Look closely at the band of the Liga Privada No. 9. The words "Hecho Exclusivamente Para El Jefe" are printed in small font. It translates to, "Made Exclusively For The Boss." In this case, the boss was Drew Estate’s former president. He’s no longer with the company and the boss is now Swisher International (which acquired Drew Estate last year), but the cigar remains on the market. And why shouldn’t it? It has a fiercely loyal following that’s gone way beyond cult status, and La Gran Fabrica Drew Estate in Nicaragua can’t make enough of them. The bands also resemble the type of industrial labels found in distillation plants and tasting laboratories, thus emphasizing the notion of Ligas being intended for internal consumption.

The look and story behind Liga Privadas intrigued cigar smokers everywhere, but so did the cigar itself. Each one is a dark and ominous shade that can go from dark brown to an oily black. They’re solid to the touch and packed tightly with loads of hearty tobacco, yet still draw beautifully. It’s one of the heaviest blends on the market and is bound by a gutsy Connecticut broadleaf wrapper and Brazilian Mata Fina binder. Every puff of the Corona Doble seems to make a bold statement with a complex range of strong earthy flavors, a sweet quality redolent of perique tobacco and a sweet tarry finish.