Liga Privada Ratzilla prototype 7x44

[Don Fernando]

The Dutch Drew Estate distributer visited Nicaragua a few weeks ago, with a few reporters and a Dutch tv host & cigar enthousiast. He visited Drew Estate and brought me a unreleased Liga Privada L40 lancero and this 7x44 cigar with a photocopied band "Dirty rat 7x44". Now I know about the Dirty Rat release, I have a box of those, but they are 5x44. So I got in touch with Jonathan Drew and he told me that this Dirty Rat 7x44 is a prototype, it was one of a few prototypes for the Ratzilla, which will be released at the IPCPR this year. The 7x44 didn't made the cut, they chose for a 6½x46 for the Ratzilla, but this cigar has the same blend.



The cigar is a looker, the wrapper is dark, oily and shine with just one long thin vein and the cigar has a small pigtail. The construction feels good and I smell a floral smell, kind of soapy. The predraw is great and quite spicy, I taste a lot of pepper.



I taste a smooth but full coffee with a mild bitter taste and a lot of pepper. After a quarter of an inch I taste spicy herbs, pepper and creamy chocolate. The chocolate slowly gains some strength with a peppery aftertaste. After an inch I taste some herbal wood with chocolate on the background. The cigar is pleasantly spicy without too much pepper. The chocolate flavor sticks on the palate and is dark.



Halfway I taste more wood, the cigar is less spicy and I can't taste pepper anymore. I still taste some chocolate and the flavors are sticky. A few puffs later I also taste some wood. After two thirds I even taste some nuts. The flavors become herbal again and the pepper returns. The black pepper grows in strength.



This cigar lasted me for an hour and forty five minutes. The draw was great, just like the burn and the flavors were fantastic. The only disappointing part of this cigar was the burn, I had to keep correcting it. The ash is dark, frayed and medium firm. The cigar is full bodied and full flavored.



Would I buy this cigar again? Yes, Drew Estate should release this cigar.

Appearance: 9 / 10
Construction: 8 / 10
Draw: 8 / 10
Burn: 6 / 10
Smoke & ash: 8 / 10
Aroma first part: 8 / 10
Aroma second part: 8 / 10
Aroma third part: 9 / 10