Liga Privada Unico Serie L40

[shilala]

I was gifted this stick by Ken (steelcityboy) at our Pittsburgh Herf back in January. I swore to him I'd smoke the damned thing, so I did.
I wouldn't be bothering with a review were it not a pleasant surprise. I actually enjoyed it. I'll break it down a bit as I saw it...

On lighting, it tasted like aluminum and Hershey's cocoa. Not sweet chocolate, more like dark chocolate with no hint of sweet. It wasn't a good start as I was already a bit puckered up about this stick, and probably over-critical. The over-critical likely worked in this stick's favor. I had expected black pepper because I've heard "pepper, pepper, pepper" in regards to this Drew Estate stuff. There was no pepper whatsoever. None. No black pepper, no white pepper, just mildly sweet Nicaraguan spice.

About a half inch in, the aluminum disappeared, and the chocolate/caramel goodness showed up in droves. A nice, medium-thick body presented itself. A medium level of spice remained present throughout the stick. It was not a Nicaraguan powerhouse by any means, something I had also expected. It was middle-of-the-road powerful in regards to both spice and nicotine.

At halfway, nothing had changed. The body filled out a bit and the cigar got that "I'm being smoked pretty hard" taste that I like. It had achieved all it was going to, and that was it. Done deal. If anything, I insisted there was a Dominican tobacco sweetness working in, and it made me go check later to see if there was Dominican tobacco in the cigar, but there was not. I'd probably have bet you there was.

The cigar had lots of what I like, classic maduro sweetness, albeit on the light side, plenty of cocoa and caramel, and a nice touch of spice.
As I smoked, I thought of somewhere around eleventy billion $2 or $3 cigars that tasted exactly like this one, although none in a lancero (almost lancero) format. A 5 Vegas A maduro robusto for instance, almost identical, or at least close enough to not warrant an extra ten bucks. An Old Henry maduro robusto is the same profile, but spicier. An '08 JJ Maduro is it's big brother, a fuller, thicker cigar. At that time it was a $10 stick and much better than they are now, but it still illustrates my point. Been there, done that.
There is nothing new or fascinating about this cigar. I will say that it's construction is so perfect, and the cigar is so beautiful that it almost looks artificial. The craftsmanship is over the top.

Would I recommend this cigar? Absolutely. It's a nice one-dimensional medium-strength cigar that should appeal to any maduro lover. The price is a gagger. 5 bucks would be fair. 7 or 8 bucks, reasonable. 13 bucks? Ridiculous.
There are many, many cigars that do more for a lot less.
Another thing that concerns me is the ability to age these. There really doesn't seem to be anything there to benefit from aging. A loss of flavors would be the only thing I could imagine, then a brother would really be out some coin.

My final thought? Spend the 13 bucks on a fresh Padron Anni. It does everything this stick does, but does it better, plus a whole lot more.
If this cigar comes down to half the price, you've got a fair, solid winner.

[big pete]

Great review Scott! I was intrigued by this stick but for the price, I think I'll pass for now (unless I can get it for sub $10)

[shilala]

Originally Posted by big pete

Great review Scott! I was intrigued by this stick but for the price, I think I'll pass for now (unless I can get it for sub $10)

I wouldn't be scared away if you're grabbing one cigar. Its worth a shot, and you just might fall in love. Just don't pick up a box until you know they really do it for you.
I wouldn't dissuade anyone from trying this cigar at least once, and I think that's something everyone should take away from reviews. Look for things you like, and if there's something there, go ahead and try one.
If there's something that appeals to you in this review, by all means, spend the extra few bucks.
Had I spent the money myself, I would be okay with it. I wouldn't buy any more, but as a one-time experience, and the fun I had, it was worth it. Since I can't try this stick for the first time again, any subsequent trials would never live up to the dollars spent.

[big pete]

I think I'll eventually try one but I won't go out of my way to find on. There's a ton of sticks I still want to try in that price range or lower

[maninblack]

Thanks for the review Scott. I'm generally not a fan of long and skinny's and the price point os outrageous, but most LP smokes are pricey.

[dwoodward]

Thanks for the heads up Scott. I was waiting for a review on this stick. 13 for a stick is a lot. I am glad you enjoyed the cigar tho, might be worth a smoke if gifted.

[Blak Smyth]

Glad to hear you enjoyed it Scott, I am a huge fan of this stick.
I am actually surprised you enjoyed it

[shilala]

Originally Posted by Blak Smyth

Glad to hear you enjoyed it Scott, I am a huge fan of this stick.
I am actually surprised you enjoyed it

You're the one that made me think I wouldn't like it.
It is nearly identical to Sancho Panza Double Maduro Quixotes, and I've destroyed box after box of those little gems. They were about $47 a box before the taxes went up. I think they're around $65 now.
You should try a fresh Quixote, you'd be shocked. And a guy can get 4 or 5 of them for the price of one of these. It's a crazy world.

[emopunker2004]

Originally Posted by shilala

You're the one that made me think I wouldn't like it.
It is nearly identical to Sancho Panza Double Maduro Quixotes, and I've destroyed box after box of those little gems. They were about $47 a box before the taxes went up. I think they're around $65 now.
You should try a fresh Quixote, you'd be shocked. And a guy can get 4 or 5 of them for the price of one of these. It's a crazy world.

