Review of Liga Privada T52 Cigar by Drew Estate

Drew Estate is known for good cigars like ‘La Vieja Habana’, which I reviewed here in 2007, just after I returned from my first deployment to Afghanistan. Well, this cigar review is one I have been on a waiting list to write. What does that mean? It means that the T52 had the distinction of being ‘hecho exclusamente para el jefe’ – in other words, just made for the boss. It has taken over a year for my local tobacconist to get them in, but it was worth the wait. It was a creation by the folks at Drew Estate using a ‘stalk-cut’ leaf. The cigar I smoked for this review was the Toro 152mm x 52. The stalk-cut leaf was found in Connecticut, from a US tobacco farmer that called it an ‘American Habano’ that he had been experimenting with for a new wrapper. Drew Estate decided it was what they were looking for to create a new cigar, and the result was a very interesting cigar. Other than the wrapper, the binder is Brazilian and the filler is a blend of Nicaraguan, Dominican and Honduran tobaccos.

The draw on this cigar is good, but I did smoke four of these to make sure, and there was some variance but only from good to better. It has a nice dark brown almost ‘Oscuro’ wrapper, and the stick is solid. Not too hard, but just solid to the touch, which I tend to like in a cigar. It reminds me of some pre-embargo Cubans I had once. The cigar lights easy and burns even and slow. The ash fell on it’s own after 30 minutes at almost 2”, and I barely made it to the ashtray before it dropped. The band is quite classy and subtle, and more important, easy to remove without damaging the cigar. This cigar burned well for 90 minutes down to just below 2” and then went out.

This is not a cigar for the beginner. It is a very bold flavor of good South American espresso, a little spicy and great aromas. The cigar flavor was consistent to the mid-point, where the spice took over from the coffee. The finish was strong, bold and peppery. The smoke was rich and full of great Cuban-like cigar aromas. I smoked one cigar with coffee, one with scotch, one with Jagermeister and one just by itself. This cigar has the tendency to mix well with different beverages, but the aroma is solidly ‘old world’ Cuba. Well done!

This is a tough call, but my philosophy has changed a bit since the April 2009 hike in federal excise taxes on cigars. I buy fewer cigars now, but I buy better cigars, so perhaps I am spending the same and smoking less, but enjoying it more. Anyway, you can find online a 5 pack for $47, a box of 24 for $204, but if you can find a tobacconist that has made it to the list of those lucky enough to sell them in their shops, you will pay about $10.50 for a single stick. Obviously, the 5 pack brings the cost down by $1, and by the box of 24 down another $1. So, bottom line, at $8.50/stick when you buy a box is a fantastic value.

Note: You will notice that the photo of the cigar has an Air Force ABU (Air Battle Uniform) design behind the cigar. This will be my last review before deploying back to Afghanistan. I promise to continue writing when I have the time. I just want to thank you all again for supporting our Cigars for Troops program.