Drew Estate

In 2016 the Liga Privada Unico Year of the Rat cigar appeared and Drew Estate fans clamored to get their hands on some. Fortunately, this year a new version was released in the same size and blend. It was made available for purchase at Drew Diplomat Retail virtual events and limited boxes were given to each store. I’m a fan of Connecticut Broadleaf and this size vitola for the flavors it can yield so I was more than ready to give this blind review a go.

Blend Specifics

• Cigar Reviewed: Liga Privada Unico Year of the Rat
• Wrapper:  Connecticut Broadleaf capa
• Binder:  Brazilian
• Filler:  Nicaraguan and Honduran
• Size: 5 ½” x 46 Corona Gorda

Appearance & Construction

The Liga Privada Year of the Rat is a dark rustic cigar with a long vein down one side. The cigar has a well crafted pigtail cap and weighty feel in the palm. To the touch the tobacco is substantial which can be a wonderful thing in this size vitola. With no soft spots and a pleasing aroma of nuts and hay, I’m ready to smoke.

Flavor and Smoke Characteristics

After I clip the the Year of the Rat with my Xikar, I take a dry draw that was of must, wood and vanilla. I light the cigar with a cedar strip and the effortless draw rewards me with earth, forest floor and hay. The smoke swaths around my mouth and there is distinct minerality followed by a creamy finish and chocolate sweetness. The retrohale is a combination of oak and black pepper which quickly dissipates as the smoke comes out. The quality of the tobacco is evident and the cigar begins as a medium bodied smoke.

As the Year of The Rat progresses, it becomes a bit gritty in the mouth and pepper flakes surround the palate. The woody oak flavor that initially appeared becomes more cedar with a tannic bitterness to it. The strength becomes fuller and notes of cashews emerge off and on. Then, the earthiness becomes an undertone and the cigar transforms to a medium to full bodied smoke. The ash is white/grey and is neither flaky nor firm at this point.

In the final third of this corona gorda, the smoke becomes creamy once again with a vanilla sweetness and earthiness interplaying quite well. I pick up a bit of leather that is fleeting and keeps me wanting more. The pepper returns a bit albeit not as intense as before. The wood flavors earlier become more of cedar and the cigar finishes with a combination of said wood and waning pepper. A nice little corona gorda for sure.

Conclusion

I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Jonathan Drew many times since Drew Estate’s inception and he is a solid dude. I was around for all the Liga debuts and their pre-releases. Although I wasn’t always a fan of some blends, I am a fan of Connecticut Broadleaf and the Liga Privada Unico Year of the Rat further proves that when done well this is a tasty wrapper. The black pepper, wood, vanilla with a creamy finish work wonderfully in the first half of the smoke.

My biggest issue was midway as it turned bitter and tannic which muted flavors and was unpleasant. Despite smoking slowly so as not to cause too much heat, these flavors hurt its overall score. The Year of the Rat did rally in the final third and delivered most of the initial flavors in subtle form. This was a size I always enjoy as it concentrates flavors and can really keep you interested. I would certainly smoke again and if you can find these, buy a few for sure.

FINAL RATING: 90

Drew Estate is, in my mind, the cigar company that kicked off the trend of turning ‘classy cigar culture’ on its head with bizarre product names. With names like Velvet Rat, Dirty Rat, Feral Flying Pig, MUWAT (My Uzi Weighs A Ton), and more, the company established a reputation for producing great product with a quirky spin.

The Nasty Fritas which we review today follows this brand theme as a follow up to the wildly popular Papas Fritas which was released at IPCPR 2012. Similar to Papas Fritas, the Nasty Fritas uses filler tobacco that is comprised of left over tobacco leaves from the production of Liga Privada No. 9 and T52.

Product Specifics

• Cigar Reviewed: Drew Estate Nasty Fritas
• Wrapper: USA Connecticut Broadleaf Oscuro
• Binder: Brazil
• Filler: Honduras, Nicaragua
• Size: 4 x 52 petite torpedo

Appearance & Construction

Well what to say about the Nasty Fritas. It’s a strange looking smoke, with a long pigtail cap, closed foot, a and a rugged Connecticut Broadleaf Oscuro wrapper. The outer wrapper is a rugged dark brown with a bit of lighter marbling. The cigar is packed mostly consistently, though there’s a part at about halfway that has a lot of give when squeezed, suggesting some inconsistency.

Off the foot are aromas of barnyard, tree bark, trace amounts of white pepper, potato chips and smoky raisins. The pre light draw is perfect in terms of restrictiveness, with heavy spices, oak, some citrus, and charcoal on the palate.

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

Like other ligas from Drew Estate, the smoke production on lighting up is immense. The closed foot gives the beginning an extra kick of condensed charred oak and pure dark cocoa powder. Once the closed foot burns away, the filler ignites, giving some additional complexity, with medium bodied notes of white pepper, toasted bread, bitter espresso, peppercorn, and light butter. The retrohale is mild and smooth, with charcoal, nuts, and cocoa powder.

