IPCPR 2009 Game Changer – Stalk Cut Habano Wrapper

Posted on: 8-Jul-13 by Stace Berkland

Our major game changer from IPCPR 2009 happens to be a wrapper – one that was introduced in 2009, but would not fully be felt across the industry for a couple of years.

It all started with Drew Estate’s follow-up cigar to the already popular Liga Privada No.9 – a 2008 release so popular supply could not keep up with consumer demand. The 2009 follow-up would be known as Liga Privada T52 – and would prove to be a game-changer, particularly for its use of an all-new wrapper which hales from the Connecticut River Valley. Continue reading →

Take-5: Drew Estate Cigar Safari 2013 – Part-3, Stalk Cut Habano

Posted on: 22-Jun-13 by Stace Berkland

Continuing our recap of last month’s Drew Estate Cigar Safari, we spend more time with masterminds Steve Saka and Nicholas Melillo. In this video clip we get a behind-the-scenes look at how pilones (large piles of stacked tobacco leaves) are used to cure tobacco during the fermentation process. The tobacco discussed in these videos is one of my all-time favorites, the extremely temperamental yet oh-so-flavorful Connecticut River Valley Stalk Cut and Cured Sun Grown Habano wrapper. (aka “Stalk Cut Habano”) This signature wrapper has been used on such legendary Liga Privada blends as T52, Dirty Rat, L40, Ratzilla, UF-4 and pre-release UF-13…enjoy!