HAHA, I feel ur pain I live in South Louisiana and there isnt a Shop that Ive found that sell's Liga cigars. Only thing i can get is the infused stuff from Drew Estate and I do like those every now and then but not to often. If i cant get lucky and find them online somewhere then I will most likely never see them. I always seem to be a day late LOL
UF-13 Dark
- Thread starter LigaPrivadaFanboy
- Start date
Haha yeah.....I would chase these I just don't have the money right now. Trying to buy a house and the finace has limited me until we close. After that it's game on!My plan worked! People are giving up left and right, leaving them all for me & shadowcam ;-)I give up
I'll take any off your hands that you don't
I agree, the L40 isn't spectacular... it is very good particularly for a lancero, but not amazing imo either... some folks love them, but I was never 100% satisfied with the blend. The problem is the size, just not enough room to work with to achieve the type of smoke I personally like body and complexity wise. I probably shoulda just gone for uber-peppery as this would have been much easier and the strength junkies would have raved about the blend even though there would have been really very little blending... anyway I digress.
UF-13 answers:
1) Same blend as it has been for 2+ years. No the capa is not different. There was a tiny batch of about 200 sticks made with the T52 leaf way way back when, it was shared MAYBE with a few folks, and somehow it got printed that MF/UF-13 was T52 capa. Hell it could have been my fault - I got alot shit going on... Is it possible that I typed the wrong leaf in some forum somewhere? Um, yes... anyways - the blend has been the blend for 2 some odd years, all the cigars that there has ever been a review of are with the Broadleaf Capa even if the reviewer labelled them as the other.
2) Yes they are the same blend as the Charity cigars sold recently by Cigar.com. The difference is they did have the fancy colita, I think the length might be 1/4" shorter (originally they were intended to go into special tubes made for the planned, but then cancelled charity dinner) and those cigars were extra aged - maybe 18 month or so. So they are a bit smoother due to their extra age - the ones being released this Spring will have about 5 to 7 months of age on average. And imo, stronger as a result, which is how -I- personally like them.
3) UF-13 is a stellar blend imo - one of our best, again IMO.
4) As for finding them, I got nothing. We keep making more cigars as the tobacco is ready and they just seem to disappear. Last year we imported from the factory into the US about double the Liga Privada, yet they seem even more scarce now than a year ago. All we can do at the factory, is keep buying more leaf, working it for three years, and making more cigars... my understanding is that every LP Merchant is getting allocated an equal share, but in the end there are simply not enough cigars to meet demand. We keep trying to come up with things to broaden the LP base by crafting blends that require different leaf or leaf we have in ready to go supply without causing additional shortage pressure - T52, FFP, Papas Fritas and UF-13 are all examples of this, yet they in themselves become so in demand they too are quickly driven into an out of stock situation.
[WARNING - everything below this point is somewhat self indulgent - sorry, but I am in an introspective mood.]
I will readily admit I am pretty confident guy when it comes to tobacco, cigar blending, brand design etc. I received a top shelf education having worked with some of the best tobacco men, best master cigar makers and best cigar marketers of the the past 5 decades. JD and MS made a giant commitment bringing a guy like me onboard eight years ago, one I am expensive and two I am pain in the ass - ask them. But instead of staring my own factory, I made it my life mission to do my part in making DE a respected name in traditional cigars in addition to growing their infused segment. And not just perceived, but actually. One where we wouldn't only enjoy commercial success, but a factory that would earn the respect of great life long cigar makers like Padron, Fuente, Garcia, Plasencia, Perez Carillo and others. And names of tobacco men you may not know such as Oliva, Perez, Foster, Bossert and others. I not only want DE to be respected, but I want JD, Nicholas and now Willy to each get their just share of the acknowledgement they imo so rightly deserve.
All that being said and even being the cocky prick that I can be at times, even I am stunned and humbled by the success LP has enjoyed.
According to Cigar Insider, LP is the third hottest brand in the country slightly trailing Padron and Tatuaje and tied with Opus. Think about it... these are cigars made by the greatest cigar makers of our times: the Padron family, the Fuente family and the Pepin Garcia family with Pete Johnson one of the absolute best "cigar designers" (this is how he refers to himself, but looking at some of the folks that call them cigar makers he definitely is just in being called so imo) I know. All have enjoyed rave reviews from CA rightfully so, whereas LP is made by those many regard as a rag tag team of upstarts, has never received better than an average review from CA, has next to zero advertising, has never made a Top 25 list, has limited distribution and certainly is not economical, yet year after year it is being requested by more cigar smokers. What I can say is we keep making more every month, we keep importing them every month, they are NOT one-time limited release product, so eventually they will arrive on your shop's shelves... We are trying our absolute best to make and get LPs to everyone that wishes to smoke them.
And finally I recognized that LPs are not for everyone, while I believe with my heart and soul it is a world class cigar, I can understand and appreciate why others may not agree. Cigars are very personal and as I have always told everyone I do not believe in making a cigar blend that is liked by everyone, because ultimately when you do so you have crafted a cigar that is not loved by anyone. I do not believe in trying to please everyone.
Sorry to have rambled on, sometimes I find posting to be cathartic... much thanks.
