Episode 39 | Liga Privada Feral Flying Pig H99

Yo, yo, yo, yo, yo. And we are back for another episode of the Sticks and Stones podcast. Sticks and Stones is where we talk about life, we talk about love, and we talk about the love of premium tobacco products. The brotherhood of the leaf, if you will. So, very excited about this episode. I am going to be trying for the first time the Feral Flying Pig, the Liga Privada H99. Feral Flying Pig. And I am a fan of the standard Flying Pig, but this is the Liga Privada H99 Feral Flying Pig. And we're going to be learning a lot about this stick today. First, let me give the pigtail a little snippy snippy, and let's get this party started by letting her dance around the flame Alec Bradley table torch. And we do have to say that you have to be very careful with this table torch because it's very hard to see the flame in the daytime, and you could barbecue your stick very easily with this thing. So, you just got to get used to the flame before you start really using it. Dance around the flame a little, and I got to say for a cigar with the price point of this thing, it's like 24, 25 bucks. Can't see it if you're just listening in. It's all frayed, the tobacco, the wrapper is all frayed. All right, and we are off to the races. So, why the H99? Cuz there's an H99 on the band. Stands for Hybrid 99, or the Corojo of 1999. So, there's a tobacco in this cigar that's 27 years old. So, the H stands for Hybrid. The H99 showcases a special dark air-cured hybrid wrapper derived from the marriage between stalk-cut Habano and Corojo seeds. That's where you get the H for hybrid and 99 for the 1999 Corojo seed variety. Or maybe it's not 27 years old, maybe it's just that variety. Or that stream or strain of seed. So, Liga Privada has always been Drew Estate's love letter to the Connecticut River Valley and the rich American tradition of tobacco cultivation. H 99 is described as the third chapter in that story. They partnered with a group of trusted farmers to curate an ultra-premium hybrid leaf that melds stalk-cut Habano and Corojo 99. Jonathan Drew acknowledged the historical difficulty of cultivating Corojo outside of Cuba in regions like Florida, Nicaragua, and Honduras. But, those challenges sparked the innovation that led to the H 99. The hybrid leaf was specifically developed with was specifically developed to withstand and flourish in Connecticut's climate and is grown exclusively for Drew Estate. The leaf is stalk-cut cured and fermented for lengthy periods resulting in an oily, supremely flavorful wrapper. I got I do got to say it's very flame flavor. So, here's the question that I had and this is the answer. So, what is the difference between the traditional Flying Pig and the Feral Flying Pig? So, the Flying Pig was originally designed as a special size variation to the Liga No. 9 and T52 lines which are also phenomenal sticks. A rare, short, fat perfecto with a gorgeous pigtail cap. Steve Saka picked the shape from a photograph of an 1895 cigar salesman's size selection case. There are actually three flying pig expressions in the Liga Privada family. The number 9 Flying Pig, the T52 Flying Pig, and the Feral Flying Pig. Each with a distinct blend. So, the line is the Liga Privada Unico Serie. The Feral Flying Pig is a larger 5 and 3/8 by 60 variation of the original Flying Pig expression. Also, are known as extremely full-bodied, flavored, and robust. So, the vitola is 5 and 3/8 inch by 60 ring double figurado perfecto with a signature pigtail cap. So, the specs on it is the wrapper is Connecticut Broadleaf viso, our number 9 Broadleaf one stock position lower than the standard number 9. Nicaraguan blend binder, and a Brazilian Mata Fina filler. So, the on the construction, the Feral Flying Pig starts with a very dark oily wrapper, nearly black. Unlike the number 9 and T52, the Feral's wrapper is perfectly consistent from inch to inch. It features a tapered perfecto style foot leading through a beefy body to a tapered circular pig style cap, pigtail style cap. On the flavor profile, the first third opens with a classic flavor of espresso, dark chocolate, leather, and cedar with a bit of spice on the tongue. Definitely getting the spice on the tongue. And black pepper on the retrohale. As the cigar progresses, you will notice notice building toast and a very tasty charcoal note that finishes with sweet aftertaste. It's full-bodied and medium full in strength. So, on the strength, it may be the strongest Liga Privada ever released. It takes a while to build, but by the end of the second third, it's firmly in the full category. Do not smoke this before breakfast. Smoke time is an hour and a half to two hours. Don't smoke on an empty stomach. I said that twice. So, the cigar's construction and burn, it requires no touch-ups or re-lights for the entire smoke. Unheard of for a perfecto double figurado of this size. Now, I put the number nine and T52 Flying Pig up against the Feral Flying Pig. In the size, the number nine and T52, which I'll call the standard or original, the original Flying Pig, is 3 and 7/8 by 60. The Feral Flying Pig is 5 and 3/8 by 60. So, 3 and 7/8 for the original and 5 and 3/8 for the Feral Flying Pig. The original shape is a short fat perfecto. The Feral is a larger double figurado perfecto. The blend on the original is a Liga number nine or two blends, and the Feral is an entirely different unique blend. The wrapper on the original is a number nine broadleaf or T52 Habano. And on the Feral, it's a Connecticut broadleaf visu one stock lower than the number nine, which would make it stronger. Not necessarily. Filler on the