The Liga Privada Único Serie UF-4 is back for another limited release, with the cigar returning to Casa de Montecristo in Countryside, Ill.

It is a 6 x 52 toro with roots that trace back to the creation of the Liga Privada T-52 in 2008, though was passed up in favor of what would go onto become the final T-52 blend. However, in 2010 the cigar found a home at Casa de Montecristo, and has been an annually released exclusive for the retailer ever since, appearing just before Halloween each year. It uses a Connecticut habano wrapper, Brazilian binder and Nicaraguan and Honduran filler tobaccos.

“I remember it like it was yesterday,” said Jonathan Drew, president and founder of Drew Estate, via a press release. “I was in Chicago visiting the fellas, Mike and Sam at Casa, and asked them for their opinion on this 6 x 52 berserker while we sat at the lounge downstairs. They were like, ‘Yo, JD, this is blah blah blah,’ acting in all sorts of ways, all animated and shit. I like those dudes a lot and I wanted to make ‘em happy. Turns out, our decision was a nightmare for the first few years … as we had to change the name various times from JD4 to MF4 and finally to UF4. One of those changes required a mega-urgent band change in Miami, so the Padron family allowed me to work with a few of their packaging people at the last minute to remove the MF4 bands and place the UF4 bands. Welcome to my life, passion and torture. The stick is now a classic, and it’s definitely one of our proudest commemoratives.”

For the 2021 release, the UF-4 is being released in 10-count wooden boxes, a departure from the paper-wrapped soft packs previously used. Each individual cigar will be wrapped in cedar and will also feature a ribbon around the foot. Pricing for this year’s release is set for $199.95 per box, or $19.99 per cigar.

The cigar will be released on Oct. 29 at the store’s annual Halloween costumer party, which will be complemented with a virtual event that will be hosted by Drew.

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Patrick Lagreid

I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for MLB.com, plus I'm a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.