Overall, the profile in the first three quarters of an inch is dark, rich, and very enjoyable.

At about an inch in, the white ash is still holding, the burn is straight, and the Nasty Fritas has progressed enough that the ring guage is at about 50. The charcoal notes here morph into something akin to peppery leather, and a nice stone fruit note plays in the background. At the same time, a slight red pepper emerges that activates the tip of the tongue. For a $6.50 stick, and small as it is, I’m pretty satisfied with the amount of flavor movement thus far.

And it doesn’t stop there. As the Nasty Fritas burns past halfway and the ember tapers even more, the smoke takes on some more texture, and black pepper and toasted wood takes on a much more prominent role. It’s not as complex as the first third, but the increasing strength makes the cigar all the more enjoyable.

The final third changes even more, with the smoke taking on a much more savory character. Flavors include smoked ham, toasty wood, peppercorn, and natural tobacco, and the strength is north of medium but not at full. Overall this third is quite nice, and I’m doubly impressed that  the construction has remained perfect despite the cigars unorthodox shape. Also, the smoke remains cool, allowing me to smoke the cigar down to the last half inch.

Conclusion

I’m very impressed with the Nasty Fritas. It doesn’t start with the most flavorful experience, but it develops nicely and the construction never falters. The flavors of pepper, toasted wood, smoked ham, and charcoal complement one another particularly well. So I think if Drew Estate’s intent was to create a new favorite in the short cigar segment, I think they’ve done it.

Drew Estate fan or not, you should give Nasty Fritas a try.

Final Rating: 91

Up for review today is the Liga Privada T52 Belicoso by Drew Estate cigars. It’s a cigar that, like the Liga Privada No. 9, has become something of a legend in the cigar world.

Product Specifics

• Cigar Reviewed: Drew Estate Liga Privada T52 Belicoso Review
• Wrapper: Stalk-Cut American Habano
• Binder: Brazilian Mata Fina
• Filler: Dominican Republic, Nicaragua
• Size: Belicoso (6 x 52)

One of the most unique elements of this cigar is the Stalk-Cut American Habano wrapper leaf. Here’s what Jonathan Drew had to say about this particular leaf:

“On a regular trip up to Connecticut for the purposes of purchasing a barn of Connecticut Broadleaf, we stumbled upon a farm that was growing a very unique looking “Stalk Cut Tobacco” in addition to the Broadleaf. The farmer called the wrapper leaf “American Habano.” After a few hours of inspection, we were impressed, but we tried to keep our composure, as this beautiful leaf had the exact color and thickness qualities that we had been flying all over the damn world looking for. Lucky for us, (and for you too!) the farmer was complaining that this experimental tobacco would be the last year of crop unless he found a buyer who was willing to look past this one crop and make a real committment. He said that others had loved the tobacco, but they didn’t want to pay the high price which is required to grow it the right way. Needless to say, we spent a pretty penny, but damn it is worth it. All this, just for the wrapper leaf!”

Appearance & Construction

The T52 sports a rich, marbled dark brown wrapper that is nearly flawless, with minimal veins and seams. It is very smooth to the touch and appears to have a very light layer of oil covering the wrapper. The cigar has good weight in the hand, and there are no soft spots running the length of the cigar.

After using a straight cut, I test the draw, which is loose, probably a 5/10 in terms of restrictiveness.  There’s a good deal of spice on the pre-light draw, and the foot releases strong aromas of dry wood, raisins, and light pepper.

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

As I toast the foot of the cigar, it is already releasing large plumes of thick white smoke. The first few puffs are overpowered by fresh ground pepper and semi-sweet chocolate, but after a quarter inch the cigar settles into a more balanced, nuanced profile. And what a profile it is: full body/medium strength smoke full of semi-sweet chocolate, raisins, charcoal, cinnamon, and sweet cream on the finish. The retrohale is, relative to what’s going on on the palate, mild, with some nice white pepper notes. It’s a great first act.

As the cigar hits the second third, the flavor and strength rise and settle at full. Though the core flavor profile remains the same, a big spice note elbows its way in and makes itself felt mainly on the tip of the tongue. Throughout the next 15 to 20 minutes, the balance of flavors seems to be in a kind of tug of war, with a dry wood flavor fighting a richer, creamier chocolate note for dominance. Overall its still a very enjoyable profile, but I’d prefer the balance of the flavors be more consistent.

Construction has also suffered a bit in the second half, with the cigar struggling to stay lit at times and the burn veering well out of straight territory.

In the final third, the cigar regains its balance and puts forth a full flavored profile full of molasses, finely ground pepper, dark chocolate, and cedar.

Conclusion

Construction issues aside, the Drew Estate Liga Privada T52 is a cigar I can wholeheartedly recommend. There isn’t another cigar I’ve had that creates such a lush, complex and unique smoking experience.

Final Score: 91