped into Top Shelf Cigars in Skippack, PA for a visit with Jim Cronin, the owner. This shop, in a kitschy little village with crafty shops and restaurants, has been there for 18 years, and has a very nice classic selection of cigars. I say classic, in that there is not a lot of boutique selections, in a location like this, I imagine that recognizable brands sell better than more cigar geek type of stuff. I still was able to find some cigars I hadn’t smoked yet (although nothing on my top ten list), the Miami Cigar & Co. Don Lino Africa, which I smoked in the Duma Robusto size. This is a new version of this cigar, if you looked way back at one of my very early blog posts, you’d find that I bought a five pack of Africas at Holts, but those are long gone. These are now made by AJ Fernandez, with a Habana 2000 wrapper, Cameroon binder and Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers. The old version was far more “Cameroony” than the new, although there is still a hint of the Cameroon sweetness from the binder. It was a good performing cigar with a nice flavor. I enjoyed the Robust and brought home a toro to try another time.

Since the topic of La Aurora’s distribution with Miami Cigar and Company (who owns the Don Lino Africa brand) came up, and whether Miami Cigar Co. was going to continue to distribute La Aurora after letting their sales staff go recently, I figured I’d smoke the new La Aurora 107 Nicaragua. I thought I’d read that La Aurora was sticking with Miami Cigar, but there seems to some confusion in the market about that. Without a sales force, does either brand really have that much of a market presence to keep up? Has 2020 given companies the notion that Zoom meetings can replace face to face interaction, both in the way of sales calls and in store events? It’ll be interesting to see, and I feel really bad for all the great sales reps who find themselves out of work. Anyway, I had picked up a couple of the La Aurora 107 Nicaraguas in the Gran Toro, 6” x 58 size. This is a Nicaraguan puro. I probably should have gotten a smaller size, because this one took half the cigar to really get going. The first half of the cigar was mild to the point of almost being without flavor. When it finally got there, it was very tasty, nice, earthy flavors, although not awfully distinctive or overly interesting. I’ll try a few more in different sizes, but this might fall into the 50% or so of La Aurora cigars that I don’t really like.

Well, that’s all for today. There is one more thing. I tried to do a Reader’s Poll, which I need to either find a better way, or abandon completely. The winner, by the way, was the Southern Draw Rose of Sharon. It was unanimous, as there was only one response. Considering it’s a delicious cigar, definitely in my top five Connecticut cigars, I’ll let it stand. With that, until the next time,

CigarCraig

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Tagged as 107 Nicaragua, cigar, cigars, Don Lino Africa, drew estate, La Aurora, liga privada, Miami Cigar and Co, Rome y Julieta, Serie Unico, Year of the Rat

by Craig Vanderslice | October 4, 2020 · 10:52 am

A Few A.J. Fernandez Cigars, a Pancetta and STFU!!! Thoughts

I smoked a few more of the A.J. Fernandez cigars that I had picked up last week at CigarCigars in Downingtown. I’ve managed to smoke a great many more cigars that are made by AJF for other people than under his own name, but I imagine that’s just a function of scale. The San Lotano was a cigar that I really enjoyed several years ago. The first one was the New World Puro Especiale Robusto. This is a 5½ x 52 “robusto”, not a bad size, right in between a robusto and a toro really. I thought it was a pretty decent cigar, on the leathery side, which generally doesn’t excite me a whole lot. It has Nicaraguan Habano wrapper and binder, with Nicaraguan fillers. One wonders if they go to the trouble of identifying the wrapper and binder varietals, why skimp on naming the fillers? Anyway, it was a very good cigar if that’s your flavor preference, mine tends toward something sweeter.

Next up was the Enclave Broadleaf, a cigar that I had been hoping to pick up, but was disappointed that they didn’t have for sale. How is it that I came to acquire this cigar, you ask? Well. Tom, the new manager at CigarCigars in Downingtown, PA, happened to mention that he was smoking one that the rep, John, had given him to try, and he was going to recommend bringing them in, which I replied that I had hoped to find them there. He then gifted me one, which was mighty nice of him, I think he’s going to do alright there! 😀 Like I said, I had been looking forward to trying this cigar, so I lit up the 5” x 52 Robusto and took a walk. This is a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapped cigar with Nicaraguan binder and fillers, and it’s on the strong side. I actually found it to have a biting sensation, to the flavor. It had the bitter espresso thing going on to a pretty high level, in my opinion. There was nothing subtle or smooth about this cigar. When I come across these in the shop I’ll pick a few up and leave them rest for a while (six months to a year) and see if the rough edges smooth out. For me, this is a cigar to follow a heavy meal, it’s a full frontal assault on the palate.

I posted the news release last week about Drew Estate’s re-release of the Liga Privada Lounge exclusive Liga Privada Serie Unico Pancetta. This is a shop exclusive that is exclusive to only two shops, the Wooden Indian, which is near me, and one of my favorites, and Barristers In New Jersey. Last year Dave, the proprietor of the Wooden Indian, gave me one out of his private stock, long after I had missed out on getting one. Now that they are available again, or maybe they sold out of the latest batch, I’m not sure, I figured I’d smoke it. It’s a smaller cigar, at least for my tastes, a 4 ¾” x 50 belicoso. I got a late start last night, and the size worked well for me. This cigar has the T52 wrapper, around a variation on the Feral Flying Pig blend. The combination resulted in an excellent cigar, although I was hard pressed to make any connection to either the T52 or the FFP. To be fair, the last FFP seemed different from the previous FFP I smoked, so who knows, right? Anyway, it was an outstanding cigar that I savored until I couldn’t savor any more, it certainly is a cigar that Dave at the WI is proud to have representing his wonderful lounge, which I look forward to visiting once it reopens! I’ve actually only been there once since the remodeled, and it was at Christmas. Between lack of employment and pandemic, I haven’t had a chance to get there. Call them and see if they still have some available!

