We all know how hard it has been to get any of the Liga Privada lines in the past year, especially the Unico Series such as the Dirty Rat or Flying Pig and more recently, the Feral Flying Pig which you can see pictures of them here. Because nature can’t be controlled and with Liga Privada having excellent and stringent quality control, many of our favorite lines were almost produced in small batch quantities. There were a few shipments of the T-52 released last year along with some No. 9s but fortunately for any LP fans, production seems to be slowly increasing. Many shops have received orders starting in January 2012 from T52s, No. 9s and even Feral Flyng Pigs and Dirty Rats so fear not. The T-52 that I am reviewing today was from the new batches which according to Steve Saka, have a richer oily and darker wrapper than from years past. Visually comparing them, I’d have to agree and thus decided to post of review of my experience with the unbanded T-52 which I received late last year.
Liga Privada T-52 Toro Review (unbanded)
Wrapper: American Habano
Binder/Filler: Dominican Republic, Honduras, Nicaragua / Brazilian Mata-Fina
Size: 6 x 52
Vitola: Toro
MSRP: $11-12
Drink: Water
Smoke Time: 1hr 30 min
Location: Blowin Smoke
Construction/Appearance:
Liga Privada have some of the darkest, richest, oiliest looking wrappers that I have ever seen on a cigar and this T-52 is no exception. In fact, I believe Liga Privada has outdone themselves in this aspect. The T-52 has a beautiful almost seamless cap on the head and it has minimal veins running throughout the length of the cigar. There is no band on this one so I can’t comment on this cigar per se, but the typical bands on Liga Privada production cigars are very nice and “manly”. As stated earlier, Steve Saka has said these are very rich wrapper and took longer to cure/ferment because of the extra nutrients. The T-52 has a very firm feel which is typical of Liga Privada cigars as well feeling balanced in my hand. I can’t complain about the construction as there no tears, holes or rips any where on the beautifully colored cigar.
Burn/Draw:
I mistakenly left my trusty Xikar lighter at home so I used the shop’s JDN Antano cutter and I was slightly less than pleased with the result as it caused a slight ripple in the head area, not completely taking the tobacco off evenly. This does happen occasionally especially when you’re used to using one type of cutter but it didn’t affect my experience at all. The prelight draw feels fast and smooth but this shouldn’t be compared with being airy as the cigar is well packed. The light was just as impressive as the cigar’s appearance with the foot inviting the flame readily. Plenty of smoke and a nice even burn immediately with a very smooth draw while smoking it. At one point, while I was speaking with the shop owner Tyler, I couldn’t see him so clearly with the amount of smoke the T-52 was putting out. The draw did heat up in the last third but it didn’t affect the burn or the ash which lasted well over 1.5 inches.
Flavor/Aroma:
The prelight aroma was of cedar and a strong tobacco smell similar to barnyard notes. Yet, it was very inviting and intoxicating on a positive level urging me to simply light the T-52 and enjoy it. The initial draw was of cocoa and coffee beans. All I could think about was how much I was going to enjoy this cigar as it has a while since I smoked a T-52. The 1st third reminded of rich flavors something similar to chocolate and some other creamy notes. Not too much pepper at this point in the cigar but I felt like I was smoking a full bodied hot chocolate if that’s possible.
The second part continued where the first left off and the retrohale had dominant notes of black pepper mixed in with some sweetness. I am picking up subtle notes of leather and caramel, especially when I allow the smoke to slowly escape my mouth. The final third showed some recognizable strengths as I tasted pepper and occasional hints of sweet chocolate. The last inch on this cigar definitely had some punch by the time I put the cigar down.
Final Thoughts:
Check out Traveling Stogie for more pics and reviews!
Liga Privada T-52 Toro Review (unbanded)
Wrapper: American Habano
Binder/Filler: Dominican Republic, Honduras, Nicaragua / Brazilian Mata-Fina
Size: 6 x 52
Vitola: Toro
MSRP: $11-12
Drink: Water
Smoke Time: 1hr 30 min
Location: Blowin Smoke
Construction/Appearance:
Liga Privada have some of the darkest, richest, oiliest looking wrappers that I have ever seen on a cigar and this T-52 is no exception. In fact, I believe Liga Privada has outdone themselves in this aspect. The T-52 has a beautiful almost seamless cap on the head and it has minimal veins running throughout the length of the cigar. There is no band on this one so I can’t comment on this cigar per se, but the typical bands on Liga Privada production cigars are very nice and “manly”. As stated earlier, Steve Saka has said these are very rich wrapper and took longer to cure/ferment because of the extra nutrients. The T-52 has a very firm feel which is typical of Liga Privada cigars as well feeling balanced in my hand. I can’t complain about the construction as there no tears, holes or rips any where on the beautifully colored cigar.
Burn/Draw:
I mistakenly left my trusty Xikar lighter at home so I used the shop’s JDN Antano cutter and I was slightly less than pleased with the result as it caused a slight ripple in the head area, not completely taking the tobacco off evenly. This does happen occasionally especially when you’re used to using one type of cutter but it didn’t affect my experience at all. The prelight draw feels fast and smooth but this shouldn’t be compared with being airy as the cigar is well packed. The light was just as impressive as the cigar’s appearance with the foot inviting the flame readily. Plenty of smoke and a nice even burn immediately with a very smooth draw while smoking it. At one point, while I was speaking with the shop owner Tyler, I couldn’t see him so clearly with the amount of smoke the T-52 was putting out. The draw did heat up in the last third but it didn’t affect the burn or the ash which lasted well over 1.5 inches.
Flavor/Aroma:
The prelight aroma was of cedar and a strong tobacco smell similar to barnyard notes. Yet, it was very inviting and intoxicating on a positive level urging me to simply light the T-52 and enjoy it. The initial draw was of cocoa and coffee beans. All I could think about was how much I was going to enjoy this cigar as it has a while since I smoked a T-52. The 1st third reminded of rich flavors something similar to chocolate and some other creamy notes. Not too much pepper at this point in the cigar but I felt like I was smoking a full bodied hot chocolate if that’s possible.
The second part continued where the first left off and the retrohale had dominant notes of black pepper mixed in with some sweetness. I am picking up subtle notes of leather and caramel, especially when I allow the smoke to slowly escape my mouth. The final third showed some recognizable strengths as I tasted pepper and occasional hints of sweet chocolate. The last inch on this cigar definitely had some punch by the time I put the cigar down.
Final Thoughts:
- Still a consistent cigar from Liga Privada and a winner
- The flavors may have been more robust in this release of T-52s
- Anytime I see these on the shelves, I immediately think box purchase as they are that good
- Amazing burn, TONS of smoke, wonderful velvety flavors – what’s there not to like
Check out Traveling Stogie for more pics and reviews!
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