We are back at it again with another Liga Privada from Drew Estate. Today we will be reviewing the T52 Flying Pig. You already are expecting great things for this one especially if you have been smoking products form Drew Estate or other Liga Privada cigars.
Stats:
Profile: Full
Wrapper: Habano Connecticut
Shape: Perfecto
Length: 4"
Gauge: 60
Country: Honduras
Filler: Honduran, Nicaraguan
Binder: Brazil
Pricing: (Box of 12) - $172.11
(per stick) - $14.34
First Impression:
My first impression is unfair for this one. I recently reviewing the Liga Privada No. 9 Flying Pig and am riding the coat tails a bit still. My mind was made up that this was going to be excellent. The wrapper was amazing and felt great. You could smell the flavors form a distance so my assumption was not to far off.
Pre-Smoke Ritual:
This is one of my favorite parts. I got a good sniff of this one and the coffee and chocolate really was nice. More like beautiful. I made my cut and prepared for the pre-light draw. There was no surprise here. Although it is usually poor etiquette to put a cigar to your nose I think it is acceptable of it is yours. That initial smell profile makes the cold draw more intense. It is a great way to pre game for me.
Lighting, Draw, and Burn:
After a good toast of the cigar I fired it up. Lighting it was very clean and effortless. No extra time with flame to cigar. This thing poured smoke from the beginning. Some may find it unpleasant, but the smell and flavor made this extremely enjoyable. The draw was on the looser side of perfection. Nothing to worry about here as it still was on the money. The burn was slightly off during the first third so I hit it with some touch-up and all was well in the world.
Flavor:
This little cigar really smacks you with some great flavor right from the start. Bold coffee, chocolate, leather, with some earthy tones hit you out of the gate. After it really gets going there is some pepper flavor, but not spicy. It is very pleasant. The second third has the coffee and chocolate really dominating the flavor profile. The leather has really taken a back seat here, but is still noticeable. I also noticed a hint of cinnamon int he background. The earthy tone still remains. Everything is mixing well up to this point. The final third continued where the second third left off. There is coffee and chocolate leading the way. The pepper, cinnamon, leather, and earthy tones remain in their positions. This is really full of flavor.
My Preference:
This cigar rested in the humidor for 5 weeks. There was a brief period where I forgot it was in there, but the rest was welcomed. I made my cut with a NUB branded double blade cutter. For lighting I used a Rockwell quad flame torch. To finish this off I went with the Bio Hazard Cigar Dagger. The flavor was strong and I wanted to smoke this one down to nothing.
Final Thoughts:
Another one hit out of the park by Drew Estate. If big flavor in a small package is what your after then this could be the one for you. I really did enjoy this for an entire hour. Do not let the small stature fool you. This cigar is in for the long haul with you. I was already a fan after trying the No. 9. This is just another stick to add to the go-to flavor arsenal. I will be sure to have one or ten in my humidor at all times.