Liga Privada Único Serie L40
This 7x40 lancero is produced in Drew Estate factory in Estelí, Nicaragua using three Nicaraguan Cuban Seed tobaccos, bound in plantation-grown Brazilian Mat Fina tobacco, all draped with a satiny, dark brown Connecticut Valley stalk cut & cured Habano leaf. These cigars come in boxes of 15, with a MSRP of approximately $13.
Most people on here already know the story, very well. The name comes from the bit beefier 40 ring guage, due to the amount of tobaccos contained within, as opposed to the usual 38 ring guage found on most lanceros. Jonathan Drew and Steve Saka have spoken a lot about the Único line, so I won't repeat it all, again.
I came into some of these gorgeous cigars during the Drew Estate/Joya de Nicaragua even at Outlaw Cigar Company in Overland Park in October. I smoked one earlier in the week, and love it, but did not take any good notes on it; I had to rectify that, today.
It was extremely windy in Joplin, today, so I opened the garage door, and took shelter within. I drank ice water with this cigar to get the best idea of the flavors, and nuances.
Construction:
The wrapper on this cigar looked gorgeous. It had a nice satin feel to it, with thin veins throughout, but nothing that would detract from its beauty, or cause issues. The cigar was firm and balanced in the hand throughout its length.
A nose on the wrapper was met with faint barnyard and straw. At the foot, I picked up a straw aroma.
Draw:
There was a slight resistance to the draw after putting a punch to the cap of this lancero. A cold draw off the cigar gave straw, and a slight unsweetened cocoa notes.
Burn:
The burn remained razor sharp almost the entire time. Once it got a bit canoed and odd-shaped, but quickly corrected itself. I had to relight the cigar about three times. I was aware, from Mr. Saka and a couple of other brothers, how wet the cigars were; therefore, I had dry-boxed this particular stick for approximately four days. I think it may have used a few more days.
First Third:
Right from the beginning, I was greeted with black pepper right on the tip of my tongue. The cigar I smoked earlier in the week had been a bit lacking in sharp peppery spice. The smoke was rolling off this cigar like a chimney. I picked up espresso, dark chocolate, maybe a bit slightly floral notes. In the beginning, the finish seemed dry, and a bit tannic. As the smoke progressed to the second third, the mouthfeel became a bit more creamy, and rich. The pepper faded out considerably, and moved to a more cocoa, leather, espresso combination of flavors.
Second Third:
The second third showed a slight graham cracker, yet still dark, and rich flavors evolved. The cigar progressed into a toasty, cocoa, espresso combination. It began to remind me of a dark, rich fruit; perhaps a raisin or black cherry, or prune. A total flavor expression much like the German dessert Linzertorte.
Final Third:
The final third of this cigar brought about a bit of a revival of the black pepper on the tongue tip. It also brought along, from the second third, the raisin and espresso notes. A charred wood note started creeping in. There began a slight bitterness, so I let up a bit in my attack on this tasty treat. Towards the last tiny bit of the cigar, that I could still grip, cedar became very prominent. As I said, I nubbed this cigar until I could no longer manage it.
Conclusion:
In summary, this is one fantastic cigar. I always have high hopes in anything Drew Estate does with their Liga Privada lines, and their relatives. And, as usual, I'm never disappointed.
Dark and rich is how I would describe the L40. The cigar was full and creamy, with a medium-full strength. I highly recommend getting your hands on these sticks, whenever you have the opportunity.
With that being said, Jonathan has shared with me that over the next several months, the only opportunity to purchase the L40's will be at the Nat Sherman event on Nov 29, 2011.
Thanks for taking the time to read!!
