Drew Estate Liga Privada H99

Liga Privada H99 Churrasco. Delivered in a 6” x 50 box-pressed toro, Churrasco lands in the hand with the confidence of a steakhouse waiter who already knows what you’re ordering, and who can blame it whilst adorning the name Liga Privada. Heavy. Dense. Absolutely stuffed to the gills. I’ll admit, I braced myself for the dreaded tight draw - the cigar equivalent of trying to drink a milkshake through a coffee stirrer. But fear not. A few draws in and it opens up for a perfect puff.

The opening notes lean rustic: hay, barnyard, and a sweet spice that hangs around on the tongue. It’s earthy but polite - boots on, hat tipped. About a half inch in, things take a turn. The hay packs up and leaves town, the spice politely excuses itself, and suddenly we’re in dessert territory. Sweetness takes center stage, with creamy, vanilla bean-esque notes that feel more pastry shop than pasture.

From there on out, the H99 Churrasco cruises. It stays smooth, composed, and remarkably well-behaved. The spice never really makes a comeback, and the cigar never flexes harder than it needs to. For a Liga Privada, this is downright approachable - no chest-thumping, no palate punishment, just a medium-bodied, refined smoke that knows not every conversation needs to be shouted. The box-press shines, in both mouthfeel and performance. A few touchups were required, but nothing to fuss about.

In short: H99 Churrasco is Liga Privada wearing a silk shirt instead of a leather jacket...and it pulls it off beautifully.

Listen up. I am not one to lean toward a Corojo wrapped cigar, heck, even a box-press, but let me tell you, the Liga Privada H99 Churrasco flipped my perspective. The first thing that grabbed my attention was the color of this wrapper, a rich crimson tint with a hue of deep chocolate brown. This, plus the beautiful cedar-lined box, had me entranced and ready to dive in and give it a shot. No regrets here.

The initial draw made me realize how toothy the wrapper was, which had me anticipating all the layers to those flavorful natural oils. Spoiler alert, the Churrasco smoothly delivers. Right from the start, I was puffing away on a variety of flavors like cedar, deep cocoa, and a slight peppery kick that lingered on the back of my tongue. After that I really didn't get notes of anything else, those several notes stayed consistent and pure. Which usually isn't my cup of tea, I prefer a creamy cigar with a spectrum of flavorful notes. But for some reason, I kept picking this bad boy up and have been craving my second cigar ever since. A small Corojo journey took me to a point where I have been now pining about Corojo wrapped cigars and even more so, the Liga Privada H99 Churrasco by Drew Estate.

This is one of those cigars an aficionado can appreciate, but it’s also approachable enough for someone who’s only had a couple cigars in their life. It layers nuanced flavors over a medium bodied profile, making it a standout cigar no matter where you are in your cigar journey.