Pre-light Experience

Aaron: The wrapper on the La Flor Dominicana Litto Gomez 55th Anniversary Emeraude TAA is a marbled medium brown with some red to it. There is a network of decently raised veins and fine veins. The seams are smooth while the caps have some lifting edges. There are two bands, with the primary being various shades of red along with gold and carrying the Litto Gomes logo and name. The secondary is gold and red and I’m not sure of its purpose. The aroma from the wrapper is sweet, slightly damp wood along with some stone fruit sweetness while the foot brings bread, cedar and some spice. The pre-light draw brings stone fruit sweetness, cedar, bread and some spice, along with a mid-level spiciness on my lips.
Seth: The La Flor Dominicana Litto Gomez 55th Anniversary Emeraude TAA is finished with a nice-looking wrapper that is between Colorado Maduro and Maduro in coloring. It has a nice coffee bean look. There is some tooth present with the cigar, and it has small veins throughout. The texture is smooth with some fine grittiness present. No oils on the wrapper. Aromas of warm spices and hot cocoa on the foot with pepper spices, leather and tobacco on the wrapper.
John: The La Flor Dominicana Litto Gomez 55th Anniversary Emeraude TAA comes in cellophane and has a UPC sticker, which appears to be from the retailer. There are no artisanal complications. There is an ‘LG Litto Gomez’ primary band and a secondary band underneath it that has no markings. I weighed the cigar at 16.6 grams and measured the humidity at 58.1% with the HumidiMeter Pro. For aromas off the wrapper, I get barnyard, earth and notes of tobacco. From the foot, sweet tobacco, hay and wood.
Jiunn: The La Flor Dominicana Litto Gomez 55th Anniversary Emeraude TAA has a spotty, in between Colorado Red and Colorado Maduro, wrapper shade. The wrapper oil content is extremely high, to the point where I bet I can take the wrapper off and squeeze it out. Veins are well pressed, seams tight, bunch and roll even and the head is well wrapped and capped. Pre-light aromas consist of cedar and minerals.

La Flor Dominicana Litto Gomez 55th Anniversary Emeraude TAA

First Third

Aaron: The cigar begins with decently toasted cedar, earth and some black pepper. At a half inch in, the toast level of the cedar eases up a bit, but it gains some dampness. The black pepper has also mellowed quite a bit. The retrohale is toasted, slightly damp cedar with earth and mild black pepper. At an inch in, a light mustiness joins the profile. As the third comes to a close, the toasted, slightly damp cedar is a bit ahead of the earth, with black pepper further behind and some light mustiness in the background. The strength was right at medium.
Seth: The first third begins with notes of oak and tobacco. Some dark earth qualities are present as well, and it is a dry profile. Hints of leather and pepper spices are present as well. Pronounced, but not overly complex or pleasant. Full in strength and body.
John: The first third opens with earth, coffee and tobacco all at medium strength. There’s some delayed leather coming through on the post draw. There is also some mild dryness lingering on the palate. On the retrohale, there are creamy tobacco notes, sharp wood in the center that lingers into the finish, and then there’s a delayed espresso and earth in the post draw at medium-full strength. As the first third settles in, the heavy earth and espresso notes recede down to about medium, maybe medium-minus strength. With heavier notes on the post draw from the retrohale, also calming down to about medium-minus. As the cigar continues, the sharp wood note that was at the center of the retrohale, is softening. As the cigar reaches roughly the one inch mark, there is also a vegetable note developing in the center of the profile, which is lingering into the finish. Moving towards the halfway point, creamy wood is leading off. Sweet tobacco falls in the center with earth and espresso on the finish, as the earth takes over on the the post draw at medium-plus strength.
Jiunn: The first third is highly cedar centric. In addition, the earthiness in dirt soil and rock/graphite minerals really sings. Retrohaling gives a nose welcoming spicy cedar. The finish is short with soft lingering cedar. Strength is medium-full and body is medium.

La Flor Dominicana Litto Gomez 55th Anniversary Emeraude TAA

Second Third

Aaron: As the second third begins, the mustiness picks up a bit. At a half inch in, the toast level increases a bit. The retrohale is now toasted cedar with earth and mild black pepper and mustiness. At an inch in, some creamy leather joins the profile. At an inch and a half, some sugary sweetness joins the profile. As the third comes to a close, the toasted cedar is ahead of the earth, with black pepper in the middle and some mustiness, creamy leather and sugary sweetness in the back half. The strength remained at medium.
Seth: The second third is in line with the first. Oak and tobacco present with dark earth notes that are dry. No sweetness. Pepper and spice flavors are present as well. Full in strength and body.
John: Into the second third, creamy, tannic wood leads into the second third. As the second third settles in, earth is fighting back on the post draw, taking over from the tannic wood. Continuing towards the halfway point, sweet tobacco is leading off, with earth and espresso in the center, which lingers into the finish on the post draw. The earth is defining the post draw. At the end of the second third, the post draw earth has moved up to medium-full.
Jiunn: The second third stays true to the first third. Still heavy handed in cedar with earthiness in dirt soil and rock/graphite minerals followed close by. The strength, although still medium-full, is starting to seep into my head now. Body remains the same medium.

