What type of smoke do you think Drew Estate makes for its own top brass? Ordinarily, it would be impossible to find out unless you were closely connected to someone at the company, but in 2008, the stick maker finally decided to release its storied and highly coveted formerly “in-house only” line of cigars — the Liga Privada No. 9 — to the public through select retailers.
“Liga Privada” means “private blend,” in case you didn’t know. And indeed, these cigars’ bands are stamped with the words “HECHO EXCLUSIVAMENTA PARA EL JEFE,” which translates to “manufactured exclusively for the boss.” (The “No. 9” signifies that this was the ninth blend out of dozens that was judged by former Drew Estate president Steve Saka to be flawless, and thus good enough for internal consumption.)
But what was once good enough for the boss can now be good enough for you — if you get your order in. That’s because these rarified sticks have now amassed a cult following so dedicated and loyal that Drew Estate has a hard time keeping up with demand.
This vitola of the line — the Liga Privada No. 9 Parejo Robusto — features a nearly black and surprisingly blemish-free Connecticut Broadleaf Oscuro wrapper, a plantation-grown Brazilian Mata Fina binder, and Honduran and Nicaraguan Cuban-seed filler leaves from seven individual farms. All of these tobaccos are aged by Drew Estate for at least one year, while the wrapper by itself is hand-fermented for 18 months. Just four pairs of workers at the firm’s sprawling Gran Fabrica factory in Estelí, Nicaragua are allowed to roll these limited-production cigars, for the sake of uniform consistency.
Aptly demonstrating these smokes’ exceptional construction, easy draw and even burn, the Liga Privada No. 9 Parejo Robusto’s output is sweet and woody, flaunting earthy licorice, ground coffee bean and cola flavors that earned these medium-bodied, medium-to-full-strength sticks a 90 rating from Cigar Aficionado.
Available on a limited basis in boxes of 24, the Parejo Robusto is one of the most desired vitolas of the Liga Privada No. 9 series, widely acknowledged to be Drew Estate’s best cigars. Order a box today, and become one of only a small number of smokers to have Liga Privada No. 9s in their humidor.