Drew Estate Liga Privada No. 9 Toro Tubo Review

Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf Ligero Oscuro
Filler: Honduran and Dominican
Price: Unreleased, Estimating $10.00 - $11.00

Back in March when I met Marvin Samel from Drew Estate he handed me this cigar to try. He said it wasn't yet released, so I was instantly excited about it. The No. 9 was the first Liga Privada cigar I ever smoked back when I was in college. I believe it was my sophomore year that I finally found one in my local shop up there. I have recently been on a Liga Privada kick, so I felt the need to review this one now.

Once I look this cigar out of its awesome tube, I noticed just how great the cigar looked. The wrapper was dark brown with several spots on it that were almost black. The shades of brown and black had an almost marble-esque appearance because of the oily shine.

There were a couple very thin veins running through the wrapper leaf. The cap was made up of two layers that both were perfectly flush and blended perfectly with the rest of the wrapper. Like all of the Liga Privadas I have smoked, this one was solid all the way through from cap to foot. Then I noticed a very sweet smell coming off of this cigar.

As soon as I lit up this cigar, I noticed that it was much more enjoyable since the first one I had. The start was ridiculously complex. I was picking up notes of coffee, chocolate, oak, and earth right away. After a few puffs on this cigar, the sweetness and a new leather flavor started to coat my palate. As this cigar slowly progressed, the leather flavor picked up.

By the time I got through the first inch the oak and chocolate flavors started to take over. The earthiness is strong and makes up a solid background flavor. I also noticed that the chocolate sweetness was most prominent on the draw. When the sweetness picked up, the coffee flavor started to dissipate.

It was right around the start of the second third where this cigar really smoothed out. There was a light peppery spice that formed, but it worked perfectly and complimented the sweetness. The cigar also became very creamy. The combination of the creaminess and leather were now coating my palate.

At the halfway mark of this cigar, the coffee flavors started to come back slightly. The leather flavor even picked up a little bit more as well. The spice had started to take over the sweetness and was very prominent on the exhale. So the draw was very sweet, and the exhale was spicy. Neither of these flavors stuck because my tongue was coated with a creamy coffee flavor.

The last couple inches of this cigar were much more spicy than the rest of the cigar. Although the spice picked up, it actually complimented to oak and earth perfectly. The finish was absolutely fantastic. It was strong and full of flavor. All the flavors were present in just about every puff. Everything was balanced and worked perfectly together.

The ash on this cigar was different to say the least. It was several shades of gray with a little bit of brown mixed in. The ash was a little bit flaky and split a few times (see picture 2). The burn was uneven at the start, but it evened out quickly. The draw was very easy and produced a tone of smoke. It was smokey just like the Undercrown. The smoke also gave off a very earthy and spicy aroma.

This cigar exceeded the expectations that I had for it. The only flaw that this cigar had was a minor tunneling problem during the first third. Other than that, I have no complaints. This full bodied cigar was very complex with a bunch of flavors that were easily noticeable.
I give this cigar a 9 out of 10 hands down.

Thanks for reading,

Zack the Stogie Man