Liga Privada T52 Corona Doble (7 x 46) Cigar

Liga Privada translates to "private blend" — the line began as then-president Steve Saka's personal, not-for-sale blends, and T52 is the fuller-bodied follow-up to Liga Privada No. 9, launched in 2009. 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 Corona Doble carries an 89-point rating from Cigar Aficionado.

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. Corona Doble format, 7 x 54. Box count: 24 cigars.

A thick, veiny cigar that draws and burns evenly, woody in character with anise notes, fresh tobacco flavor and a tangy finish. Later tastings of the size find big notes of earth and smoky black coffee giving way to licorice and fennel. Drew Estate's own note on the size calls it fragrant and aromatic, with red wine and oak.

Alcoholic: Bold bourbon. Non-Alcoholic: Strong dark roast coffee.

Afternoon or evening.