Famous has em for $49.99 and CI has them for $49.50. Just a heads up Scott

[Taki]

Nice review Scott!
I too am not a huge fan of the L40 but that being said, I still have some sitting in my humi.

[688sonarmen]

Thanks for the honest review Scott!

[Subvet642]

Thanks for the review, Scott! As always, very detailed, very useful!

[688sonarmen]

And yes, the Sancho Panza Double Maduros do kick ass!

[shilala]

Originally Posted by 688sonarmen

And yes, the Sancho Panza Double Maduros do kick ass!

Can you see the resemblance to the L40? They may be a bit stronger and sweeter, but aside from that, I'd think JDrew tried to copy that cigar with this effort.
Another almost identical is the 5 Vegas A maduro and the Esteban Carrera maduro (discontinued). The Carrera had a hint of raisins that's missing in this stick, and was actually more complex at around 2 bucks a stick.
There are a ton of Rocky maduros that are very close to this profile, the Indian Tabac Super Fuerte and Indian Tabac maduro come to mind immediately. Both $2-$3 sticks, or less. I've bought many at less than 2 bucks.

Here's the thing, it's one of my absolute favorite flavor profiles, and I've chased this profile to the ends of the earth. At a time, it's all I'd smoke to the tune of 5 sticks a day. That's why I liked it.
But it's a "beginner stick" in the profile, albeit well done. This profile should lead a guy to Padron Anni's and Anejo and LGDiez Vintage maduros and oscuros at the same (or similar) price-point. Those sticks do much, much more for the coin.

[SteelCityBoy]

Originally Posted by shilala

Here's the thing, it's one of my absolute favorite flavor profiles, and I've chased this profile to the ends of the earth. At a time, it's all I'd smoke to the tune of 5 sticks a day. That's why I liked it.
But it's a "beginner stick" in the profile, albeit well done. This profile should lead a guy to Padron Anni's and Anejo and LGDiez Vintage maduros and oscuros at the same (or similar) price-point. Those sticks do much, much more for the coin.

Scott, if you enjoy that flavor profile I would honestly try all the DE LP stuff if I were you. Many have them have the same profile IMO. The LP9 may have a bit less chocolate and some more spice and the T52 ramps up the chocolate flavor without the spice. The FFP is just on another playing field in strength but again has similar flavor profiles as the others. That is why I love the DE LP stuff so much. It hits my flavor spot perfectly! I know it's been a long time coming that you finally tried this L40 but heck, give em all a shot! I would love to hear what you think!

[php007]

Nice review, I really wasn't that impressed with it either. Who knows. maybe age will tell a different story.

[shilala]

Originally Posted by php007

Nice review, I really wasn't that impressed with it either. Who knows. maybe age will tell a different story.

In my reading on the blend after I did the review, Drew's buddy/partner (I think it's Sorkas?) stated that he himself did not hold out hope for aging on these blends. 3 years max is what they're thinking before they go south. I also read on Brook's site where he smoked an aged stick. It didn't review well.
The one Ken gave me was in perfect smokable shape. Humidified perfectly, burned perfectly, and I'd think it was at it's absolute pinnacle. Maybe a year would yield a little difference in the smoking experience, but I honestly think, from all my experience with this profile, that age is just going to make the stick milder. That's not really something someone wants that enjoys this kind of cigar, or at least it's not something I want.
I also believe that Padron Anni's really suffer after a few years. I have a pile of '06's that really lost their groove. They're very muted and don't develop like a freshie, or a year or two old Padron Anni. They just kind of roll over on their belly and lie there.

[Gooner]

Thanks for the review Scott!

[SteelCityBoy]

Glad you finally gave it a shot Scott! I love your insight into this stick and really do take your feedback seriously. I love this stick and want to make sure I get all the enjoyment I possibly can out of it. I was worried when I heard that some of the DE Liga line may not age well. I would be heartbroken if three years from now all my DE Liga stuff went mild and didn't pack the same chocolately goodness end to end as these sticks do.

Either way, I still love them and think I always will, and if nothing else smoke them up faster! Glad you gave it a try brother! Great review!!!!

[shilala]

Originally Posted by SteelCityBoy

I was worried when I heard that some of the DE Liga line may not age well. I would be heartbroken if three years from now all my DE Liga stuff went mild and didn't pack the same chocolately goodness end to end as these sticks do.

Ken, the work has already been done, and both JDrew and Brooks have found they don't age well at all. You can count on it. You have a couple choices:
1.) Get your heart broke.
2.) Sell some stuff and keep buying freshies, refilling as you go.
Ask yourself if you really, honestly believe that five years from now you'll be smoking these sticks. Use the evidence you've seen in droves here, everyone's tastes change.
These sticks will not remain htf for long. They're bringing too much coin and they need to get them out there to make money while the sun is shining. I'd look for the price to tank (were these not 7 bucks at release?). They're already becoming a lot easier to find. It's the standard progression of this profile of stick.
JJ maduros were around $240 a box a few years ago. Now they're $100. Same profile. Blends fall out of favor as new ones appear.
I've made the mistake of overstocking sticks that don't age well, don't get your nuts caught in that vice.