Liga Privada

Liga Privada, which means private blend, was born at Drew Estate from blending work begun in the summer of 2005, according to Cigar Dojo (2018): in 2006, Jonathan Drew, Steve Saka and Nicholas Melillo had a collection of more than fifty blends, including three finalists numbered 3, 4 and 9. The brand's public debut is dated 2007 by the house and by Cigar Dojo (RTDA 2007, a single 6 x 52 toro), and 2008, with the No.9, by Cigar Coop (2013), which sees in it the ninth blend worked on by Saka.

The T52 followed in 2009 and the Unico Serie in 2010, according to Cigar Coop (2013). The house says it rolls each Liga Privada in a dedicated room of La Gran Fabrica Drew Estate, in Nicaragua. On 20 October 2014, Swisher International announced the purchase of Drew Estate, factory included, with closing expected in the fourth quarter of 2014 (Cigar Coop). Steve Saka left Drew Estate in July 2013, the press noting that his legacy remains tied to Liga Privada.

Each line has its own wrapper. The No.9 wears, says the house, a Connecticut River Valley Broadleaf No. 1 Dark, air-cured; the T52, a Connecticut Habano cut and dried on the stalk, aged 30 to 36 months. Both rest on a Brazilian Mata Fina binder and a Honduran and Nicaraguan filler.

Range Depth

• No.9

  Wrapper Connecticut Broadleaf · Strength Full

  The brand's original blend. Connecticut River Valley Broadleaf No. 1 Dark wrapper, Brazilian Mata Fina binder, Honduran and Nicaraguan filler, says the house. Sizes in the house's catalogue: Coronets, Robusto, Corona Viva, Toro (6 x 52 inches), Belicoso, Corona Doble, and the Flying Pig as a seasonal release.

  Toro · Robusto · No.9 Perfecto · Flying Pig · Little Bigger Fish · Petit Lancero

• T52

  Wrapper Connecticut Habano (stalk-cut) · Strength Full

  Connecticut Habano wrapper, cut and dried on the stalk, aged 30 to 36 months according to the house; Mata Fina binder, Honduran and Nicaraguan filler. Same sizes as the No.9 in the house's catalogue. Released in 2009 according to Cigar Coop.

  Toro · Flying Pig · Petit Toro · Unico Serie

• Unico Serie

  Wrapper Varies by edition · Strength Full

  A series launched in 2010 according to Cigar Coop: a unique blend per size, a variation on the No.9 and the T52. The Papas Fritas, a short corona of 115 x 44 mm (4 1/2 x 44 inches), are a short filler made of the trimmings of the other Liga Privada cigars, under a Connecticut Broadleaf maduro wrapper; the house now offers them as a separate collection.

  Papas Fritas · Unico Serie annual

🥃 Pairings

• American Imperial Stout

  Beer

  The natural pairing — the coffee and dark chocolate notes of an Imperial Stout match the profile of the No.9 perfectly. An American bar pairing.

• Pappy Van Winkle 15 Years

  Whisky

  The rarest American bourbon with the rarest American cigar. A collectors' pairing — two products with a waiting list, brought together.

• 24-hour cold brew

  Coffee

  Cold brew, less acidic than espresso, reveals fruity notes in the No.9 that are usually masked by the aromas of roasted coffee.

👤 Associated figures

• Steve Saka

  Head of Drew Estate at the time, he led the blending work on Liga Privada with Jonathan Drew and Nicholas Melillo (Cigar Dojo, 2018). He left the house in July 2013 (Cigar Coop).

• Jonathan Drew

  Co-founder of Drew Estate, named among the craftsmen of Liga Privada (Cigar Dojo, 2018). In the press release of 29 July 2021, he says of the Papas Fritas that they offer a lot of roundness from the first puff.

✨ Notable limited editions

• Liga Privada Unico Serie Papas Fritas
• Liga Privada Unico Serie Year of the Rat