Liga Privada H99, Rye, and the Humidity

"Now everyday is Saturday." I've heard that frequently from friends since I retired. However, "the weekend" is still something I look forward to. (I no longer get the Sunday evening downer though.) We had our typical Friday planned — meaning we were staying home. Colleen enjoyed baking and I enjoyed a cigar and drink on the deck. Life is good.

After it had a three month rest in the humidor, I decided to crack open the box of Liga Privada H99 Corona Doble I picked up at the Drew Estate event in May. The hefty 7 x 54 cigar promised a long and flavorful smoke. The Connecticut River Valley Corojo wrapper is grown exclusively for Drew Estate by a single farmer in Connecticut. The leaf is a hybrid of Habano and Corojo tobaccos. A Mexican San Andrés binder and a blend of  Honduran and Nicaraguan filler completes the picture.

My whiskey shelves have gotten overcrowded of late, so I've been working on finishing off those nearly empty bottles. One such forlorn bottle was the Sagamore Spirit Sherry Finish Rye. I enjoyed a wee pour to kick off the smoke.

This Sagamore release is of a blend of four year old ryes which is aged for 18 months in PX Sherry casks. Delightful aromas of figs, cherries, and raisons greet the nose. The sherry influence on the rye comes to the forefront right from the start, along with a hint of citrus and rye spice. The 106 proof is well masked. I've enjoyed this one with a number of cigars over the past couple years and find it to be an excellent accompaniment to a rich cigar.

The Liga Privada kicks off with heavy does black pepper. The complete flavor profile quickly comes up as the cigar gets going. I get dark chocolate at the forefront as the pepper moderates. There are light brown sugar and fig notes also in the rich, thick smoke. The dark fruit and a slight sweetness complemented the Sagamare Sherry finished rye nicely. I didn't have any open bottles of another sherry-finished whiskey to pour next, so completed my smoke with a pour from a bottle of Angel's Envy Rum Finished Rye. That too paired well.

The cigar required a few touch ups to keep an even burn line, and the smoke output occasionally waned until a quick touch with my torch. I think the extremely high humidity outside, from the remnants of Tropical Storm Debbie, had an adverse effect on the performance. The Weather Bug app was reporting 98% humidity to go along with the mid-80º temperature. My drink glass was coated with condensation and I kept a paper towel nearby dry my hands after each sip.

I am extremely glad I chose to buy this special box of cigars as a retirement gift to myself. I look forward to smoking many more in the near future.

Cheers!