Rebel Herfer
Adiskide honekin, orduak labur!
Drew Estates Liga Privada No.9 - 6 x 52
Had a chance to smoke this beauty tonight, at Stafford & Jones, thanks to the generosity of a fellow DFW BOTL (thanks Frank). This is a bold addition to the Drew Estate line, originally slated for retail late 2007. I've heard it's available in select B&Ms for around $10 a stick. Vibrant wrapper and a skilled roller's skill is quite evident. Long medium grey/white ash was an added pleasure and helped me smoke this down to the last 3/4 inch. Up front I would say it's worth the duckets.
Draft Shiner Bock was the drink of choice and paired very well with the cigar's strong flavors and distinctive profile. I've become more aware of a cigar's profile vs. strength vs. flavors as of late. Most think that classic profile = strong = tobacco flavors, but is not always the case. It has more to do with being in tune with what the blender and roller were trying to express in the vitola. It is very similar to winemaking and how there are so many styles for different occasions/foods. In smoking this stick I was reminded of the traditions of my childhood, as my Grandfather was French I grew up with French wine in the glass as far back as I can remember. My Grandfather would NEVER drink anything but French wine, so I came to appreciate the traditional Bordeaux, Burgundy, etc. expression of the grapes of France. When I was older I broke with family tradition and began to drink New World (think California, Australia, & South America) and soon discovered the grapes from those areas could be as exquisitely expressed as French grapes were.
Voila... the point to the aside - there are different ways to express tobacco with blends, soil, and rollers. One is not necessarily better than another, just a different expression, sometime with the same profile. Liga Privada has a similar profile to some of the bolder ISOMs but with new flavors of the NC tobacco. Strong tobacco flavors with waves of earthy vegetal tones, yet little subtleties as to "filler" flavors such as coffee (yeah for altercall) and toffee and flat spice notes of mace and cedar.
Not a dessert cigar; it's no ballerina in a flowered tutu. It delivers like a Copeland or Gershwin symphony showcases a true American spirit with it's bravado and strength. Thumbs up.
edited for syntax & punctuation
Had a chance to smoke this beauty tonight, at Stafford & Jones, thanks to the generosity of a fellow DFW BOTL (thanks Frank). This is a bold addition to the Drew Estate line, originally slated for retail late 2007. I've heard it's available in select B&Ms for around $10 a stick. Vibrant wrapper and a skilled roller's skill is quite evident. Long medium grey/white ash was an added pleasure and helped me smoke this down to the last 3/4 inch. Up front I would say it's worth the duckets.
Draft Shiner Bock was the drink of choice and paired very well with the cigar's strong flavors and distinctive profile. I've become more aware of a cigar's profile vs. strength vs. flavors as of late. Most think that classic profile = strong = tobacco flavors, but is not always the case. It has more to do with being in tune with what the blender and roller were trying to express in the vitola. It is very similar to winemaking and how there are so many styles for different occasions/foods. In smoking this stick I was reminded of the traditions of my childhood, as my Grandfather was French I grew up with French wine in the glass as far back as I can remember. My Grandfather would NEVER drink anything but French wine, so I came to appreciate the traditional Bordeaux, Burgundy, etc. expression of the grapes of France. When I was older I broke with family tradition and began to drink New World (think California, Australia, & South America) and soon discovered the grapes from those areas could be as exquisitely expressed as French grapes were.
Voila... the point to the aside - there are different ways to express tobacco with blends, soil, and rollers. One is not necessarily better than another, just a different expression, sometime with the same profile. Liga Privada has a similar profile to some of the bolder ISOMs but with new flavors of the NC tobacco. Strong tobacco flavors with waves of earthy vegetal tones, yet little subtleties as to "filler" flavors such as coffee (yeah for altercall) and toffee and flat spice notes of mace and cedar.
Not a dessert cigar; it's no ballerina in a flowered tutu. It delivers like a Copeland or Gershwin symphony showcases a true American spirit with it's bravado and strength. Thumbs up.
edited for syntax & punctuation