original is a Nicaraguan Ford. On the Feral, is a Brazilian Mata Fina. Strength on the original is full. On the Feral, is stronger than both predecessors. Smoke time on the original, 45 to 60 minutes. Smoke time on the Feral, 90 to 120 series on the original was Liga Privada number 9 or T52. And on the Feral is the Liga Privada Unico Serie. On the original initial production was number 9, 2,050 boxes of 12. T52 was 3,000 boxes of 12. On the Feral, it's 4,500 boxes of 10. Ergonomics on the original was awkward to hold due to the small size. On the Feral, it's much easier to hold and smoke. The Feral is a total diversion from the other cigars in the Liga Privada line. Significantly stronger than its predecessor, yet much smoother with an overall deep deeper composition. I got to say this jacked-up wrapper over here is really [ __ ] up my vibe here. Because I'm really trying to enjoy this and this is like weird. The Unico Serie context. When Liga Privada branched out to include the Unico Serie, the Feral Flying Pig became a sort of best of the best cigar. Unlike the number 9 or T52, Unico Liga's are a unique blend and vitola made to perfectly complement each other. This pig took an important role in changing industry perception of Drew Estate's in its most critical years. Dense, powerful, and memorable. It was akin to their certificate of authenticity as a world-class ultra-premium cigar manufacturer. Among the rare and limited cigars Drew Estate's makes, few have the reputation and demand of the Feral Flying Pig. The folks over at Drew Estate's still frequently smoke this blends themselves. Flying Pigs are normally shaped or shipped to retailers only twice a year. They fly off the shelves fast, pun intended. So, worth knowing the Savage Feast is only available at events with Jonathan Drew himself. It's a feral flying pig vitola made with the Liga Privada 10 and a visceral blend, the rarest expression of the pig you can get. Very interesting. This is a powerful stick, guys. I mean in flavor, in boldness, in strength, it's fantastic. For those of you on YouTube, I mean just look at that ash, it's beautiful. The burn's a little weird. The burn needs a little needs a little touch-up. This wasn't in the humidor when I walked into Pasadena Tobacco and Cigar. It was outside because they were trying to catch some of their good customers letting them know that they had this. So, maybe that's maybe that's what's going on. Not sure. I was very excited about this cigar and for good reason. It is a phenomenal stick. This is my second cigar of the day. And I will tell you I have a very high tolerance for strong tobaccos and this is like me and this cigar are jamming right now. I do not recommend this to anyone who does not like strong cigars. Or I do not recommend it as as I've said on an empty stomach. You definitely want to eat a good meal before smoking this cigar. Like I'm smoking this in the early afternoon. I took a lunch break and I'm smoking it around lunchtime. I'm okay with doing that, but someone who doesn't like bold or stronger cigars, I don't recommend it. Now, having said that, the construction of the cigar is beautiful. The handling of the cigar is wonderful because it is true the shorter flying pig it's a it's a little tough. You're you're puffing that for 10 minutes and then it's hard to hold because once it starts burning down there there's nothing to hold on to. It's a small short little stick. This is well constructed. The blend is phenomenal. I'm getting that toast, definitely taste the toast now. Espresso in the beginning, 100%. Definitely get charcoal on the retrohale. I think this thing was under improper humidity because the the burn is really weird, but I'm not going to let it jack up my vibe. This is phenomenal. I can see buying a box of these if I could find it anywhere. Box is going to cost anywhere from like 220 to probably $250 for 10. So, make sure it's a memorable reason why you're smoking it. I'm literally smoking this for you guys giving you my honest opinion of this cigar. Otherwise, I don't make it a habit to smoking a $23, $24 cigar on a lunch break. Although, what a phenomenal lunch break it is. So, I I was having a conversation with the seamstress at the at the place I do alterations at on my clothes. I just bought some couple of suits and whatnot, sport coats. And she was mentioning that she had a not so much pottery, but like a planting she sells cactuses or cacti and I guess other plants on the side. And there's a I guess a flea market or some kind of a special show in Austin, which is about 3 hours north of Houston, and she would go all the time and she said, "It's just not worth my time. I used to go there and sell a couple thousand dollars worth of merchandise and it was fine. And then things started changing and it's just not worth the travel. It's not worth being away from the shop the alteration shop. It's just not worth my time." And I thought of of that being very interesting because every once in a while you have to re-evaluate, you know, some of the things that you're doing. And that's in everything in life, in business, and and everything. You know, is hanging out with that person or that group of friends worth your investment, your investment of time? Time is the only thing that we can't buy, right? It's the only priceless commodity that us as humans have because everybody is limited to a specific amount of time in their life. Not saying that your friends are not worth it or that particular person's not worth it. I'm just saying like in in everything, you have to see a value. You're investing your time, you should get something out of