For about 15 years, Drew Estate has been patiently perfecting its Liga Privada series of cigars. For the H99, the company utilized Habano/Corojo-seed wrappers from the heart of the Connecticut River Valley, where farmers had been using the Hibrido (hybridization) process to produce disease-resistant tobacco leaves that were as potent as their original Cuban ancestors. The Hibrido process has taken a long time to perfect, as Corojo seeds were transplanted to Honduras, Nicaragua, and Florida following the revolution in Cuba.
The H99 (the “H” stands for hybrid) “Connecticut Corojo” is a masterful continuation of the Liga firebrand, with a Corojo capa (wrapper) and a Mexican San Andres Otapan Negro Último Corte capote (binder) atop a core blend of well-aged Honduran and Nicaraguan tripa (filler) leaf. The contrast between the naturally sweet Corojo tobacco and the spicy capote endows the H99 with a rich, luxurious flavor that’s especially evident in these sticks’ majestic finish.
These cigars were initially one of two creations considered for production to celebrate the Liga Privada 10th anniversary. While this was the cigar not chosen (a Criollo-seed blend — also from the Connecticut River Valley — was selected to be the 10-Year Aniversario), Drew Estate felt these full-bodied smokes were too good not to deserve their own exclusive release, hence their celebrated appearance.
“The H99 Connecticut Corojo is the triumphant result of hybridity, including traits of… dysfunction, functionality, flexibility, adaptability, survival, replicability, and most importantly, procreation,” says Jonathan Drew, the president and co-founder of Drew Estate. “In all my 26 years of experience as a tobacco man, I have never witnessed a tobacco hybridization with the depth and body of this Stalk-Cut Habano and Connecticut Corojo leaf. It’s nice to walk into the storage area at the factory and finally see some bales aged and stacked up, ready for production. Get your lighters ready… let’s burn.”