Stogie Reviews: Drew Estate Liga Privada Flying Pig

25 Feb 2010

Drew Estate is best known for its line of infused cigars called Acid. But it is the traditional Nicaraguan puro Liga Privada that is winning over seasoned smokers.

flying pig The Liga Privada No. 9, which means private blend number nine, was originally created for Drew Estate President Steve Saka. It features a seven-tobacco blend with a Connecticut broadleaf maduro wrapper and is aged for a full year before being shipped for sale.

Building on the success of the No. 9, Drew Estate extended the line in 2009 with the release of the Liga Privada T-52, which is a different blend and features a stalk-cut habano wrapper. The Flying Pig, a four-inch by 60 ring gauge perfecto, is a limited release vitola under the original No. 9 line with a production run of 24,000 cigars.

The unique shape was chosen by Steve Saka from a picture of an 1895 cigar salesman’s size selection case. The Flying Pig features more ligero than the No. 9 but the same Connecticut broadleaf wrapper. The changes in the blend give the Flying Pig more strength than the No. 9, and a slightly sweeter flavor profile.

The construction is excellent with a firm feel and no visible defects in the oily wrapper. It smells of earth and leather with just a hint of pepper. Because the Flying Pig is a perfecto, I was a little worried about the draw being tight in the beginning, but the initial draw is good and opens up slightly once you pass the first half inch.

The cigar yields plenty of creamy smoke with initial flavors of leather, earth, and some sweetness. As it progresses, the leather fades and cedar and a nice spice join the mix. A sweetness reminiscent of cocoa also picks up. The burn is consistent with a bit of wavering, but it never requires a touch-up. The Flying Pig burns slowly with an average smoke time of around and hour and a half.

Overall, I am very impressed with the Flying Pig. The flavors are interesting and blended well. Construction and combustion qualities are excellent as well, which you would expect from a cigar with an MSRP of $12 per stick.

My only small complaint is that on one of my two samples the cap came off half way through the cigar. While this was bit disconcerting at the time, it did not affect the draw or the flavor at all. All of these factors combine to earn the Liga Privada Flying Pig four stogies out of five.