Drew Estate Dirty Rat

Recently at the 2010 IPCPR trade show, Drew Estate announced its intended release of the Dirty Rat. While its name may not be all that appealing, this cigar does have somewhat of a buildup prior to its official public release, which was supposed to be earlier this month. Only Drew Estate's President, Steve Saka, as well as a few others lucky enough to grab a sample of the Dirty Rat have been able to enjoy it, as its production numbers are on the low side. Although the Dirty Rat is not specifically labeled as a limited edition, it will be produced in small batches according to public demand. The reason for this is the amount of work that goes into producing the cigar.

In all, seven different tobaccos are used to make the Dirty Rat. Five different filler tobaccos are used from Honduras and Nicaragua. The cigar gets a lot of its spicy strength from Nicaraguan fillers grown in the nation's fertile Esteli Valley. A Brazilian Mata Fina binder is used, and a rare Connecticut Valley Sungrown Habano wrapper tops things off. This wrapper is the same one used in Drew Estate's Liga Privada T52. A pigtail cap and a simple white band with Dirty Rat inscribed complete its construction.

The Dirty Rat is slated as the first release under the brand's Liga Privada Unico Serie. It only comes in a 5 x 44 Corona format, and will be sold by a select group of Liga Privada Appointed Merchants. Each Dirty Rat has an expensive price tag of $12, due to the high production costs involved, and is packaged in boxes of 12. As to who might enjoy it, the Dirty Rat is aimed more at fans of stronger cigars who do not mind paying a premium price.