La Flor Dominicana Litto Gomez 55th Anniversary Emeraude TAA

Final Third

Aaron: As the final third begins, the earth increases to become even with the toasted cedar up front, which has lost the dampness. At a half inch in, the sugary sweetness has departed. The retrohale is now toasted cedar, earth and some light creamy leather. At an inch in, the toast level increases a bit more. As the cigar wraps up, the toasted cedar and earth are even up front, with black pepper in the middle and some mustiness and creamy leather in the back half. The strength bumped up to slightly above medium.
Seth: There is nothing to report on the final third. It is in line, possibly even worse than the second third.
John: Moving into the last third, creamy earth leads off with medium-plus strength earth to finish, moving up to medium-full strength through the post draw. Earth becomes the primary flavor driver moving towards the halfway point. Through the bottom half, there is some bitterness on the post draw.
Jiunn: The final third is starting to feel a bit taxing on the flavors. The same ol’ cedar wood with dirt soil and rock/graphite minerals is starting to create some boredom. It’s important to note there are no foul flavors, just mundane in nature. Strength and body finishes the same medium-full and medium, respectively.

La Flor Dominicana Litto Gomez 55th Anniversary Emeraude TAA

Burn

Aaron: The burn was a bit wavy throughout. There was also two points at which a third of the wrapper didn’t want to burn with the rest. One time it self -corrected and the other required a touch-up. The ash held on in inch and a half increments,
Seth: The burn was off throughout, and the cigar went out multiple times throughout the smoking experience.
John: For the burn, the first third started out slightly wavy, as it continued, it became uneven, eventually forming a canoe, requiring a touch-up. That canoe reformed in the second third where a second touch-up was required. In the final third, a strip of tobacco was not burning, requiring a third touch-up.
Jiunn: Burn performance was excellent, giving an even burn, tight ashes, cool burning temperatures and ample smoke production.

La Flor Dominicana Litto Gomez 55th Anniversary Emeraude TAA

Draw

Aaron: The draw was a bit tighter than I prefer, but didn’t cause any issues with the smoking experience.
Seth: The draw was good despite the cigar going out countless times.
John: The draw was perfect, right in the ideal zone between open and resistant. I measured the draw with the CigarMedics draw tester at 33 inches of water.
Jiunn: The draw was also excellent, giving the ideal balance between air flow and resistance.

Overall

Aaron: The cigar began with decently toasted cedar, earth and some black pepper. The cedar gained some dampness early on. Some mustiness joined a bit later. The second third saw the mustiness and toast level increase a bit. Some creamy leather joined a bit later as well as some sugary sweetness. The final third saw the earth become even with the cedar up front as the dampness of the cedar and the sugary sweetness departed. The La Flor Dominicana Litto Gomez 55th Anniversary Emeraude TAA had an average flavor profile throughout. There were some nice supporting notes that joined in, like the creamy leather and sugary sweetness, but they never elevated the profile enough to change my thoughts on the overall profile. Overall, not a cigar I’d see myself coming back to.
Seth: I’ve always found La Flor Dominicana to be hit or miss. With the La Flor Dominicana Litto Gomez 55th Anniversary Emeraude TAA, it’s a complete miss. It’s not a good blend. There’s no specific detail on the tobacco for this maduro, which is odd for LFD. All they say is that it’s a “Dominican Maduro,” and it meets that stereotype of maduros being strong. Strong with a lack of flavors. This was a full-bodied cigar that did not deliver any other redeeming qualities. There was no depth, complexity or transitioning. I’m not sure where Surgeon is going to stand on this cigar, but I find that this blend shows the weaknesses of Dominican puros. I imagine the tobacco is from La Canela, and I find the farms there can sometimes deliver strong tobacco with no elegance. The cigar was harsh and lacked flavors. It was just strength and body from beginning to end. It had dark qualities, but nothing positive. With a hefty price tag, lacking flavors and poor construction, this is not a cigar I would smoke again or recommend.
John: The La Flor Dominicana Litto Gomez 55th Anniversary Emeraude TAA delivered a heavier profile centered around earth, coffee and tobacco. I found the flavors balanced well in the first third but seemed to fight to retain that balance through the rest of the review experience. The draw was perfect and the burn required three touch-ups through the review process. Setting the price point aside for a moment, I thought the first third had a promising start, with the espresso notes balancing out the earth and tobacco. The remainder of the cigar was still pleasant, but not to the same engagement level as where it started. This cigar also carries a bit of a premium price point, and based on that and the flavor profile I’d rather seek out some of the regular production LFD offerings. Total smoking time was 2 hours and 1 minute.
Jiunn: This La Flor Dominicana Litto Gomez 55th Anniversary Emeraude TAA was mundane, one dimensional and quite frankly a high price tag that I don’t believe is justified for the flavor performance. This is no different than most anniversary/limited editions out there such that it doesn’t live up to the specialty of the name. In addition to that, you can find lines within the core portfolio that are both cheaper and more flavorful. This is a pass for me.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.40

Cost/Point

$4.81

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

3.83

Cost/Point

$6.78

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

5.80

Cost/Point

$4.48

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

5.75

Cost/Point

$4.52

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: La Flor Dominicana Litto Gomez 55th Anniversary Emeraude TAA