Liga Privada No. 9
Initial Thoughts
What can I say about the Liga Privada No. 9 that hasn’t already been said? I’ve read so many great reviews about this stick already and all the love that members of r/cigars give this cigar I knew it had to be something special. I finally found a B&M in Nashville that carries these stogies. In fact, they had quite a few of the Liga Privada line. Recently, I reviewed the Liga Privada T52 and didn’t have that great of an experience with it. However, I’m expecting a great treat from this Liga Privada No. 9.
If you read the story about the Liga Privada No. 9 on Drew Estates website they tell you the back story on this cigar. It wasn’t created to sell commercially, rather it was created as something the President of DE wanted to keep in his private humidor. In the story it talks about how the wrapper is fermented for 18+ months. Over a year and a half to cure this thing and that’s what really brings out all the flavor. On the box of the Liga lines most of them say they are “Stalk Cut”. So I did some researching and found out that leaves are either “Stalk Cut” or “Primed” when harvested. Most broadleaf plants are stalk cut to make maduro or oscuro wrappers.
After learning all this about the Liga Privada No. 9 I was ready to get into it. I smoked this cigar with one of my good friends out on the porch of my new house that I share with my fiance. My buddy and I were celebrating a big contract he just signed for his company so I stopped in and picked up a couple of these great sticks to celebrate. As you’ll find out, you couldn’t have asked for a better cigar to celebrate with!
Looks
As soon as you pick this cigar up out the box you can see something special and different about it. The dark, oily, and luscious wrapper is called Oscuro, which is the darkest color wrapper you can get without it being called a maduro. There are very few wrappers that I have seen that look this incredible. There are a few small veins that slightly protrude and act as a guide for your eyes to look up and down the barrel to help you marvel in the beauty of this wrapper. Judging by the outside of this cigar the Liga Privada No. 9 stands in a class all its own.
The band is similar to that of the T52; it’s simple yet exquisite. There is something about the handwritten look of the font used on the band. Something that draws you in and makes you remember this is a hand made product. No flashy packaging needed. Not with this cigar. The prestige of the brand alone will make you want to try this cigar. Yet when you roll the Liga Privada No. 9 around in your hand to the backside of the band you see their powerful lion logo embossed with silver.
It’s so simple and understated that it makes me think they did it on purpose. They don’t want you focusing on the packaging of this product. They want you to focus on the cigar! Thats probably the reason the box is fairly simple; a light tan unstained cedar box with the logo and information burned into it. No flashy packaging to catch your eye. It’s as if they want you to ask for the cigars by name when you’re in the humidor.
Function
While conversing and talking about ways to dominate the world with my good friend, I roll this Liga Privada No. 9 through my fingers to get a good feel for it’s firmness. It’s hard to describe how a perfectly filled cigar feels when you pinch it. The closest thing I can think of when you’re cooking a steak on the grill and as you become more experienced cooking you don’t need to cut into it to see if its done. Hell you don’t even need a thermometer. You can push in on the steak to test its firmness and know right where its at temperature wise. That’s how I feel with cigars. I pinch the barrel and I can usually tell if I’m going to have trouble smoking it, or if it was filled just the right amount with tobacco.
It’s time to see if my theories are true. Since this Liga Privada No. 9 is a bigger smoke I’m going to opt for the criss cross V cut. What I’m doing is using my V cutter and making two cuts in the head of the cigar that are perpendicular to each other forming an X from a V cut. Didn’t know I was gonna teach you the alphabet today did you? … Just as I suspected this cigar pulled perfectly on the cold draw. Not much resistance at all and you can really pick up some great flavors and aromas, but I’ll cover that later. Lets put some fire to this thing and see how it smokes.
Smoking
My good buddy passes me his cigar to light it for him. He has a problem with smoking cigars too fast (he’s smoked way too many cigarettes) and tends to make the wrapper canoe or have the filler tunnel on him. So since this Liga Privada No. 9 is a rather expensive cigar he gives it to me to toast the foot and get it going straight for him.
Just a little lesson here in smoking a cigar: Smoke slow, take a couple of puffs, get some good smoke from it, and then let it rest. Don’t chief it down like a cigarette; the cigar will burn too fast and get hot and taste all bitter. Just take a couple of puffs and enjoy it then let it rest. Trust me you’ll enjoy it more!
Wow, honestly I’ve seen a lot of reviews say (and even I’ve said it many times0, that the burn on this Liga Privada No. 9 is razor sharp. I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen a burn so even before in my smoking life. If you’ve ever seen the Liga Privada ads in magazines or online it has the whole cigar as one long ash, and it says “yeah it’s that good”. Well, they nailed it with that ad. The ash that this thing held is just perfect. I think I held it all the way to 1.5″. Then it fell off and hit the ground from about 3 feet and didn’t shatter. I was blown away. Actually, I learned this while studying for my tobacconist exam that when an ash dissipates like that its because the leaves were low in magnesium. The more magnesium in the leaf, the better ash it will form. I made sure to relay that info to my smoking buddy. He didn’t seem to care too much about it. He was focusing on making his cigar burn uneven. Incredible draw, tight burn, super long ash, how the hell does it taste?
Flavor
Well I wish I could find a better way than some surfer 90’s term to describe how this cigar tastes, but I’m going to use it anyway … AWESOME! Absolutely incredible, the Liga Privada No. 9 is so rich and full in flavor it’s very hard to compare to other sticks that I’ve smoked. The only ones I can compare it to are the Headley Grange and the Aroma de Cuba cigars.
The flavor profile on this Liga Privada No. 9 is so complex that it’s hard to get all the flavors that I could sense. I experienced everything from sweet chocolate to slight amounts of pepper to full blown coffee taste. Literally all over the flavor wheel. The great thing about it, was they all worked harmonously like they were part of a symphony playing the tune Liga Privada No. 9. Just incredible.
