Review: Liga Privada Dirty Rat

[Boro62]

Figured since the nib has a sticky with a bunch of reviews, I'm hoping to maybe get something similar going in the brown leaf.

Brand: Liga Privada By Drew Estates
Size: 5 x 44 Corona
Wrapper: Connecticut Sungrown Habano
Filler: 5 different types of Honduran and Nicaraguan
Binder: Brazilian Mata Fina

Construction: It was a well rolled cigar with a nice oily dark brown wrapper. The wrapper was nice and oily with well constructed seams and very little veins. It also had a nice firm roll throughout the whole cigar.

Strength: This cigar had quite a bit of nic punch. I'm generally a pretty avid smoker of all things tobacco, but even then it got me a little light headed which is rare for me.

Flavors: Throughout the whole smoke there I noticed quite a bit of chocolate cocoa flavor along with a noticeable amount of earthy undertones to it. First third was spicer than the rest of the smoke. Second third was creamier but still held quite a bit of the cocoa and earthy flavor. What caught me a bit off guard was how it went from a spicy bold flavor to a more and more creamy mellow flavor. The last third mellowed out considerably from the first which is pretty opposite from most cigars I smoke where the end usually packs bolder, stronger, intense flavors.

Burn: Burn dead even from light till finish, ash was a dark grey and held tight for about an inch before I tapped it off.

Overview and other thoughts and impressions: This smoke produced a nice smooth draw. Since this cigar is a smaller gauge, I was surprised at the large abundant amount of smoke it produced. I will say that it definitely held up to the rave reviews that it has been getting. I only wished it was easier to get more of. If I ever get a chance, I will definately be buying as many boxes as I get my hands on.

 

[73mountaineer]

I concur with all of the above, love those! I have only managed to stumble on to them once in a B&M & bought a half dozen or so; I wish I would have bought the entire box now.

 

[The Dean]

Thanks for the great review Boro. As yet, I have not found a Drew Estate stick that I cared for. The flavor profile you describe here appeals to me, though. So I think I will give one of these a try. They do seem to be a bit overpriced, IMO. But I guess the only way to tell if they are overpriced, or properly priced is to smoke one!

I do like pigtails though. If we make this an ongoing thing, I may have to do a review for the PDR 1878 Capa Madura.

 

[Boro62]

Thanks for the great review Boro. As yet, I have not found a Drew Estate stick that I cared for. The flavor profile you describe here appeals to me, though. So I think I will give one of these a try. They do seem to be a bit overpriced, IMO. But I guess the only way to tell if they are overpriced, or properly priced is to smoke one!

I do like pigtails though. If we make this an ongoing thing, I may have to do a review for the PDR 1878 Capa Madura.

Just curious, but what other drew estate sticks have you tried but didn't like? I've been a pretty big fan boy of the liga privada line by drew estates so far.

and i'll be looking forward to seeing the review on the PDR 1878 I'm hoping to do 1 or 2 reviews a week, hopefully it will inspire a few others to do some as well.

 

[sychodelix]

Sounds great! Saving my Feral Flying Pig for day after tomorrow on my birthday.

 

[The Dean]

Just curious, but what other drew estate sticks have you tried but didn't like? I've been a pretty big fan boy of the liga privada line by drew estates so far.

and i'll be looking forward to seeing the review on the PDR 1878 I'm hoping to do 1 or 2 reviews a week, hopefully it will inspire a few others to do some as well.

I have tried the Natural, the Java wafer type cigar and an Acid or two. They did nothing for me.

But the Liga Privada actually looks like a cigar I might love. And I have heard good things about it even from those who aren't big Drew fans. Those comments, along with your review, have convinced me to give them a try.

Oh, and I won't be doing a PDR review until I restock. The only place I know that carries them is in Daytona Beach. Typically I go there only once every 3-4 months and I think the next scheduled trip is in May. But there are a few cigar stores in downtown St Augustine that I don't frequent, so I may take a walk later this week and check them out. The prices are a bit higher, but I could use stopping by a new shop just to see what's in stock.

 

[73mountaineer]

I have tried the Natural, the Java wafer type cigar and an Acid or two. They did nothing for me.

But the Liga Privada actually looks like a cigar I might love. And I have heard good things about it even from those who aren't big Drew fans. Those comments, along with your review, have convinced me to give them a try.

Some people like those, but they are targeting a completely different market than the Liga Privada and Undercrown lines. Those are mainly infused cigars (not sure about the Natural line), and seem to be a love 'em or hate 'em proposition. If you like full-bodied cigars, definitely take a shot at the Ligas.

 

[The Dean]

Some people like those, but they are targeting a completely different market than the Liga Privada and Undercrown lines. Those are mainly infused cigars (not sure about the Natural line), and seem to be a love 'em or hate 'em proposition. If you like full-bodied cigars, definitely take a shot at the Ligas.

That seems to be the case here. Completely different look and image from the other Drew stuff.

The Acid I tried was flavored but the others were not. I only tried the flavored because I recall smoking these really interesting flavored cigars back in the late 70's-early 80's. This crazy guy claimed to have a bunch of pre-embargo Cuban stock and he was infusing it with really fragrant oils. (I know--that sounds sacrilege to me now.) They were pretty interesting. You couldn't keep them in the same humidor as the other cigars--they were that strongly flavored/scented. I can't recall the name of the producer, but I think he just disappeared--unless he became Drew Estates.

Anyway, the Acid was just an attempt at a bit of nostalgia. It failed. I haven't tried a flavored cigar since. Although I do have a couple of Maker's Mark cigars in my humidor (in their tubes). They were gifts ("He likes Maker's Mark and he likes cigars. These are perfect!") I'm not quite sure if I can bring myself to smoke one.

 

[PDman]

A good cigar. But love the no.9