Out of the Humidor: Liga Privada T52

In 1995, two college buddies opened up a little cigar kiosk in the World Trade Center in New York City to help realize their passion for cigars and desire to get into the cigar business. Jonathan Drew and Marvin Samel created a little house brand called “Vieja Habana” and sold it out of their shop along with other leading brands of premium cigars. In 1998, they decided to make their hobby their full time career, and closed their store in exchange for opening a factory in Nicaragua, and in 1999 the ACID brand was born.

In an effort to create a brand that was more exotic and outside of the box, the ACID line used outrageously different tobaccos from places like Turkey and Syria, and utilized an innovative process of infusing other flavors into the tobaccos. They are undoubtedly the industry leader for infused premium cigars.

Though the ACID and their subsequent NATURAL brands are still very successful and in-demand brands, and still innovative even 10 years later, they wanted to create something a bit more mainstream. At the annual tobacco industry trade show in 2006 they debuted their Chateau Real line. In the following years, they launched the Liga Privada line, first in one limited format and eventually in a full line of full bodied cigars. This catapulted Drew Estate to the forefront of the Premium Cigar business. They now own and operate the largest premium cigar factory in Nicaragua. Not bad for a couple of kids from New York.

At the 2009 trade show, they released the Liga Privada T52. This cigar features all aged Nicaraguan tobaccos with a wonderful complexity that is more subtle and complicated than strong and obvious. The wrapper leaf is a “stalk cut” Habano leaf grown in Connecticut. The binder hails from Brazil which holds the Nicaraguan and Honduran filler tobaccos together.

Available in two sizes (Robusto $10.25ea and Toro $11.45ea), the T52 is a brilliant smoke. Bright flavors with a rich finish and inviting aroma offer notes of coffee bean, all spice, and cinnamon. It’s balanced, rich, sophisticated, and worthy of time and attention. Though the production is relatively limited, it is available in premium retailers throughout the United States.