The first third brought a lot of flavor the to plate, but the strength of the coffee taste really opened up in the second third. It finished with a bit of pepper on the backend. The sweetness was picked up by licking my lips the wrapper tasted incredibly sweet and chocolatey and was a great contrast to the coffee flavor from the tobacco. It reminded me of a mocha latte, mainly because thats what I get when I go to Starbucks or DD so when you combine chocolate and coffee flavors thats essentially where my mind goes.
Even with all of these flavors that hit you, the Liga Privada No. 9 stayed incredibly smooth throughout and never once got bogged down and tasted bitter. For me the flavor profile stayed fairly consistent all the way through and made for hell of a smoke.
Would I Buy It Again?
Without a doubt. Whenever you find some of these cigars make sure to pick a couple up, but please don’t horde them. Leave some behind for others to enjoy.
Is It an Every Day Smoke?
If they weren’t such a limited production I would say yeah, smoke these everyday. But as I said above, leave some behind and let others smoke them too and let them experience this incredible smoke.
Would I Buy a Box?
Only if the B&M has a surplus. If you buy a box make sure to share it with others; don’t keep them all to yourself. I know they are a great stick, but they are also worth sharing.
Conclusion
A full bodied stick that will leave you wanting more every time. The Liga Privada No. 9 is so rich and full and flavorful that you may not want to ever smoke another stogie. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a burn as straight and as solid as this one. The draw was damn near perfect. Just all around, a phenomenal cigar. Seek these out, ask your B&M if they have them, and if they don’t have them ask if they can order some.
Jeremy Ellis
Your buddy sounds like an awesome guy, albeit a rookie smoker.
Eric Scism
Well I wanted to keep names confidential as not to out anyone, but it looks like you outed yourself 🙂
Peter Glad
The Liga Privada No. 9 has to be one of my favorite all time smokes. Nothing really compares to Liga 9s or t52s, I mean a Diamond Crown Maximus is the same quality for about the same price, but after that its Padron 45s, and thats nearly double the price of Liga.
Some people complain about it being overpriced, but honestly Drew Estate could charge 25% more, and still likely sell out all of the stock every year with ease.
Great review, loved the Flavor wheel and the photos.
Eric Scism
Peter, thanks for stopping in! I couldn’t agree with you more. The Ligas are totally worth their cost. I just wish they were easier to find. Now I have a couple of shops around town where I can find them pretty consistently which is nice.
Sunday Links – 9/16/12 | Cigar Reviews and Ratings from A Cigar Smoker's Journal - Cigar Reviews. Cigar Smokers and Shops
[…] Stogies On The Rocks did a write up about the Liga Privada No. 9, one of my favorite sticks, and even made one of his legendary flavor wheels for it, read all about it here. […]
William O.
I got turned onto this cigar a little while back and it knocked me on my ass. A similar smoke also from Drew Estates, the Liga Privada “Undercrown”, is definitely worth picking up. Similar smoke, but a little less expensive (usually around $10 a stick depending on the vendor).
Anyways, very descriptive review. I dig it.
http://www.grapesandleaves.com
Eric Scism
OH i love the Undercrown, its def in the same vein as the #9 and the T52, but there is a reason these smokes are at the top of most smoker’s lists. They are just incredible!
Ghost Exorcist Review-Stogies on the Rocks | gurkha
[…] After toasting the foot just a bit, the lighting was extremely easy and immediately produced a ton of white smoke. Is this a mistake? Is this really from the Liga Privada line? […]
Jeremy
Great article. I am currently enjoying the Dirty Rat and would highly recommend it as well. A true 10 out of 10.
jeremymsnow.wordpress.com
Eric Scism
Thanks jeremy! I’ve got a couple of dirty rats that have been sitting in my humi for a while. I’m waiting for the right time to smoke them. We didn’t want to smoke a bunch of Ligas together and group all the reviews so we’re spacing them out! Thanks for stopping and checking out the site!
Eric Scism
Thanks jeremy! I’ve got a couple of dirty rats that have been sitting in my humi for a while. I’m waiting for the right time to smoke them. We didn’t want to smoke a bunch of Ligas together and group all the reviews so we’re spacing them out! Thanks for stopping and checking out the site!
Robert Meyers
I also enjoyed this stick. Like most things that are very good, there are limited supplies most likely due to the care they put into this stick from seed to cigar. My experience with this stick is here, http://cigarassessor.blogspot.com/2013/03/liga-privada-no9-robusto.html. Hopefully I can try the other cigars in this line soon.
Steve
I’m currently smoking one myself it truly is one of my favorites ( next to the monte christo New York ) I highly recommend this smoke
Eric Scism
Oh man I wish I was burning one right now! That sounds like heaven. I’m actually on a mission to find some tomorrow! Enjoy those sir.
Rocky
Where’d you find these in Nashville?
Eric Scism
Rocky, typically I can find them at Leaf & Ale at Nolensville & Edmonson. They usually have a decent selection.
Christopher
Man this is a fantastic stick, i got my first one from a manager at a Shoprite in North Jersey as they have an extensive smoke shop. He handed it over to me (for free, i might add) and said get ready, its gonna rock your world. And it sure did. Cant wait for another. Review was right on, bud!
Eric Scism
Thanks brother! Better smoke these up incase they start changing the flavor profile after Drew Estate’s acquisition yesterday. They said nothing will change but we all know that’s never true!
cjs71988
Ughhh yeah.. by Swisher Int none the less. Im a little scared of that. Hopefully they dont concentrate on production over quality now. (^that was my original comment btw, just unable to log in earlier, not sure why)