For years, Drew Estate, like some other cigar companies, manufactured a secret line of cigars reserved exclusively for the company’s former president, Steve Saka, and a few other key members of the firm’s top brass. No expense was spared and no shortcut was taken in the making of these sticks; they were simply immaculate in their taste, construction and character.
Over time, rumors about this limited-production line began to spread, and samples began to circulate. In 2008, the company decided to at last make these sticks available to the public on a very restricted basis through select retailers.
The line is called Liga Privada (meaning “private blend”), and in the years since its initial release, it’s amassed a cult of followers who will go to great lengths to obtain these rare sticks. (The “No. 9” in the name refers to the ninth blend that was ultimately selected by Saka out of dozens, as it was judged to be flawless.) Put simply, the Liga Privada line is widely considered to be Drew Estate’s best.
This vitola of the series — the Liga Privada No. 9 Petit Corona, released in 2018 to celebrate the line’s 10th anniversary — features Honduran and Nicaraguan Cuban-seed filler leaves from seven distinct vegas (farms), along with a plantation-grown Brazilian Mata Fina binder and a dark, hand-fermented Connecticut Broadleaf Oscuro wrapper. Each of these tobaccos is aged for at least one full year, with just four pairs of workers at Drew Estate’s Gran Fabrica factory in Estelí, Nicaragua permitted to roll these limited-edition cigars, to ensure consistency from stick to stick.
Although small in stature, the Liga Privada No. 9 Petit Corona packs a powerful punch. Well-constructed, with an excellent draw, an even burn and medium-plus complexity, the Petit Corona is full-bodied, with medium-to-full strength. Among its earthy flavors, you’re likely to taste mocha, coffee and cherry, with black pepper in the finish.
Finally, you, too, can get your hands on the smokes that Drew Estate had been holding back for its own top executives. Available now in boxes of 24, these cigars are becoming increasingly hard to come by. Order a box today, and see what you’ve been missing out on all these years!