Today, Drew Estate has announced the pre-release of the Liga Privada No. 9 CORONA VIVA exclusively for the Cigars International Super-Store in Hamburg, Pennsylvania. The event is the 15th annual CIGARfest. The #9 Corona Viva has the same Connecticut River Valley Broadleaf Oscuro Wrapper, Plantation grown Brazilian Mata Fina Binder, and Nicaraguan and Honduran Fillers as the original blend, but like the Undercrown Corona Viva, released in 2012, has increased Ligero for a stronger cigar.
“This larger vitola benefited from a nice change up of flavors. Although there were no stars, the subtle nuances held my interest for ninety minutes. My biggest issue was an inconsistent and loose draw that made it difficult to pull out a wider range of tastes. I would try this one again based on the flavors.” –Gregg (McGreggor57)
"I somehow drew this short smoke out to almost 55 minutes. But I really enjoyed every minute of it. The heavy pepper and oak notes with the hints of citrus were a nice combination. If you are short on time or need a closer for the evening this cigar checked all the boxes for me." -Quinn (quinnpins269)
"Exceptional smoke in my estimation. Reminded me quite a bit of a Padron 1926. Big flavor, powerful, lots of smoke. Great flavors of chocolate with some background spice and sweetness. Not really a lot of transitional flavors, but the core of this was so enjoyable I really wasn't interested in going anywhere else. I enjoyed every second of this, and I'm ready to go buy a bunch more. " -John I. (John I.)
"This was a very enjoyable smoke. The flavors stayed present through all parts of the smoke. The thick mouthfeel was nice. The strong coffee flavor was intense to the point it felt like I was pairing a coffee with this cigar. Other notes of earthy, cocoa and mild black pepper spice came through as well." -Chad M. (Chad Tchad)
E.P. Carrillo has announced the Pledge Lonsdale Limitada for PCA 2022. This new, limited vitola to the hightly rated Pledge line measures 6 1/2 x 43 and comes in boxes of 20. Each cigar has a retail price of $12.00. We rated the original Pledge a 91 in our blind tasting and made #21 on our Top 25 list that year.
"Great cigar from beginning to end. This cigar was full of flavor. Notes include tea, black pepper, popcorn, hickory, lavender, pork, and clove. I wanted the enjoyment to continue. Perfect draw, burn, and construction. Minor touch ups were needed, but didn't interfere with the pleasure. This cigar is one I'd share with my friends. I'll seek this out and add it to my humidor." -Sean F. (fullermaine)