Liga Privada Unico Serie Feral Flying Pig

Today's cigar for review is the next installment from Drew Estate in the Flying Pig line. The Feral Flying Pig is a departure in size from the previous two pig releases (the Flying Pig #9 and the Flying Pig T52) and is quite a bit bigger. As well as the size being different, Jonathan Drew has posted online that it is a completely different blend than the other releases and that it is significantly stronger. Steve Saka (President of Of Drew Estate) has also been quoted saying this is the best Flying Pig release yet.

In this video that we did back in June of 2011 Jonathan speaks briefly about the stick  (at the 6:58 mark)
Video - Interview: Jonathan Drew, My Uzi Weighs A Ton - Burning Leaf, Chicago Illinois - Cigar Explorer from Cigar Explorer on Vimeo.

I'd heard a lot of hype for this stick for the last few months, so I was excited to finally get my hands on some because, currently, they don't seem to easy to come by. Now, on to the review...

Vitola: Big flying pig :) 
Length: 5.375
Ring Gauge: 60 (at it's fattest point)
Wrapper: Connecticut broadleaf
Binder: Brazilian Mata Fina
Filler: Nicaraguan
Price: $17 and some change in Ohio
Smoking Location: New Havana Cigars
Beverage: Water

Pre-Light 

First off, I want to say that the Feral Pig was a hefty cigar to hold in my hand. Not that the length or ring gauge felt overly beefy, but the weight was significant. There was a lot of thick tobacco rolled into this and I could tell. The wrapper was a very dark brown almost black coffee color with a few small veins, but nothing too ugly. For broadleaf, I'd say it was a pretty good looking leaf. The cigar feels expertly rolled and was finished off with the signature pig tail cap. The pre-lit aroma had what I would now consider the classic Liga Privada smell, consisting of a lot of sweetness, mixed in with floral notes. The cold draw was nice and free (more on that in a second) and tasted raw sweetness and orange peel. I mention the draw again because what I find very interesting and distinct about these sticks is you don't actually have to clip them to get a draw. You just tear the pig tail off the head of the cigar and you're good to go. That simple removal of the pigtail creates the prefect amount of air flow to get full puffs of smoke out of it. Nice fun feature.

First Third   

Lighting up this stick was very simple and the first few puffs on my Feral Flying Pig created a lot of flavors. On the front I tasted and felt a peppery warm spice coat parts of my palate as well as some espresso bitter bite. The finish of each puffs had tons of floral flavors and, even more noticeably, out the nose. At this point in the cigar, I'd say this was easily as complex as anything I have had in the Liga Privada line. The cigar put off a ton of resting smoke and burned at a very slow pace. The construction was excellent and even though the burn was a little wavy, I did not have to touch it up with my lighter. The strength was in the upper medium to lower full range. 

Second Third  

The second third of my Feral Flying Pig really really ramped up in strength. Just a few puffs into this part of my cigar I could already start to feel my heart beat pick up and my head get a little dizzy. I slowed my smoking rate down and that took care of any woozy feelings. During this part, the flavors seemed to back off a bit and most of the peppery spice and floral notes had died away. The main flavor now both on the front and the finish was the bitter espresso from the first third. I say bitter, but it was a nice bitter and not a bad flavor. It's also worth mentioning that the finish was very dry and left my mouth feeling dry but not dirty. Again the construction was excellent and the burn had no issues. The ash was also something worth noting because, as you can see in the photos, it held on all the way to the final third.

Final Third and Final Thoughts 

Getting to the end of my Feral Flying Pig saw some of that complexity from the first third start to pick up again. I started getting more spice on the front of each puff, which created a more balanced flavor with the espresso. I was really enjoying this stick again at this point, but I was also only drawing on the stick maybe once every five minutes. By this time my body was full up with nicotine and, while it wasn't overly uncomfortable or sickening in anyway, I knew not to push my limits. I smoked it to the nub and it never got hot or had any burn issues.

My final thoughts on the Liga Privada Unico Serie Feral Flying Pig? This cigar delivers exactly what is advertised when it comes to strength. This is not one for the light weights or even the medium strength smokers. I think it's the strongest thing I've ever had from Drew Estate. The the complexity of the first third was very impressive and the fact that it started to return at the end made for a very enjoyable start and finish to the smoking experience. I do think the cigar fell a little flat in the middle of the stick, but maybe with a bit of time that will change. Does it take the place of the Dirty Rat as my favorite Drew Estate cigar? No and it's a completely different type of cigar...but I would say it's now second on the list for me.
 
