The unusual band on these Drew Estate Liga Privada No. 9 Corona Viva cigars reads, “HECHO EXCLUSIVAMENTA PARA EL JEFE,” which translates to “manufactured exclusively for the boss” and refers, in this case, to Steve Saka, the much-missed former president of Drew Estate. (“Liga Privada” means “private blend,” while the “No. 9” refers to the ninth formulation, which was ultimately the one selected out of dozens for this rarified range of smokes).
Yes, the Liga Privada sticks were originally an in-house creation intended for consumption only by Saka and the Drew Estate top brass, which is why no expense was spared and no shortcut was taken in the production of these sticks; they’re simply immaculate in their construction, taste and character. So perfect, in fact, that followers of this storied line have been known to go to extreme lengths to seek them out; Drew Estate has a hard time meeting the demand.
That said, it should be noted that this vitola — the Corona Viva — was introduced in 2018 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Liga Privada’s initial release.
Enrobed in a handsomely dark Connecticut Broadleaf Oscuro wrapper, the Liga Privada No. 9 Corona Viva makes use of a plantation-grown Brazilian Mata Fina binder and Nicaraguan and Honduran Cuban-seed filler leaves from seven distinct farms. All of these tobaccos are aged for a minimum of one year (the wrappers are hand-fermented for 18 months). Only four pairs of workers at Drew Estate’s Gran Fabrica factory in Estelí, Nicaragua are permitted to roll Liga Privada cigars, which are, in turn, sold only through select merchants.
With superior construction, a medium-to-full body and medium-to-full strength, the No. 9 Corona Vivas draw superbly, burn evenly and produce clouds of thick, billowing smoke. Complex, rich and containing no unpleasant harshness, the Corona Viva boasts intense flavors of black pepper, earth, cedar, chocolate, strawberries, bourbon and French roast coffee with cream; the finish intermingles hints of white pepper and spiced rum. Burn time for the Corona Viva is nearly two hours.
Packaged in boxes of 24 cigars, Liga Privada cigars can be hard to come by. If they’re in stock, don’t hesitate to pick up a box of the Corona Vivas today, and get a chance to sample for yourself what Drew Estate’s top executives had for themselves for so many years.