For me, I've never enjoyed the T52, but the No. 9 is a staple in my humidor. One of my favorite cigars out there.
If you don't mind me asking, what is make sthe No. 9 special to you? How's the draw and the taste?
With the No. 9...I prefer the Parejo and Robusto sizes. The draw is usually excellent. I have had a few tough draws, more often than not on the parejo than the robusto, but they are few and far between. I would not let that deter you at all.
What makes the Liga Privada No. 9 so appealing. Well...first off, even before I light up the cigar, I am drawn to the dark brown color of these cigars. They are typcially coated in a nice oily sheen. While most No. 9s don't last too long in my humidor,
the oily sheen along with the strength flavors and body, which come later, tell me that this cigar has "legs" and possesses the potential to age well. Only time will answer that question for sure though. The cigar is firm and feels heavy in the hand. Both things that I like. It tells me that the cigar is well packed, the draw should not be too lose and that the burn should be nice and slow. The smell of this cigar is phenomenal. Nice and spicy/peppery on the nose, even before lighting. Then there is the band...for most it is not a big deal, but the band adds to the appearance of the cigar, IMHO. And while not flashy, the No. 9 as the T-52 has a very nice band. Not overy complicated or ornate. Simple with a little foil stamping. Silver for the No. 9 and gold for the T-52.
Now to the best part...the taste. The cigar typically lights up fairly easily. Right off the bat the cigar starts out medium bodied, and fairly quickly builds to a medium-full. I rarely find this cigar overpowering, unless of course I haven't eaten. The taste right of the bat is a blast of pepper and spices with a bit of fruitiness in the background. A great opening. The cigar is complex and the flavors change coming in and out, but the one constant is the pepper. Nice construction in these sticks, the burn is usually very good when smoking in good conditions. Ash is a gray/white and holds on for half the length of the cigar - easily. Lots of bluish smoke. Just can't beat it, well maybe that is an overstatment, but I can say at the very least it is hard to beat. Give it a try...