Would I buy it again? If I can find more I will pick some up.

Would I buy a box?  I'd be up for a split with someone.

Dan

La Flor Dominicana Factory Press IV

Today's review comes from a brand that I don't smoke all that often, but one of which I have had my fair share.  Although I am a fan of a few of the La Flor Dominicana blends (more specifically the Limitado IV), I  had never had one of their cigars blow me away.

The LFD Factory Press IV was released in November of 2011. The Factory Press line has been a pretty big hit for La Flor Dominicana and I wasn't surprised that a new version of this stick had hit the shelves.

A quote from Litto Gomez of La Flor Dominicana. (Taken from their Facebook page) "For years I have been fascinated with our cigar box-pressing system. Many times I have thought how great it would be to share the process with our fans. That is why I'm offering a very special cigar shipped in the actual factory press. Because the concept is so special we needed to blend a cigar that will be totally unique to La Flor Dominicana"

Like I said above, for me, La Flor Dominicana has had some winners and some losers. I was eager to find out how this particular stick fares.

Vitola: Box pressed Double Toro 
Length: 6.5
Ring Gauge: 60
Wrapper: Mexican
Binder: Ecuadorian
Filler: Dominican
Price: $15 and up
Smoking Location: Governor's Smoke Shop
Beverage: Water

Pre-Light 

If you've ever had the chance to smoke (or even to hold) a cigar in the Factory Press line from La Flor Dominicana, you will notice one thing immediately. This was the hardest box-pressed, most squared off cigar that I can think of in the premium cigar industry. I always tell people that I think they look like Lincoln logs and that you could build a barn out of them. The wrapper of this particular stick was a light brown color with medium-sized veining. Another thing to note was the head of the cigar, which seemed to have an abnormally large amount of glue on it. Most of the time (including this review) the glue (or pectin) adds zero flavor, so it's not something that really bothers me. The pre-lit bouquet was very faint and smelled only of tobacco. The cold draw was nice and free and had a raisin flavor to it.

First Third   

My LFD Factory Press IV lit up easily and had a fantastic draw. I mention this mainly because, with such a odd shape, you never know how the construction will be. At this point the cigar had zero problems.  The flavor on the front of the profile was a mild white pepper; not very spicy but just enough to tingle some taste buds. The finish was also very mild with dry cocoa flavor. The finish, however, was a bit unpleasant. After a minute or two between puffs, I got a very ashy flavor in my mouth. It wasn't horrible, nor was it the greatest taste. The strength of the cigar was in the upper mild- to lower-medium range.

Second Third  

Before discussing the flavor of the second third, I want point out the ash on this stick. The ash was very white and flaky and would fall off with just a slight tap or breeze in the air. Be cautioned if you're wearing black.

As for the flavors, the profile changed a bit in the second third, as the pepper faded away and the dry cocoa really took over. I am guessing this flavor comes mostly from the Mexican wrapper on the cigar because I have taken note of other cigars with the same palate notes who also use that leaf. Yet another change for the better was that peculiar, ashy finishing taste I had in the first third had all but vanished. Now the finish on the cigar was very clean and almost a little short. The strength maintained in the upper mild-to-medium range.

Final Third and Final Thoughts 

Rounding out the final third of my LFD Factory Press IV, the cocoa flavors continued to pour in. The smoke was now very thick and coated my palate completely. Toward the nub, I got a bit of harshness in the back of my throat, but that could be due to me smoking the stick too fast. The strength finishing off the cigar had pushed up to a solid medium. The construction from first puff to finish was great, without any draw or burn issues.

My final thoughts on La Flor Dominicana Factory Press IV? If you are a fan of medium strength cigars with a lot of cocoa and chocolate flavors, you will dig this. The construction was great and I didn't had to "babysit" the cigar at all. I thought the shape and size felt a little awkward and the flavor profile was not as complex as I would have liked.

Would I buy it again? This particular stick is not one that fits my preferences and I would rather not buy it again, as there are other sticks from LFD that I prefer over this one.

Would I buy a box? See above.

Dan