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Size: 4.25X60
Wrapper: Stalk-Cut Habano
Binder: Brazilian Mata Fina
Filler: Dominican, Honduran, Nicaraguan
Price: $12.00
I had the opportunity to meet Steve Saka at an event and we spent some time talking about the Liga Privada Line and how it came about. Most of you know the line was born from cigars made personally for Mr. Saka. After sharing his private stash of cigars with friends, co-workers, and the occasional lucky cigar lover the peer pressure campaign to get these cigars into production for all to enjoy started. Mr. Saka felt bad for us all and through his generosity and spirit of sharing a great cigar we were given the chance to smoke the Liga Privada No. 9. Which led to the T-52, Dirty Rat, and now Flying Pig. I have waited to get my hands on these since they are always sell out quickly in my area. I was lucky to get 3 of the T-52 Flying Pigs in trade. Now I just need to find the No. 9 Flying Pig.
Construction: Obviously something named the Flying Pig has to stand out from the norm. Basically we have a Robusto super sized and extra chunky. Both ends are tapered so you might wonder which end to light and which end to clip. It is simple because the top has a large spiraled pig tailed cap while the bottom is capped but exposed at the foot. This little chunky number is heavy and solidly packed with tobacco. There is no give at all when I squeeze the cigar and you won't find any soft spots. The wrapper is a very dark oily brown with a hint of orange/red. A few very small veins are seen on the oily, toothy wrapper. The aroma from the wrapper is a faint sweet tobacco and the foot is a little stronger sweet and spicy tobacco. The band is very unique to Liga Privada and says Hecho Exclusivamente Para El Jefe - "Made Exclusively For The Boss".
First 3rd: My XIKAR Xi3 cuts the pig tailed end off easily. The pre-light draw was spicy and sweet. Since the end of the cigar is so small it is easy and quick to light up. The first thing I notice is SPICE. The draw was a little tight at first but as the burn got into the thicker part of the cigar it opened up nicely. The start is dominated by spice and for my palate it means I am having a hard time picking up other flavors. Lucky for me the cigar loses the overpowering spiciness quickly and becomes very smooth. Earthy flavors mingle with cocoa and wood through the first burn. This is my first LP T-52 I have ever smoked and I find it to be a powerful cigar from the start. The cigar is burning slow but well and producing great amounts of smoke for me.
Second 3rd: You expect a cigar of this ring size to hold an ash well and it does. As I get into the second third of the cigar the wood flavor becomes recognizable to me as a strong cedar. The sweetness I experienced in the first third becomes kind of bittersweet or maybe like a baker's chocolate. It is not unpleasant but it is a significant change that I notice.There is a toastiness that is a cross between something nutty or baked bread. The strength of this cigar really hits me now. Though I am enjoying the flavors I have become worried that this little chunky thing is about to kick my rear end. Time to open up a soda!
Final 3rd: My worries subside as the last third seems to lighten up some in the strength department. It could be the soda I drank helped me out and it is all in my head. The cigar is definitely full in flavor and this ending is dominated with that toasty flavor and cedar. All of the other flavors have faded away completely. I managed to keep the entire grey ash to the end but unfortunately this was a review done on the road so I was unable to document this achievement with a pic. You would think a short cigar would be a quick smoke but this one lasted me about an hour and fifteen minutes.
Final Thoughts: Although this cigar was full in flavor and strength there were times when I found it to be really smooth. Those moments the strength wasn't on my mind at all. I was just loving the full flavors. This is a full and complex cigar and definitely not for a beginner who wants to try it because of the cool shape or limited production. I would recommend eating a good size meal before taking on this cigar. This cigar is a little pricey but I like to be in the $10 range so I think the couple extra dollars for what I got were well worth it. I can't say I would recommend grabbing a box but I definitely would grab a couple for your humidor before they are gone. These are a limited production and I have no idea if they will make them again in the future or if this was a one time run. I do know they are kind of hard to find for me. I honestly cannot compare these to the regular T-52 Cigars or No. 9 Cigars. I have both in the humidor waiting to be smoked and I will report on those in the future. I hope to find a No. 9 Flying Pig but so far I have hit a dead end.
The best cigar is a cigar shared with friends
See more pictures at -
http://cigarcatadore.blogspot.com/20...lying-pig.html
[Reply]
I heard rumors that the LP #9 Flying Pig was not being made anymore, but the T52 Flying Pig would continue. I only have two of the LP #9 Pigs left so I hope they aren't discontinued. Of course right now it's hard to find much of anything LP #9 so difficult to say.
[Reply]
Jake, nice review, thanks. BTW, there is no Dominican tobacco in the Liga Privada T52 blend, this includes the Flying Pig vitola. That information comes from an old press release / cut-sheet that had some misinformation on it and just won't die.
Vincent, both the LP9 and the T52 Flying Pigs were originally intended as one time releases, but they might be back. The reason you might see an encore release of the T52 and not the LP9, is because of wrapper leaf shortages. The last few years have been bad to Jon's suppliers of CT broadleaf dark and as such, he has limited wrapper to work with, this is why you aren't seeing many LP9 cigars out there.
[Reply]
Originally Posted by vzontini:
I heard rumors that the LP #9 Flying Pig was not being made anymore, but the T52 Flying Pig would continue. I only have two of the LP #9 Pigs left so I hope they aren't discontinued. Of course right now it's hard to find much of anything LP #9 so difficult to say.
My sources tell me that #9 anythings aren't being made for quite a while, due to issues with the wrapper crops. Whether or not the #9 Flying Pig will be made again, that I'm not sure of.
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