Pre-light Experience

The wrapper is medium brown with a slight turtle shell effect of darker colors. There are a couple of veins present that are slightly raised. The seams are visible just due to the color variation on the wrapper and are smooth as is the single cap adorning the head. The band is quite nice with the blue, white and red colors symbolizing the Dominican flag and the traditional company logo in the middle. The aroma from the wrapper is a mix of stone fruit sweetness and the same flavors are present at the foot although they are a little bit brighter there. The pre-light draw brings a nice stewed stone fruit note along with some hay and a pretty decent spicy tingle on my lips and the tip of my tongue.

Pre-light Experience

The La Aurora ADN Dominicano Robusto has a semi oily, darker medium brown wrapper with traces of darker brown marks. Major veins are decently pressed, seams tight, bunch and roll on point. Nosing the wrapper gives wet earth, barnyard and cedar. Nosing the foot gives raisins, cedar and white pepper. Cold draw tells sweet raisins, cedar and white pepper.

First Third

Things start out with a heavy punch of dark wood, black pepper and baking spice. It really hits the back of the throat right away. At a quarter inch in, things smooth out slightly as the flavors aren’t as sharp. It is very sharp on the retrohale though and gives a decent burn and zing through the nostrils. At an inch in, things have continued to mellow and the profile is a bit more well rounded with the addition of some cream to the wood, pepper and baking spice. As the third comes to a close, the profile is now quite smooth with the same combination of flavors. The retrohale even has a bit of sweetness present along with quite a bit of cream. The strength in this third started medium-full but by the end was slightly above medium.

First Third

This is one of the few times in which the cold draw matches the smoking experience. Flavors of sweet raisins, plums, cedar, dry nuts and white pepper. On the retrohale, deeper notes of white pepper and dry nuts. The finish is very gritty and earthy, caking the palate thick with dry wood and white pepper. Strength and body is medium.

Second Third

As the second third begins, the profile is now creamy wood along with a little black pepper as the baking spice has gone away. At a half inch in, the cream increases some more as the black pepper is now in the background. The retrohale is a very creamy wood note. As the third comes to a close, the pepper has left the profile and it is now just a creamy wood note. The strength in this third has remained at the slightly above medium level.

Second Third

The second third loses out on a fair amount of its sweetness in raisins and plums. Aside from that, the profile is now namely centered around cedar, natural sweetness from dried nuts, white pepper and dry earth. Strength and body maintains medium.

Final Third

As the final third begins, some char joins the creamy wood profile. At a quarter inch in, the cream drops back quite a bit and the charred wood is slightly drying. At three quarters of an inch in, the cream increases a bit, reducing some of the dryness. This is how the cigar finishes out. The strength in this third remained at the slightly above medium level.

Final Third

The last third becomes a tad more spice and earth mineral focused. Other than that, the profile is still cedar, naturally sweet dry nuts, white pepper and dry earth. The finish is still fairly gritty and dirt like with dry wood and white pepper. Strength and body maintains medium.

Burn

The burn line was quite wavy. I needed to do a touch-up in the first third and two in the second third as a portion of the wrapper just didn’t want to burn in unison with the rest of it. The ash held on in one inch increments.

Burn

The burn was fairly poor. Two re-lights, multiple touch-ups, uneven burn. The upside is the cigar never heated up and burned cool and slow the entire smoking duration.

Draw

The draw was perfect with just the right amount of resistance that I prefer.

Overall

The cigar started off not how I expected with a wave of strength and some very full flavors. I enjoyed it, especially as it smoothed out fairly quickly. The first third was the best and then became less complex in each subsequent third. Once things settled in about a half inch in, I was hoping for that profile the rest of the way. I’m very interested in trying some of the other vitolas to see how the experience changes up. This is a good example of what a cigar that uses andullo can do and I’m thinking this might do well for La Aurora. I would definitely recommend picking one up to see if it fits your profile.

Draw

The draw was slightly loose for my liking. Not a big deal by any means but worth noting.

Overall

The main attraction for me is the sweetness of the cigar driven by raisins and plums. Although tasty, it’s too bad it didn’t last past the first third. There was enough of a supporting cast of flavors that made the cigar a simply good cigar. Like how I feel about a vast majority of La Aurora cigars, this is just another prime example of a good, well priced cigar.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

6.62

Cost/Point

$1.10

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

6.62

Cost/Point

$1.10

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: La Aurora ADN Dominicano Robusto