Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf #1 Darks
Binder: Plantation-Grown Brazilian Mata Fina
Filler: Select Honduran and Nicaraguan Cuban Seed
Size: 5 x 52 Robusto
Strength: Medium/Full
Price: $16.00

My cigars received 7 months of naked humidor time.

BACKGROUND:
From Drew Estate:
“Translated to English, “Liga Privada” means “private blend.” It is the perfect name, as this cigar was originally crafted not for resale, but for our own personal humidors. Dozens of intricate blends were created, but No. 9 was flawless in both flavor and character. Aged a full year, no expense has been spared or shortcut taken in its creation.

“Exquisitely crafted from aged tobaccos from seven farms, this cigar was originally created for our personal humidors rather than sale.

“Seven different tobaccos from seven distinct vegas are included. Wrapper is hand fermented for 18+ months, no sweat allowed. Only four pairs within our factory are certified to produce. Each pair is allowed to craft only 250 cigars per day. Cigars are aged a full year before offered for sale. Very limited production, available only from Appointed Merchants.”

THE WHOLE MEGILLAH:
This is a classic cigar blend. I decided that I want to dip my beak into the overwhelming applause for this cigar.

I read many reviews, and honestly, I don’t believe I can add to the mostly beautiful ways critics responded to this cigar. I’m not being flippant. Something about this blend brought out the best in cigar essayists. I tip my fedora to my colleagues for their passion and professionalism.

So, Sonja is blowing me in the limo while the band watched. We were bored. Stewart asked why I got to go first. I said it was my idea. He fell back into his seat frustrated. Somehow, my legs were jammed beneath my seat, and I couldn’t move. Sure, a BJ is great. But if cramps become the overlord, there is trouble in River City. I grabbed a tittie mag we got in Amsterdam. Stewart explodes with laughter and points…he didn’t need to as the boys were already in surveillance mode. Sonja finishes despite my need for reading material. Then it was Stewart’s turn. When he was spent, his head relaxed and he turned his eyes towards me…”Phil. We are cum brothers.” He forgot all about that when his older brother, Ian, fired me a year later. Still, an important bond. Only 1 in 7 men can claim this same double header event with Sonja.

The draw is near perfect, but not perfect enough. This is why I carry my PerfecDraw tool with me everywhere. Whether I am on foreign soil or just going to the bathroom, my PD is at my beckon call. The stuffing needs only a single swoosh. Now I’m ready.

First puffs are sour. And then its head relaxes and turns its eyes towards me and says, ‘Hold on. Just did that to get your attention.’ Secondary and tertiary puffs are devoid of that initial sourness and spread wide to show off notes of cherries and dark chocolate.

Chewy caramel nougat like the man says. My mouth yaps. Creamy coffee. Chocolate. And a lovely spiciness that enhances rather than dominates.

Stewie C. was the tour manager for Curved Air’s 1974 reunion tour. It was strange because a few days earlier he was the drummer in our band, Stark Naked and the Car Thieves. But running rough shod over a bunch of snobby elitist musicians only lasted a few days. Darryl Way pushed him around and bullied him. Copeland said fuck this and left his duties to another bloke looking for punishment. And 50 years later, Tony Mortlock is still with the band and asking, May I have another, please?

Instinctually, I prefer a balance of sweet v. savory in my favorite blends. The Liga 9 thumps and thrusts hitting that G-spot.

My first bass lesson with Carol Kaye went swimmingly. She asked me to play something. I didn’t embarrass myself and even gave off a little giggle. And then she played. I was effectively put in my place. It is criminal that she isn’t in the R&R Hall of Fame.

During the many years that R&RHOF drummer Hal Blaine worked for me, I always paid him in cash. I’d hand him a wad and he would shove it in his pocket as if struck by lightning. He never counted it. I was a little startled at how fast he would stash the dough away. And then it dawned on me…he was taking far less that what he was used to getting paid from the stars. And I think he would have been embarrassed if anyone knew he worked for just a few hundred bucks instead of a massive payday augmented by his tidy musician’s union wage.

A Three Musketeers bar. Strong nougat and chocolate. The cigar tells me not to rush. I don a ball gag and comply. Tall women have that effect.

The wrapper comes loose near the cap. Oh no. No issues with previous test subjects. I can fix it. My PerfecRepair cigar glue is handier than two right hands watching Porn Hub.

David Crosby grabbed my Polaroid away from me. I wanted to object but the beautiful girl on my lap distracted my reflex. ‘Watch this, kid.’ He covered one half of the camera’s aperture with paper and took my photo. Then he covered the other half and took another. The result was a double. I showed this trick to my friends for years. No one was impressed.

Roger McGuinn offered me his iconic Rickenbacker 12. I held the jingle jangle instrument and just moaned. I realized in a nano second it was not the reaction Jimmy preferred. I handed it back. We continued our conversation as if nothing had happened.

This is a great cigar. It is hoisting memories by the petard. Everything anyone wrote all at once is correct. What do I have to offer? Oh, I know…Very little.

Around 2010, I played in a blues band here in Milwaukee. The best reaction we got from a packed house during our first gig was ‘I Think We’re Alone Now.’ I quit the band shortly thereafter.

The second half is screaming laughter. Strength, despite being potent, has moved on from drinking all night to look out, I’m heading towards the bathroom. Full tilt is engaged.

The $16 price tag is outrageous. I check out prices from ten years ago. And surprisingly, the price has only been upped a tiny bit. This has always been an expensive cigar. I feel my Commonwealth and Euro readers breathing down my neck. They wish they only paid a couple sawbucks for a good cigar…instead of $50. Can you even imagine the cigar culture in America if we had to pay those prices? Thankfully, a box of 20 .45’s is only half that.

Bill winked and told me to watch. My buddy pretended not to know Neil Young as they shook hands…even though he was road manager for the first two tours of C,S,N & Y. A bombastic explosion, “You don’t know who I am?? I’m fucking Neil Young!!” That was fun watching him turn seven shades of blue…and worth the drive to the Bridge School in Mountain View.

Other than the wrapper mishap, the burn and construction have been uneventful. A beautiful slow roll. A snausage chock full of complex notes while transitioning like half the kids in middle school.

I haven’t said much about the cigar because I have nothing new to add. A stalwart dependable blend that every smoker should keep in his rotation. I’ll add less meanderings in my next review.

You can purchase the Liga 9 from sponsors Small Batch Cigar (10% off with promo code ‘katman’), Luxury Cigar Club (15% off with promo code ‘katman’), and Cigar Page.

RATING: 95

This has always been a free service (14 years and counting) because I love doing it. Your donations will simply allow me to maintain purchasing power in obtaining new cigars. Remember…to the cigar industry, I’m the antichrist. Don’t let the bastards win. You need my voice. Many thanks to all you kool kats.

Categories: CIGAR REVIEWS

Tags: cigar reviews, cigar reviews by the katman, cigars, drew estate cigars, Drew Estate Liga Privada No. 9 | Cigar Reviews by the Katman, katman, liga privada no. 9, phil kohn