Liga Privada No. 9 Corona Doble 7″ * 54

Liga Privada means private blend. It began as Steve Saka’s own blend at Drew Estate, made for his personal smoking and never meant for sale, until enough people who tried it refused to let it stay private. The Corona Doble is the size that made No. 9 famous.

A dark, oily Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper covers a Brazilian Mata Fina binder and Nicaraguan and Honduran long fillers, rolled at La Gran Fabrica in Esteli, full in body. Expect espresso, dark earth and black pepper finishing on cocoa. At 7 by 54, the double corona is a long, slow burn that gives the blend room to move.

The wrapper is the bottleneck. Broadleaf this dark and oily takes years to cure and only a fraction of the crop makes the cut, which is why Liga Privada has been allocated rather than freely stocked for most of its life. Set aside a couple of hours for this one.

Pairs well with espresso, bourbon, or porter.