22. Liga Privada 10 Aniversario
Drew Estate
- Country of Origin: Nicaragua
- Factory: La Gran Fabrica Drew Estate
- Wrapper: U.S.A. (Connecticut Criollo)
- Binder: Mexico (San Andrés Otapan Negro Último Corte)
- Filler: Honduras & Nicaragua
- Length: 6 Inches
- Ring Gauge: 52
- Vitola: Toro
- MSRP: $17.90 (Boxes of 10, $179)
- Release Date: December 2018
- Number of Cigars Released: 1,000 Boxes of 10 Cigars (10,000 Total Cigars)
- Original Score: 91
The two cigars released specifically to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Liga Privada brand had a number of attributes in common: both the 10 Aniversario and the H-99 are the same 6 x 52 toro vitola and both blends include what is on paper a similar internal blend of a Mexican San Andrés negro binder as well as Honduran and Nicaraguan filler tobaccos.
However, only the 10 Aniversario carries a mention of the anniversary in its name—albeit in Spanish—it is the only blend to incorporate a unique criollo-seed wrapper grown in the Connecticut River Valley and it is also the only release to feature a covered foot as well as a cola de pescado cap that is similar in design to the production version of the UF-13.
As if all of that was not enough, instead of shipping the 1,000 boxes of the Liga Privada 10 Aniversario limited edition to retailers in the normal way, Drew Estate decided to release only 40 boxes a month of each cigar to Drew Diplomat retailers whose names are decided by a lottery, with each winner allocated four boxes.
Fans who were lucky enough to get the chance to try one of the 10 Aniversarios were treated with a profile that tasted quite a bit like the Liga Privadas did in the brand's prime: noticeably sweet on the retrohale while remaining earthy and meaty on the palate, with extremely rich flavors and a nicely balanced medium-full strength. This is not the first Liga Privada to break into our Top 25 list and most likely will not be the last, but it is one of the better entries that I enjoyed. — Brooks Whittington.
