Early in 2016 Mombacho Cigars SA announced it was releasing its second regular production line called Liga Maestro. While it was a new regular production offering, this was not a new blend for Mombacho Cigars SA. Liga Maestro is a collaboration between Mombacho President and Master Blender Claudio Sgroi and cigar luminary Stefano Bertin. Back in 2013, the line was released to the Italian cigar market. In 2015, Mombacho Cigars SA decided to bring the Liga Maestro line into the U.S. market for a limited run. With that limited launch a success, the company announced that the Liga Maestro line would become a regular offering. The cigars received new packaging and some new line extensions were introduced. Recently I’ve had an opportunity to smoke the Liga Maestro in the Doble Robusto size. Overall I found this to be an excellent cigar and found the Doble Robusto format to suit this blend very nicely.

Mombacho Cigars S.A. was founded in 2006. The company’s cigars have been distributed in Canada but have also been available in China in such markets like Beijing, Guangzhou, and Shanghai. In Canada, the company has partnered in the luxury goods and sports industry with such brands as Moët Hennessy, Louis Vuitton, the NBA’s Toronto Raptors, MLB’s Toronto Blue Jays and the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs. In 2014, the company entered the U.S. market with its Tierra Volcan line.

Mombacho Cigars also has its own factory in Nicaragua. While the majority of Nicaraguan factory operations are based in Esteli, Mombacho’s Casa Favilli factory in located in Grenada, Nicaragua – a colonial-style city located just outside of Managua.

Without further ado, let’s break down the Liga Maestro and see what this cigar brings to the table.

Blend Profile

The Liga Maestro consists of 100% Nicaraguan tobaccos from Jalapa and Condega.

Wrapper: Jalapa (Nicaragua)
Binder Condega (Nicaragua)
Filler: Jalapa, Condega (Nicaragua)
Country of Origin: Nicaragua (Mombacho Cigars SA).

Vitolas Available

Liga Maestro is available in five sizes packaged in twelve count boxes. The Novillo, Hermoso, and Gordo were the original three sizes in the line. When Liga Maestro was introduced to the U.S. market, the Pequeno and Doble Robusto sizes were added. Originally the Doble Robusto was positioned as an event only cigar, but it has made its been seen at many Mombacho retailers nationwide.

Novillo (Toro): 6 x 52
Hermoso (Corona Larga): 6 x 48
Gordo (Robusto): 5 x 54
Pequeno (Petit Corona): 4 1/2 x 44
Doble Robusto (Double Robusto) 6 3/4 x 50

Appearance

The Jalapa wrapper of the Liga Maestro Doble Robusto has a medium brown color with a colorado red tint. The wrapper itself has a light coating of oil on the surface. Overall I also considered this to be a smooth wrapper. There were a few visible thin veins and some most of the wrapper seams were decently hidden.

The Liga Maestro features the new banding that was introduced by Mombacho Cigars SA in 2016. This new banding gives a more consistent look to the cigars in Mombacho’s portfolio. The primary band is one common across most of Mombacho’s portfolio. This band is black with gold trim and gold font. On the front of the band, it features the company’s triangular volcano logo. Just below it is the text MOMBACHO. On the left side of the band is the text “Grenada Nicaragua”  in cursive font while on the right side is the text “Casa Favilli” – also in cursive font.

The secondary band is also black with gold font. It features the text “LIGA MAESTRO” on the center of the band. On the left side of the band is the text “TOTALAMENTE A MANO” while on the right side is the text “PURO NICARAGUA”. There are also some gold adornments to the left and right. The band is trimmed with a gold and black pattern.

On a side note, the secondary band is very similar to the original Liga Maestro band in design. The main difference is the color change.

Preparation for the Cigar Experience

Prior to lighting the Liga Maestro Doble Robusto I went with my usual choice of a straight cut. Once the cap was successfully clipped, I moved on to the pre-light draw. The dry draw delivered a mix of cedar sweet-spice, and a slight amount of floral and caramel sweetness. Overall I considered the pre-light draw of this cigar to be excellent. At this point I was ready to light up the Liga Maestro Doble Robusto and awaited what the smoking experience would have in store.

Flavor Profile

Out of the gate, the Liga Maestro Doble Robusto delivered a nice dose of natural tobacco sweetness. In the background were some earth notes as well as cedar sweet-spice. Normally I don’t like a lot of sweetness on my cigar, but the natural tobacco sweetness from the Liga Maestro was unique as it had both sugar cane and savory qualities. Meanwhile the retro-hale produced an additional layer of cedar sweet-spice.

By the second third, the natural tobacco sweetness started to diminish while the cedar sweet-spice increased. As the Liga Maestro Doble Robusto reached the second half I found the earth notes displaced the natural tobacco sweetness in the forefront. Meanwhile, the natural tobacco now joined the cedar in the background. During this stage, I also detected a some black pepper on the tongue and through the retro-hale.

For the last third of the Liga Maestro Doble Robusto,  the earth notes remained grounded in the forefront. At the same time, the black pepper and cedar now were close secondary notes. There still was some natural tobacco sweetness, but it was in the distant background. This is the way the cigar experience of the Liga Maestro Doble Robusto came to a close. The resulting nub was firm to the touch and cool in temperature.

Burn and Draw

The Liga Mastro Double Robusto performed quite well when it came to the burn. The cigar maintained a straight burn path and also had a straight burn line. This is a cigar that did not require a lot of touch-ups along the way. The resulting ash had a light gray color to it. This ash wasn’t overly firm, but it wasn’t loose or flaky. Meanwhile the burn rate and burn temperature were both ideal.

The draw on the Liga Maestro Doble Robusto also performed quite well. It delivered an ideal amount of resistance to make this a low maintenance cigar to derive flavor from.

Strength and Body

From both a strength and body perspective, the Liga Maestro Doble Robusto started out in the medium range. Both the strength and body gradually increased along the way. I found the strength actually increased a little more than the body and by the last third crossed into medium to full territory.

For most of the cigar experience the strength and body balanced each other well, but in the last third I did find the strength had a slight edge.

Final Thoughts

One thing about the brands of Mombacho Cigars SA, they are as Nicaraguan as they come. The Tierra Volcan, Magnifico, and Liga Maestro all are Nicaraguan puros. Each of the blends do an excellent job at showcasing the best of what Nicaragua has to offer – and the Liga Maestro is no exception. This is a blend that is going deliver both sweetness and spice. While the sweetness was more intense early on, I never felt it assaulted the palate or left an after-taste. Flavor-wise, the nearly 7″ long Doble Robusto never ran out of gas and remained flavorful until the end. Overall this is a cigar I could recommend to either the novice or experienced cigar enthusiast. As for myself, this is certainly a cigar I’d reach for again – and it’s worthy of a box split.

Summary

Key Flavors: Natural Tobacco Sweetness, Cedar, Earth, Black Pepper
Burn: Excellent
Draw: Excellent
Complexity: Medium
Strength: Medium (1st 2/3), Medium to Full (Last Third)
Body: Medium
Finish: Very Good

Rating

Assessment: 3.5-Box Split
Score: 90

References

News: Mombacho S.A. Takes Liga Maestro Regular Production
Price: $10.96
Source: Gifted, Additional Purchased
Brand Reference: Mombacho

Photo Credits: Cigar Coop, except where noted.