that. Whether that be, you know, laughs, good times, positive feedback, inspiration, support. If you're not getting out what you're putting in, you might have to reevaluate some things. So, if your business like this very nice lady does this business or sells cacti or whatever, and she said going to Austin is just not worth my time anymore. She made that determination that that is no longer worth her time, traveling, spending time away from her main business to make little bits of money. And we all have to make that determination. What's worth your time, what is worth your effort, and stop doing what's not worth your effort. I got to It's not the touch-up because it's not dying, it's just burning weird. So, I got to I got to touch up the burn on this because it's burning in places more or quicker than in other places of the cigar, which is weird, but So, if you're for instance, in my main line of work, I'm a commercial real estate broker in multiple states. And just crunching the numbers and looking at everything, it isn't worth the time to take on and I And I'm not going to get into details, but it's not worth the time and the effort and expense to get into certain listings if they don't meet a price point. Because the effort and resources and salesmanship and including time, resources of money and time and everything else to do something for one type of property or one price point of a property is virtually the same with a at a different higher price point. Yes, presentation is going to be a little different. The listing appointment is going to be a little bit different, but all of the other processes and all the steps are are the same. If you are a good broker and you put out there a good product for your clients, then it's all the same. So, if it's all the same, you have to make the determination, do I want to take on these assignments? Do I want to take on these lower dollar listings? You know, just to just to keep the fires burning, just to keep the pipeline moving, the deal pipeline. And for me, I made the determination, no, it's not. So, that's a very interesting conversation that I had with someone that it just like came out of nowhere, an organic conversation that she had no idea that I've been going through this and this thought process and crunching numbers and whatnot. In the In today's world, guys, and gals, with tariffs being what they are, inflation being what they are, the economy being what it is, people just don't have the money right now. And if they do have the money, they're scared to spend it. You have to, and I know it's difficult, and I know it's a it's a tough choice to make to hold out for specific projects or specific assignments or whatever. But sometimes you just got to [ __ ] do it. And one of the hardest things to do is to walk away from something when you know there's a possibility of making some money there. Walking away from that because you know the time and the effort are going to end up washing in the end. Like, yeah, I I can make X amount of dollars, but by the time I put all the time and resources and effort into it, I'm hardly going to make anything if if anything. Might not be worth it. Now, you may also be in the camp or in the thought process of I'll take every one of those size deals because I can do 50 of those a year, 100 of those a year, 1,000 of those a year, whatever it may be, and make make the money I want to make. Perfectly fine. But if that's not you, you have to have that honest conversation with yourself and say, "No, that's not what I want to do. I don't want to take on 1,000 listings a year. You know, I'm good doing 40 or 50 or 30 or 10, whatever that price ends up being for you. I'd rather do that, put all my effort and give the best customer service I possibly could, the best salesmanship I possibly could. I'd rather do that than take on 1,000 listings and sell 1,000 listings a year. I'm just saying 1,000, you know, whatever the number is, a high number. Now this thing is is really starting to move. Like the draw got a lot better. This is a fantastic cigar. It is truly fantastic. But again, you know, for these for the podcast episodes that I do when I'm trying these cigars and for the review on the reviews on YouTube and all that stuff, I am specifically smoking that cigar to get the flavors and the experience, and I'm smoking through these things a lot faster than any material says out there. You know, because this is what I'm doing it for. Not I'm not relaxing, I'm not talking to a friend or client or colleague. I am sitting here just smoking this cigar to give you guys my my honest opinions. Cuz I think we're at we're at 30 minutes, 31 minutes right now, more than halfway through this cigar. So that's a far cry from an hour and a half to 2 hours. But still a very good cigar. Very strong, but I like them strong. I I cigars very strong. So the notes on this are fantastic, guys. You do get the toast. You do get charcoal. You do get espresso. Very slight hint of chocolate. Very very slight hint. But, I am going to continue doing my sales job while enjoying the rest of this Liga Privada Feral Flying Pig H99 and thinking up new content, new ideas to bring to you guys. So, I hope you liked it. I hope you enjoy this cigar. I hope you go out and find it and buy one at least just to try because there's only 4,500 boxes made. So, get out there, guys, and find what you like. You know, find find what you like to smoke and that's all I got for the for this episode. So, stay blessed. Always stay blessed. Know that God loves you. And I love you. So, stay blessed and above all else, keep it rolling, baby. For Sticks N Stones, we out.