Friday morning, I went in for my three-month check-in with the back surgeon. Good news: I’ve been cleared to start bending and doing light lifting again — slowly and carefully over the next six weeks as I ease back into a more normal routine, realizing that full recovery could take an entire year. (The surgeon also reminded me that I’m not 20 anymore. Harsh, but fair.) He also gave me a referral for physical therapy, which I’m genuinely excited about. I’m more than ready to start rebuilding strength.
I celebrated that evening with a special — and large — cigar. The
Liga Privada H99 line from
Drew Estate was introduced last year. I picked up a box of the event-only 7 x 54 Corona Doble vitola
a year ago as a retirement gift to myself.
A hybrid Connecticut-grown Corojo wrapper encases a Mexican San Andrés Otapan Negro binder. The filler is a blend of tobaccos from Honduras, Nicaragua, and Pennsylvania. The minimalist band leaves plenty of the beautiful wrapper on display, and the lengthy cigar makes a bold statement.
I used my
PerfecPunch to open up the end of the cigar. The draw was somewhat loose at first but developed into perfect resistance as the cigar warmed up. Smoke production was plentiful throughout the long session.
Flavors opened with hints of pepper and toasted bread. Brown sugar sweetness gradually built alongside notes of dark chocolate, and graham cracker. It stayed consistently in the medium-bodied range, with occasional dips into full-bodied territory. The flavors remained balanced, smooth, and consistent throughout. Even toward the end, the Liga Privada H99 never exhibited any harshness — a flavorful and thoroughly enjoyable smoke.
I’ve only smoked a few from this box over the past year. The two-and-a-half-hour (or longer) smoking time requires some commitment. I did have to relight the cigar a couple of times when I briefly stepped away.
I paired the Liga Privada H99 with Basil Hayden’s Dark Rye — a bottle that’s been on my shelf for several years, as evidenced by the “Basil Hayden’s” label. Around 2020, the brand dropped the possessive “’s” and now goes by “Basil Hayden.”
Basil Hayden’s Dark Rye is a unique expression blending Kentucky straight rye, Canadian rye, and California port wine. The result is a dark red rye with a wine-like, fruit-forward flavor — more sweet than spicy, and at just 80 proof, very approachable.
The sweet fruit, caramel, and mild rye spice notes of the Basil Hayden’s Dark Rye made for an exceptional companion to the Liga Privada H99. While it’s never been a favorite sipper on its own, I especially enjoyed it with this cigar.
The small amount left in the old bottle wasn’t enough to last through the entire long smoke, so I eventually poured some Four Roses Single Barrel Bourbon — coincidentally another bottle with just one pour remaining.
Four Roses Single Barrel is a go-to for both cocktails and sipping. Its profile — dark fruit, brown sugar, and spice — is more intense than the sweeter initial rye pairing. For this particular experience, the Basil Hayden’s Dark Rye was the better match for the H99. That said, I’ll still likely be restocking the Four Roses before replacing the Basil Hayden Rye.
