Pre-light Experience

The wrapper is medium brown with a few visible raised veins. The seams are nearly invisible and the head appears to have a double cap. There are two bands, the first is the standard 107 band and below that is a red band with gold lettering and borders that reads Cosecha 2006. The aroma from the wrapper is pretty sharp, almost like cat urine. The foot aroma is a mellow cedar. The pre-light draw brings a dry hay in the forefront, but in the background is a sweet grape jelly.

Pre-light Experience

The La Aurora 107 Cosecha 2006 Corona Gorda has a Colorado to Colorado Maduro shade wrapper. Although the wrapper is rough in nature, a good amount of slick oil content is present. Veins are roughly pressed and seams tight and visible. The head is finished off with a thick double cap. Nosing the wrapper gives fresh cedar, barnyard and damp earth. Nosing the foot gives black pepper, cocoa and sharp cedar. Cold draw reveals powdered milk, cocoa, sweet cedar and a hint of black pepper.

First Third

Initial draws bring a very nuanced mix of black pepper, cedar and cream. At a quarter inch in, the black pepper goes away and the creamy cedar remains. The retrohale is pretty much straight cedar. At an inch in, some black pepper returns in the background while the creamy cedar remains up front. The cedar on the retrohale gains a slight spice. At an inch and a half in, some breadiness joins in with the creamy cedar and the pepper is still present in the background. As the third comes to a close, the creamy cedar and bread continue with some pepper in the background and the retrohale has transitioned to just a bready note. Strength in this third was right at medium.

First Third

First third’s flavor profile creates a mixture of milk chocolate, black pepper and fairly sharp cedar. Inch in, a nice under-ripe stone fruit develops. Through retrohaling, notes of sharp cedar, strong black pepper, mixed nuts and under-ripe stone fruits. The finish has lingering notes of mouth layering black pepper, wood bitterness and dry wood. In terms of body and strength, medium.

Second Third

As this third begins, the cedar recedes to the background leaving a slightly sweet and creamy bread up front. There is still some pepper present on the long finish. At three quarters of an inch in, the sweetness goes away leaving creamy bread and the cedar changes to a general woodiness which now gains a bit of char. At an inch and a quarter, the char increases on the wood and moves it up in the profile while the creamy bread moves to the background. The retrohale continues with the bready note. At an inch and three quarters, the charred wood calms way down and the bread loses the cream and moves up front. The strength in this third was right at medium.

Second Third

The primary difference from the first third is the milk chocolate note moving to the background. This allows the black pepper, cedar (no longer sharp at all), and under-ripe stone fruit to move up front. On the retrohale, the stone fruit is lost, leaving me with namely sharp cedar, strong black pepper and creamed mixed nuts. The finish remains unchanged, still providing lingering notes of mouth layering black pepper, wood bitterness and dry wood. Body maintains medium while strength is now somewhere in between medium and medium-full.

Final Third

As this third begins, bread is the primary note in the mouth and on the retrohale. At a half inch in, some woodiness returns to mix in with the bread. At an inch in, the mix of bread and wood is creating a pretty nice and smooth profile. At an inch and a quarter, the cigar begins to heat up and some bitterness enters to join in with the bread and wood. This is how the cigar finishes. The strength in this third was slightly above medium.

Final Third

Last third picks up a couple new additions in the form of milk coffee and slightly harsh bitterness. Still, the profile is centered around black pepper, cedar and under-ripe stone fruits. The retrohale remains unchanged from the second third, still giving sharp cedar, strong black pepper and creamed mixed nuts. The finish is now mainly comprised of wood bitterness and dry wood. Body stays medium and strength is now a consistent medium-full.

Burn

The burn started wavy and then straightened out in the middle. The cigar did go out on me once in the final third and required a re-light. The ash held on in one inch increments.

Burn

The burn was overall good. Smoke production was minimal and burn line was wavy the entire time. Ashes averaged self tapped 1.5 inch increments. At times, some minor portions of the wrapper refused to burn but there was never a need for a re-light or touch up. Total smoking time was a great 2 hours and 45 minutes.

Draw

The draw was really snug. Using a draw tool didn’t seem to help although things did ease up in the final third.

Overall

The cigar started great with some very nuanced flavors and some nice transitions. I can’t help but think that the tight draw really choked off the flavors as the cigar went along. I would be very interested in revisiting this to see how better construction would let the cigar progress as I would bet that the cigar would score much better. If future samples provide a better experience, which I expect they would, then I would say that this cigar would definitely be one to recommend.

Draw

Draw was slightly tight for my liking but never a problem.

Overall

Reviewing my flavor notes, I found a consistently tasty profile with good complexities and transitions. But the lack in flavor depth caused the cigar to stay good but not very good. Even with that said, I will gladly smoke more of these.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.47

Cost/Point

$2.00

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

6.87

Cost/Point

$1.59

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: La Aurora 107 Cosecha 2006 Corona Gorda