Saka had his big reveal show for his STFU!!! Brûlée Sampler, hosted by Kevin at CigarProp and the I’d Tap That Cigar show. I don’t normally watch live streams, but this one was a must see. Kevin did a great job moderating this one with Steve and Dave Lafferty, although someone should tell Steve that his signature black shirt against the dark background made him look like a disembodied head on my screen, which was a little disturbing. I lit up a Mi Querida Firecracker because it was supposed to be an hour, I should have gone with a Sobremesa Short Churchill, because it went an hour and 20 minutes. It’s Saka, I should know better. Anyway, The announcement was that the S and !!! were regular Brûlée, T was double sweet and F and U were sweetened. My assessment was close, although I struggled with F and U, missing U altogether I think. The way Steve explained the sweetening process, they make all the cigars the same, then wipe the sugar solution on after the fact, and the sugar solution is concentrated differently to achieve the sweetness level. The F and U samples I received must have had the cloth with the sweetener on it waved over them, because they either were ever so slightly sweetened, or I don’t taste sweet very well. I have quite. A sweet tooth, so I don’t think that’s the case. Anyway, I rather enjoyed the T actually, it was an interesting change of pace, and I do enjoy a sweetened cigar once in a while, although the saccharine is a little much, but Steve explained why that is used instead of sugar in a lot of cases to. Go to the CigarProp YouTube channelCigarProp YouTube channel if you missed the show, there’s a lot of good information there.

That’s about all for today, until the next time,

CigarCraig

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Tagged as A.J. Fernandez, aj fernandez, Barrister, broadleaf, cigar, cigars, drew estate, Enclave, liga privada, New World, Pancetta, Puro Especial, Serie Unico, STFU!!!, wooden indian

by Craig Vanderslice | September 18, 2020 · 3:47 pm

News: Liga Privada Unico Serie Pancetta Returns to Wooden Indian and Barrister Cigars!

Friday news from Drew Estate. This one is special for me because it involves my friends at the Wooden Indian! I have a Pancetta in the humidor that Dave gave me out of his personal stash after the first batch had sold out, maybe that’s tonight’s cigar! It seems that folks who order a box will get some special goodies!

rew Estate announces today the 2020 release of the limited-edition Liga Privada Unico Serie Pancetta, an exclusive cigar to the two Liga Privada Lounges, Wooden Indian Tobacco Shop in Havertown, PA and Barrister Cigars in Union, NJ. The Pancetta will be available beginning on September 25th, when each of these exclusive retailers will be hosting a special virtual launch event.

The Liga Privada Unico Serie Pancetta is the union of two renowned Liga Privada blends, Liga Privada T52 and the Liga Privada Unico Feral Flying Pig. Featuring a Connecticut Stalk Cut and Cured Habano capa, this cigar starts off with a spice blast and hearty aroma, leading the enthusiast on the complex journey through “LigaLandia.” To add raw might to the blend, a bold Brazilian Mata Fina binder and powerful filler leaves from Nicaragua and Honduras were selected. These binder and filler leaves are the very same that go into the Liga Privada Unico Feral Flying Pig. These majestic tobaccos are skillfully rolled into a 4 ¾” x 50 belicoso, identified by a 2020 Release footband, to make for an unforgettable smoking experience.

From the Wynwood Safehouse, Jonathan Drew President and Founder of Drew Estate adds, “The Pancetta brings us back to the early days of the Liga Privada brandmark, representing the important brick & mortar friendships that deeply contributed to our initial success with the brand. We took the approach of selecting a small group of accounts who we felt believed most highly in the LP project … and slowly, carefully, one-by-one, added accounts that shared our vision for the Connecticut River Valley, as well as a “Stalk Cut – Stalk Cured” process. Barrister Cigars and Wooden Indian were among our first accounts, immediately understanding the vision and showing the love and passion for the brand. The Pancetta is so crazy dope that I firmly suggest listening to the song “Dope Beat” while smoking this banga … btw … that’s Boogie Down Productions for those who don’t know … “who got the dope beat … we got the dope beat!!!””

David Mallow, owner of Barrister Cigars notes, “Since the opening of our Liga Privada Lounge with Jonathan Drew and the National Launch of two sizes of T52, Liga Privada has continually been one of the bestselling lines in our store. Our customers seek us out because of our Liga Privada selection and hard to find DE classics.”

David Mayer, owner of Wooden Indian, adds, “We were one of the first stores in the country to bring in Liga Privada, and we consider it a cornerstone of our humidor.”

The Liga Privada Unico Pancetta is packaged in 24 count boxes with an MSRP of $299.00/box, sold exclusively through Wooden Indian Tobacco Shop and Barrister Cigars. It will be available at a virtual launch event held at 5:00pm on September 25^th, consumers can register via Zoom at https://Swisher.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0qdeiuqDssGtzf6vm1mUFDl8Xros3baAgu.