Liga Privada T52 Belicoso (6 x 52) Cigar

Liga Privada translates to "private blend" — the family began as then-president Steve Saka's personal, not-for-sale blends, and T52 is the full-bodied follow-up to Liga Privada No. 9. Its defining element is an exclusive Connecticut River Valley stalk-cut sun-grown Habano wrapper, a leaf Drew Estate dubbed "stalk cut habano" because the entire stalk is cut and hung to dry in the barn rather than the leaves being primed individually. The blend took Drew Estate seven attempts and roughly two years to settle, and the T52 was named Cigar Coop's 2009 Cigar of the Year.

A Connecticut River Valley stalk-cut, sun-grown Habano wrapper over a plantation-grown Brazilian Mata Fina binder and Honduran and Nicaraguan long-fillers drawn from seven different fields. Wrapper leaf is fermented for more than 18 months, only 250 cigars a day are made at Drew Estate's La Gran Fabrica in Estelí, Nicaragua, and the finished cigars rest a further year before release. Belicoso format, 6 x 52. Box count: 24 cigars.

A bold, balanced smoke that opens on earth, black pepper and espresso before settling into dark wood, cocoa and a subtle sweetness. The final third turns to leather, spice and a long, savory finish, with the tapered belicoso head concentrating the blend's flavor. Reviewers also pull semi-sweet chocolate, raisin, cedar and molasses from it.

Alcoholic: Bold bourbon or aged rum. Non-Alcoholic: Strong dark roast coffee.

Evening — the T52 is often considered slightly more approachable than the No. 9.