They're just one of the most lovable cigar sizes on the market, aren't they? The Drew Estate Ultimate Flying Pig Sampler is loaded with 4 x 60 Perfectos that Drew Estate has named the "flying pig" size. They're chubby little cigars that are just irresistible. They're easy to handle, give you a nice smoke time, and always put you in the mood for a little smoked pork or some other greasy barbeque treat.

Of course, this sampler has one Drew Estate cigar that's a little different. Let's start with that.

Liga Unico Serie Feral Pig

The Feral Pig is a bit bigger than the others at 5 3/8 x 60. It's still a Perfecto, though, featuring those nice, tapered ends that just beg to be clipped and smoked.

Unlike the original Liga Privada blend, the Drew Estate Feral Pig doesn't have a Connecticut broadleaf wrapper. Instead, it's covered with a CT Habano Maduro leaf. Rather than focus on the rustic and hearty flavors of broadleaf, you'll enjoy something closer to traditional Cuban-style notes. It's a nice full-strength smoke that offers the dark flavors of espresso, chocolate, and leather.

A fine addition to the original Liga blend. Forgot what it tastes like? Well, that's no problem because it's next in the Drew Estate Ultimate Flying Pig Sampler.

Liga Privada No. 9 Flying Pig

This is the granddaddy of them all. Your Drew Estate Ultimate Flying Pig Sampler includes the original Liga Privada No. 9 blend that launched Drew Estate into the upper echelon of blenders that produce premium cigars to rest side by side in your humidor with Padrons, Fuentes, and My Fathers (just to name a few). It was proclaimed to be Cigar Aficionado's #10 cigar of 2015 and landed on everyone's radar that year.

The composition of the cigar raised eyebrows right off the bat: rich Nicaraguan and Honduran long-fillers, a spicy Brazilian Mata Fina binder, and a flavorful Connecticut Broadleaf Oscuro wrapper. It was a complex and thoroughly satisfying combination one that brought the flavors of roasted meat, chocolate, and even Louisiana perique tobacco.

Want to know why Drew Estate went from a fun niche brand to an industry juggernaut? Smoke one of these little piggies that goes to market on the regular and still flies right off the shelves.

Liga Privada T52 Flying Pig

Once Liga Privada had caught fire in the No. 9 blend, the Drew Estate team had two very clear priorities: 1) make more No. 9s, and 2) experiment with related blends to see what else might be tasty. The winner of that "contest" was the T52, the follow-up cigar that, like the Feral Pig described above, traded the Connecticut broadleaf for CT Habano. This time, however, the wrapper leaf was sun-grown, taking in all the strength that the Connecticut River Valley sun could muster.

As it turns out, it was plenty.

The Drew Estate team then aged the Liga Privada T52 Flying Pig for a year, gave it a spank, and sent it out into the world to delight people in the Drew Estate Ultimate Flying Pig Sampler. The flavors are traditional, along with a tiny surprise. Most people notice the cedar and leather notes that form the core of the blend, but cigar lovers have also called out an orange citrus note that makes it a special little number. The No. 9 is still the clear favorite, but the T52 offers a nice counterpoint to the original.

Undercrown Maduro Flying Pig

When they blended up the Liga Privada No. 9, the Drew Estate Torcedores knew what they had in hand. And as word spread internally, people inside the company took to puffing on Ligas just like the people outside did. When you've got something great, you've got something great, right? There's no hiding it.

Drew Estate needed a solution. They're in the business of selling cigars, and if you want to sell them, you can't be smoking them all up. The rollers themselves wound up coming up with the solution: the Undercrown line.

The substitute blend was inspired by Liga Privada, and used the same rare tobacco types, but switched to different vintages and primings. As Drew Estate says, it was a "factory floor creation", made to be more accessible than the Liga Privada No. 9, which was selling like hotcakes.

The wrapper was changed from CT broadleaf to a Mexican Otapan negro Ultimo Corte (a dark Maduro leaf). The binder selected was T52 Connecticut River Valley stalk-cut and cured Habano, and the long-filler combination featured Cuban-seed Nicaraguan tobacco and included the mandatory Liga Brazilian Mata Fina leaf.

Undercrown Maduro Flying Pig features some original Liga elements but takes them in a different direction. Instead of the No. 9's subtly funky and exotic notes, the flavors of the Undercrown Maduro are like a creamy espresso that's smooth, sweet, and dark. A delicious addition to the Drew Estate Ultimate Flying Pig Sampler.

Undercrown Shade Flying Pig

The Undercrown Maduro was also a hit. Where the original Liga Privada No. 9 was delivering a complex, premium experience, Undercrown was bringing outstanding quality and flavor in a more straightforward manner. As you can probably tell by now, the cigar company's response to success is to keep going with something good, and then build on it with new blends.

The follow-up to the Undercrown Maduro was the Undercrown Shade, the next cigar in the Drew Estate Ultimate Flying Pig Sampler. This chubby little piggy went in a totally new direction, thanks to Willy Herrera working with the roller team that put together the Undercrown Maduro.

Gone is the Brazilian Mata Fina and Connecticut tobacco that made the original Liga Privada so famous. In the Undercrown Shade Flying Pig Drew Estate has built something that's designed to support an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper in all its shade-grown glory. This means a flavorful Sumatra binder and a long-filler blend that combines the character of Dominican Criollo '98 and Nicaraguan Corojo and criollo leaves. The final product delivers a kick of white pepper, then smooths out into sweet tea and cream, a really relaxing and fine cigar that's quite unlike the Liga brethren that came before it.

Undercrown Sungrown Flying Pig

The third in the Undercrown trilogy, the Undercrown Sungrown Flying Pig brings back the spice. This one tastes of leather, and espresso, and has a cinnamon finish that will keep your lips smacking. This one is built around a Nicaraguan long-filler blend, a stalk-cut CT binder, and an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper.

Drew Estate also says that there's also a nice little leaf of Nueva Segovia (a Nicaraguan tobacco-growing area) Ligero included for potency. If you're in the mood for a bit of an extra punch from the Drew Estate Ultimate Flying Pig Sampler, this might be the flying pig to reach for.

Kentucky Fire Cured Flying Pig

Last, but certainly not least, is the Kentucky Fire Cured Flying Pig. This is your barbeque cigar to enjoy along with meat off the grill and a good slathering of sauce. Instead of air-curing the tobacco after harvesting, the leaf used in this cigar was cured by lighting a fire adjacent to the curing barn, which adds an extra layer of smokiness to a product that is literally going to be smoked.

Smoke squared, folks.

This one also incorporates tobacco you might find in a cigarette or pipe stateside: Kentucky burley tobacco and Virginia tobacco. These are combined with Nicaraguan long-fillers, a Liga-inspired Brazilian Mata Fina binder, and a properly dark fermented San Andres Maduro wrapper.

You're getting oak, hickory, maple, and everything you'd expect from a pig roast. It's the perfect way to finish off the Drew Estate Ultimate Flying Pig Sampler, and the perfect blend to make you want to pick up another one right after you're done.

Please enjoy the Drew Estate Ultimate Flying Pig Sampler at your leisure.

1 - Liga Unico Serie Feral Pig
1 - Liga Privada No.9 Flying Pig
1 - Liga Privada T52 Flying Pig
1 - Undercrown Maduro Flying Pig
1 - Undercrown Sungrown Flying Pig
1 - Undercrown Shade Flying Pig
1 - Kentucky Fire Cured Flying Pig