Liga Privada No 9 was initially blended for Steve Saka. Steve would give out personal samples of the No 9 blend to close friends of his. However, the reaction to the blend was so positive that they decided to release the No. 9 as a regular production cigar. For those unfamiliar as to how the cigar got it’s name, essentially, it was the ninth blend made before Steve Saka felt it was right. The No. 9 Flying Pig was produced as a limited production cigar with “only” 2000 boxes of 12 perfectos. Two thousand boxes is a large quantity to be produced but these disappeared rather quickly once word spread out about the quality and uniqueness of the flavors.
I am reviewing the No. 9 Flying Pig today because in speaking with Steve Saka, he has mentioned on a few occasions that the No. 9 Blend was made to be smoked soon and not aged. Even though this cigar has close to 2 years of rest on them, I’d like to see how the flavors have developed over the time.
4/10/2012
Liga Privada No 9 Flying Pig
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro
Binder: Brazilian Mata-Fina
Filler: Dominican, Honduran, Nicaraguan
Size: 4 x 60
Vitola: Perfecto
MSRP: $12.00
Days in Humidor: 600
Drink: Water
Smoke Time: 1hr 20min
Location: Blowin Smoke
Construction/Appearance:
As with almost all Liga Privadas, I love the rich oily wrapper on the No. 9 Flying Pig. The veins are unobtrusive and blend fairly well. The perfecto shaped cigar has a firm feel just short of saying it is overpacked. Looking closely at the wrapper, you can see different shade variations from the head to the foot. There is a beautiful pigtail on the head and I really don’t want to remove the intricate design because of the quality. If my memory serves me right, the band feels a bit more loose now than when the No 9 Flying Pig first came out allowing me to remove it without any issues.
Burn/Draw:
I usually just pull the pigtail off of the Feral Flying Pig or Flying Pig, but it felt very firm on the No 9 Flying Pig that I decided to go with a regular cut across the head for fear of tearing the wrapper. The cold draw felt open and just short of being too airy and lighting the cigar went very well. The foot lit up brilliantly and the initial burn line was wavy but soon corrected in the first third. The draw was almost effortless and actually tightens up as I approached the middle of the first third and then stayed consistent. Amazing amount of smoke was put out by the cigar in each draw and when it’s just resting. The ash has a nice salt and pepper color lasting over 2 inches with some flakes falling off here and there.
Flavor/Aroma:
The aroma from the wrapper reminds me of cedar, spice and sweet aged tobacco and the foot essentially smells the same. Liga Privadas have a wonderful aroma and find it to be enjoyable. On the initial draw, I get a nutty flavor combined with coffee and wood. Even the aroma after lighting it has a nut and pepper combination. In the first third, I’m tasting cocoa, herbal spices and wood with a chalky and creamy texture. The flavors have a rich tobacco feeling and the strength is medium at this point that is slowly progressing to full.
In the second third, there is a rich earthiness flavor mixed with cocoa and mild pepper. Also, like the T52 or No 9 regular production lines, I get that chalky texture though not as dramatic. Midway through the second, I’m picking up a sweet tobacco flavor but I feel that this flavor has mellowed out since the release. The flavors in the final third are the same, however, they do vary in strength. Earth and wood are prominent with a chalkiness behind the flavors and spice on the finish. The sweet tobacco note is minimal in the last inch.
Final Thoughts:
- This is a medium complex cigar that progresses from a strong medium into full.
- I smoked a No. 9 Flying pig just a few weeks earlier that displayed some sweeter characteristics but that was from another box. This cigar could have scored a point higher otherwise.
- Liga Privadas smoke very well when fresh and with up to 2 years of rest on them. I plan to review some of the Liga Privadas from 3-5 years ago and see if the flavor profiles are diminishing.
- I would recommend purchasing a few of these on the secondary market if just for the experience. However, I do feel $12 at msrp is a fairly high price for some people to pay. These are probably on the secondary market around $18 and up which I feel is not worth it.
- I think the Liga Privada No 9 Toro is a wonderful cigar for the price while the L40 and Feral Flying Pig both have unique flavor characteristics that should be tried.
