I received this delicious little beauty from slave2theaxe (aka Nic) at BotL.org, as part of a wonderful prize I received for winning a "noobiest noob" contest. Finding myself with nothing to do (yeah, right!) last night, I retired to the patio with a good book and my new little friend here.
The La Aurora 107 (Robusto: 4.5" x 50) is a beautiful cigar, inside and out. A thick, veiny, oily Ecuadorian wrapper lovingly cradles a firmly packed blend of Nicaraguan and Dominican long fillers. It feels solid and heavy for its size. It cut cleanly (I've been using the guillotine cutter almost exclusively lately. I've fallen out of love with the bullet cutter, since tearing a wrapper trying to use it last month...) and the pre-light draw was a little stiff, but already quite tasty. Leather, tobacco and a little black pepper on the lips. Once lit, the tobacco taste really came to life, and the leather increased dramatically. Lots and lots of flavor, but smooth enough that I'd still consider it medium-bodied.
The first third was more of the same. Dark but firm ash, lots of flavor, lots of smoke. Still smooth and creamy, with a nice, long finish. (In fact, as I sit here typing this - 24 hours, 2 teeth brushings and 2 meals later later - I can still taste it on the back of my tongue.)
Like my high-tech cigar ashtray?
As I neared the halfway point, the taste shifted slightly; less pepper, more leather and a slight earthy mushroominess. The ash got just about two inches long (almost half the length of the cigar) before falling off.
My smoking buddy, Spot.
I was a little unprepared for the last third of this one. The flavor grew and changed again - the pepper is back, and the leather is still there, but now mingled with cedar and toast - and the body intensified to what I'd call medium-full. I actually got a little light-headed, but that was my own fault for not eating first. It even seemed like there was more smoke too, but it was still as smooth as ever, though.
I nubbed it as best I could and wished for more. This delightful little roller-coaster of a smoke definitely saved the best for last.
Appearance and Construction: 13/15
Flavor: 24/25
Smoking Characteristics: 22/25
Overall Impression: 32/35
Total: 91/100
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