LP Dirty Rat Review

8/5/2014

Cigar: Liga Privada Dirty Rat
Size: Corona, 5.0”x44
MSRP: $14.50
Strength: Full
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Origin: Nicaragua

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Prelight: I got this cigar from @GnarlyEggs way back when I was a noob in the NST. It has been resting comfortably since then, but I have no idea for how long Joe had it. The wrapper is darn near oscuro and has a nice sheen to it. There is a medium sized vein running the length of the cigar, but knowing DE, the burn should still be spot-on. The wrapper has a pungent aroma to it, with a hint of what reminds me of vinegar. (Please don’t be sick!) The foot smells faint, but I pick up some wood and chocolate. I ignore Herf n Turf’s advice to bite the pig tail off and opt for a guillotine and get a perfect cold draw that is also faint in flavor…wood is the flavor I barely pick up.

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1/3: The pepper is intense at first, and my nose burns from the retrohale. There are notes of a floral wood and some earth hiding behind the spiciness. I soon get that salty Liga flavor I first experienced with the UF-13, but it is slight and diminutive in comparison. I also taste just an allusion of cherry deep within the flavors. The ash is flaky, so I only let it get about an inch before I tap it into the ash tray. A woody flavor appears and increases as this third comes to an end; salty cedar with black pepper.

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2/3: There is still some cherry teasing me with its sweetness. The second third is quite lovely. It’s a perfect blend of salty and sweet with earthy wood. The pepper has faded almost completely. I also get some baking spice in the profile. At about the halfway mark, there is a slight grassy, vegetal flavor that is welcomed and blends perfectly. At the transition to the final third, all I can think is that this cigar is an impeccable soft cedar, with just a pinch of salt.

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3/3: The final third remains the unspoiled profile I came to love in the second third, and the burn has performed like a prima ballerina. The grassiness does increase a bit, but not enough to ruin an excellently balanced experience.

Overall: This cigar is box-worthy. I don’t even care about the MSRP. The saltiness is more refined than what I experienced with the UF-13, which makes me think that the UF might have been a little young for me to judge it so harshly. This cigar put out the classic DE smoke, lingering despite the wind. The construction was as good as it gets and the flavors performed in absolute harmony. If I were one to put numbers on a cigar, expect this one to be in the high 90s. No foolin’. I want more.