BR,
Steve Saka
CEO, Drew Estate
UF-13 answers:
1) Same blend as it has been for 2+ years. No the capa is not different. There was a tiny batch of about 200 sticks made with the T52 leaf way way back when, it was shared MAYBE with a few folks, and somehow it got printed that MF/UF-13 was T52 capa. Hell it could have been my fault - I got alot shit going on... Is it possible that I typed the wrong leaf in some forum somewhere? Um, yes... anyways - the blend has been the blend for 2 some odd years, all the cigars that there has ever been a review of are with the Broadleaf Capa even if the reviewer labelled them as the other.
2) Yes they are the same blend as the Charity cigars sold recently by Cigar.com. The difference is they did have the fancy colita, I think the length might be 1/4" shorter (originally they were intended to go into special tubes made for the planned, but then cancelled charity dinner) and those cigars were extra aged - maybe 18 month or so. So they are a bit smoother due to their extra age - the ones being released this Spring will have about 5 to 7 months of age on average. And imo, stronger as a result, which is how -I- personally like them.
3) UF-13 is a stellar blend imo - one of our best, again IMO.
4) As for finding them, I got nothing. We keep making more cigars as the tobacco is ready and they just seem to disappear. Last year we imported from the factory into the US about double the Liga Privada, yet they seem even more scarce now than a year ago. All we can do at the factory, is keep buying more leaf, working it for three years, and making more cigars... my understanding is that every LP Merchant is getting allocated an equal share, but in the end there are simply not enough cigars to meet demand. We keep trying to come up with things to broaden the LP base by crafting blends that require different leaf or leaf we have in ready to go supply without causing additional shortage pressure - T52, FFP, Papas Fritas and UF-13 are all examples of this, yet they in themselves become so in demand they too are quickly driven into an out of stock situation.
[WARNING - everything below this point is somewhat self indulgent - sorry, but I am in an introspective mood.]
I will readily admit I am pretty confident guy when it comes to tobacco, cigar blending, brand design etc. I received a top shelf education having worked with some of the best tobacco men, best master cigar makers and best cigar marketers of the the past 5 decades. JD and MS made a giant commitment bringing a guy like me onboard eight years ago, one I am expensive and two I am pain in the ass - ask them. But instead of staring my own factory, I made it my life mission to do my part in making DE a respected name in traditional cigars in addition to growing their infused segment. And not just perceived, but actually. One where we wouldn't only enjoy commercial success, but a factory that would earn the respect of great life long cigar makers like Padron, Fuente, Garcia, Plasencia, Perez Carillo and others. And names of tobacco men you may not know such as Oliva, Perez, Foster, Bossert and others. I not only want DE to be respected, but I want JD, Nicholas and now Willy to each get their just share of the acknowledgement they imo so rightly deserve.
All that being said and even being the cocky prick that I can be at times, even I am stunned and humbled by the success LP has enjoyed.
According to Cigar Insider, LP is the third hottest brand in the country slightly trailing Padron and Tatuaje and tied with Opus. Think about it... these are cigars made by the greatest cigar makers of our times: the Padron family, the Fuente family and the Pepin Garcia family with Pete Johnson one of the absolute best "cigar designers" (this is how he refers to himself, but looking at some of the folks that call them cigar makers he definitely is just in being called so imo) I know. All have enjoyed rave reviews from CA rightfully so, whereas LP is made by those many regard as a rag tag team of upstarts, has never received better than an average review from CA, has next to zero advertising, has never made a Top 25 list, has limited distribution and certainly is not economical, yet year after year it is being requested by more cigar smokers. What I can say is we keep making more every month, we keep importing them every month, they are NOT one-time limited release product, so eventually they will arrive on your shop's shelves... We are trying our absolute best to make and get LPs to everyone that wishes to smoke them.
And finally I recognized that LPs are not for everyone, while I believe with my heart and soul it is a world class cigar, I can understand and appreciate why others may not agree. Cigars are very personal and as I have always told everyone I do not believe in making a cigar blend that is liked by everyone, because ultimately when you do so you have crafted a cigar that is not loved by anyone. I do not believe in trying to please everyone.
Sorry to have rambled on, sometimes I find posting to be cathartic... much thanks.
BR,
Steve Saka
CEO, Drew Estate
thejavaman
BoM December 2012
Great post. Thanks for the knowledge, Steve!
Great post Steve, thanks for the insight. IMO NOT seeing LP ads in CA or on top 25 lists, only adds to the mystique that is LP. The first time I smoked an LP#9, by way of friend recommendation, I fell in love with them. Please keep them coming!
Craig Mac
BoM 4/10 7/11 12/14
Anyone have the cliff notes of Saka's last post
I for one love the L40, so keep saying you don't like it Stevie, maybe that will turn the Drewpie's away long enough for me to get a box one day, haha.
Looking forward to the UF-13 Dark, even if it is just a single or two for me.
I for one love the L40, so keep saying you don't like it Stevie, maybe that will turn the Drewpie's away long enough for me to get a box one day, haha.
Looking forward to the UF-13 Dark, even if it is just a single or two for me.
Love the Post Steve Saka. I have only smoked the Undercrown (belicoso, Viva) and Liga #9 (toro,Robusto)and I personly Love them both. The Liga #9 Robusto is my kinda smoke all the way I can not get enough of them . I was gifted one as soon as I smoked it I started trying to track them down ( it took me a little while) but i found myself a box. Hopefully i can find some of the Unico Serie stuff one day.
+11
LigaPrivadaFanboy
Unrepentant Hoarder
Thought the exact same thing!
Excellent! I'll send you my address right away. :stretchgr