Pre-light Experience

Aaron: The wrapper on the La Flor Dominicana Suave Natural Maceo is light brown and carries some raised veins. The seams are smooth and the caps are slightly wrinkled. The band is red and gold and carries the brands initials and the line name. The aroma from the wrapper is smoky oak and some earth, while the foot brings stewed fruit and cereal. The pre-light draw brings stewed fruit, cedar, cereal and dusty earth along with a mild spiciness on my lips.
Seth: Sporting a fairly conservative band, when you take into account many LFD releases, the La Flor Dominicana Suave Natural Maceo is an average looking cigar. The wrapper has a nice Natural coloring to it, but there are some faint Colorado aspects present as well. It has the color of faded wood like you would see on stilts or piers at the beach. The cigar is fairly silky in texture and sports medium sized veins throughout. The aromas are that of leather, spices, cedar, herbs and faint barnyard.
John: The La Flor Dominicana Suave Natural Maceo comes in cellophane, featuring a UPC sticker with cigar information that cleanly removes once the cellophane is opened. The cigar weighed 12.7 grams, and humidity measured 63.4% on the Humidimeter Pro. Aromas from the wrapper included toasted oak, mild bread, peanut shells and sweet tobacco. From the foot, I was getting sweet peanut shells and tobacco, with faint toasted oak underneath.
Jiunn: The La Flor Dominicana Suave Natural Maceo has a splotchy Colorado wrapper shade. Veins are well pressed, seams tight, bunch and roll even and the head is well wrapped and capped. Pre-light aromas are barnyard and campfire.

La Flor Dominicana Suave Natural Maceo

First Third

Aaron: The cigar begins with a dry mix of toasted cedar, earth and mild black pepper. The retrohale is toasted cedar, earth and light leather. At an inch in, a light leather joins the profile. As the third comes to a close, the toasted cedar is a bit ahead of the earth, both a bit dry, with black pepper and leather in the background. The strength was mild-medium.
Seth: The first third begins with a lot of herbal spice. I am picking up some white pepper notes as well, and it has this cedar and natural tobacco profile present also. Bits of barnyard, cream and coffee are present as well, but it is mostly herbal spices. Medium in strength, with a slightly stronger body.
John: The cigar opens with sweet tobacco leading the profile, as wood settles into the center, and light-plus white pepper finishes the draw. Through the retrohale, rich baking spices and tobacco come through, accompanied by tannic wood. The tannins fade into the background as the cigar progresses, leaving behind a lingering after-palate impression of sweet tobacco and spice. In the bottom half of the first third, dryness moves into the center of the profile and carries into the finish.
Jiunn: The first third has typical cigar flavors. That’s not a knock on the cigar though. Cedar is the primary driver with toasted nuts and creamed coffee. Retrohaling gives more cedar and introduces construction paper. The finish is short with cedar. Strength and body is medium.

La Flor Dominicana Suave Natural Maceo

Second Third

Aaron: As the second third begins, some light construction paper joins the profile. At a quarter inch in, the earth increases to become even with the toasted cedar up front. The retrohale is now toasted cedar, earth and construction paper. As the third comes to a close, the dry toasted cedar and earth are even up front, with construction paper just behind the middle of the profile and some black pepper and leather in the background. The strength remained at mild-medium.
Seth: The second third was fairly in line with the first. The draw being so tight made it somewhat challenging. Mineral and herbal spice notes are present up front. I am also picking up some barnyard, cedar and cream. Bits of tobacco and coffee are present on the finish, but the mineral spice notes are prominent. Medium to medium-full in strength and body.
John: The second third begins with toasted wood, followed by dry wood through the center of the profile. The finish is a combination of sweet tobacco and dry wood. The profile remains largely static through the midpoint of the third. Eventually, creamy wood at light-plus strength transitions the cigar into the final third.
Jiunn: The second third is very similar to the first third (still cedar driven). The only amendments are added dried red pepper spice on both the mouth draws and retrohales. Strength and body remains medium.

