Liga Privada No. 9 Corona Doble (7 x 54) Cigar

Liga Privada translates to "private blend" — Drew Estate originally crafted the cigar not for resale but for its own personal humidors, and the band still reads "Hecho Exclusivamente Para El Jefe" ("Made Exclusively For The Boss"), a nod to the Drew Estate president it was blended for. Dozens of intricate trial blends were created before No. 9 emerged as the winner, and demand eventually pushed the small-batch, ultra-premium blend into commercial release. The Corona Doble carries a 90-point rating from Cigar Aficionado.

A dark, oily Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper over a Brazilian Mata Fina binder and aged Cuban-seed long-fillers from Nicaragua and Honduras. Handmade at Drew Estate's La Gran Fabrica in Estelí, Nicaragua — solid to the touch and packed tightly with hearty tobacco, yet still drawing beautifully. Corona Doble format, 7 x 54. Box count: 24 cigars.

One of the heaviest blends on the market, the Corona Doble makes a bold statement with every puff across a complex range of strong earthy flavors and dense, fragrant smoke. Bittersweet chocolate, espresso bean and aged leather lead, with black pepper and dried dark fruit emerging mid-smoke. A sweet quality redolent of perique tobacco runs underneath, closing on a sweet, tarry finish.

Alcoholic: Bold bourbon or peaty Scotch. Non-Alcoholic: Strong dark roast coffee.

Afternoon or evening — a shorter expression of the No. 9 blend.