La Flor Dominicana Suave Natural Maceo

Final Third

Aaron: As the final third begins, the toasted cedar becomes more robust, but is still even with the earth. The retrohale remains toasted cedar, earth and construction paper. At three quarters of an inch in, the black pepper and construction paper both increase a bit. As the cigar wraps up, the robust toasted cedar and earth are even up front, with construction paper ahead of the middle of the profile, black pepper behind the middle of the profile and some leather in the background. The strength bumped up to slightly below medium.
Seth: The final third is fairly in line with the second third. There is a lot of herbal spice and pepper present, and the mineral notes are more pronounced than before. There is a faint bit of cream and coffee, but it is mineral, tobacco and barnyard heavy to the finish. Like the second third, between medium and medium-full.
John: As the last third settles in, tannic wood becomes the defining characteristic of the post draw. Through the middle portion, toasted wood reestablishes itself in the center of the profile. Light earth joins the finish as the cigar approaches the halfway mark of the final third.
Jiunn: The final third is the same as the second third, being cedar driven with other trailing notes of creamed coffee, dried red pepper spice and toasted nuts. Strength and body finishes the same medium.

La Flor Dominicana Suave Natural Maceo

Burn

Aaron: The burn was straight throughout, and the ash held on in one inch increments.
Seth: The burn was very good throughout. Nice solid burn line.
John: The burn line began straight but developed waviness in the first third, eventually requiring a touch-up. The second third burned unevenly and required another touch-up. The burn remained uneven through the final third.
Jiunn: Amazing burn performance with an even burn, tight ashes and cool burning temperatures.

La Flor Dominicana Suave Natural Maceo

Draw

Aaron: The draw was perfect, with just the right amount of resistance that I prefer.
Seth: Draw was slightly tight throughout. Tighter than I prefer, which is saying something.
John: The draw measured 40 inches of water on the Cigar Medics Draw Machine. Subjectively, it was no more than one notch toward the resistant side which puts it within the ideal range between open and resistant.
Jiunn: Slightly tight, but it did not majorly hinder the enjoyment of the cigar.

Overall

Aaron: The cigar began with a dry mix of toasted cedar, earth and mild black pepper. Some leather joined in a bit later. The second third some some construction paper join in and the earth increased to become even with the toasted cedar up front. The final third saw the toasted cedar become a bit more robust. Later, the construction paper and black pepper both increased. Construction was absolutely perfect. The La Flor Dominicana Suave Natural Maceo had an average flavor profile throughout with the dry combination of toasted cedar and earth up front. The supporting components were pretty mellow and the construction paper isn’t a flavor profile that typically increases enjoyment. This wasn’t a very exciting Connecticut shade wrapped offering. It needed some creaminess and or sweetness to help balance out the other components, but they were nowhere to be found. Not a cigar I’d see myself coming back to.
Seth: I was not a fan of the La Flor Dominicana Suave Natural Maceo. I found the cigar to be one-dimensional, and the profile was not to my liking. The price is very approachable, but when you look at the qualities and profile delivered, I would gravitate towards a more premium offering of LFD. If you want to smoke the brand, they have some great releases, but you need to pay more than this and they will also deliver that LFD quality. I am not one that gravitates or searches out LFD releases, but if I found myself with the opportunity to select some from their portfolio, I would not lean into these.
John: The La Flor Dominicana Suave Natural Maceo delivered a profile that had complexity in the first third, but never fully broke past its own limitations. The early combination of sweet tobacco, baking spices and toasted wood created a classic start and I was hoping more depth would be revealed. But as the experience unfolded, the profile flattened rather than building, settling into a cycle of toasted and dry wood, with occasional tannic edges asserting themselves in a way that constrained complexity. The burn issues didn’t derail the cigar, but they did provide some distraction to what was already a fairly linear progression. By the end, the Suave Natural Maceo proved itself to be a cigar best appreciated for its simplicity and its early moments of harmony. It may not be a standout in the broader LFD catalog, but there may be value to the consumer in a more subdued blend. Total smoking time was 1 hour and 34 minutes.
Jiunn: It’s been a minute since I’ve had an LFD. Now knowing this is Ecuadorian Connecticut, it tastes nothing like it. Instead of creamy and sweet, this is all about the cedar with trailing toasted nuts, creamed coffee and dried red pepper spice. Given this uniqueness, people should check out this La Flor Dominicana Suave Natural Maceo.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.75

Cost/Point

$1.46

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

5.05

Cost/Point

$1.66

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

5.90

Cost/Point

$1.42

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

5.60

Cost/Point

$1.50

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: La Flor Dominicana Suave Natural Maceo