Background
Not much can be obtained about the La Flor Dominicana Reserva Especial line. I had not even heard of the series until Paul had introduced me to it several weeks ago. I obtained the following information from the La Flor Dominicana website.
The combination of Ecuadorian Connecticut-seed wrapper, with our estate-grown Piloto Cubano filler and Nicaraguan binder makes these cigars very tasty. Medium to full bodied with intriguing flavors.
The cigar is available in seven different sizes including a Churchill, Figurado, Belicosos, Robusto, two different sized Tubo’s, and a Perfecto, called the El Jocko, which is available in the Ecuadorian Connecticut and Maduro Wrapper. Today I am smoking the Robusto (5 x 48) given to me by Paul. Nuff Said, let’s get to burning.
Stogie Stats
Origin: Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut-seed Wrapper
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Piloto Cubano
Strength: Medium/Full
Vitola: Robusto
Size: 5 x 48
Age: One Year
MSRP: $7.96 ($199.0 for a box of 25)
Review
The cigar is very firm which may or may not be an issue. The light brown wrapper has a lot of small veins and a slight oily sheen to it. The cigar is adorned with a beautiful double band. The second band follows the edge of the first so closely that at first glance they actually appear to be one. The pre-light scent and draw contains a lot of earth with some spice.
The initial draw hits me with a lot of pepper and takes me by surprise. I wasn’t expecting such a strong profile and my tongue is already tingling a bit from the spice. Soon after the flavor profile settles into a nice mix of earth and pepper but the pepper still dominates. The finish is long and quite dry. The draw is great and has just the right amount of pull in my opinion. The burn is good and the ash is firm and the color is nice mix of salt and pepper. The first third continues with the same flavor profile and ends with the ash falling for the first time.
At the start of the second third I notice the cigar has a very nice aroma. I can also detect some faint floral notes but they are being over powered by the pepper. This doesn’t last long before I notice the entrance of a lot of cedar. The finish is still long, burn still good, and draw perfect.
The last third begins with the pepper settling down a bit and allowing the cedar and a hint of nuts to come through. The finish is very toasty now and much more enjoyable. The burn and draw never falter and I smoke the Robusto down to about the last inch. The nub is firm but a little hot and find myself wishing there was more.
Conclusion
This cigar, visually, has a great presentation. The ornate band and enjoyable aroma of the smoke as well as the skill of the torcedor should all be noted. The flavor profile was not very balanced however. Lot’s of pepper dominated the other flavors during the first two thirds and the last third demonstrated this cigars best qualities in terms of flavor. In all fairness, I don’t generally enjoy cigars with such a spicy profile, but I do recognize others do. The construction and consequential performance of the cigar was an A+. And if something with a spicy profile is your gig I would recommend you check it out for yourself. In conclusion, I am going to give the La Flor Dominicana Reserva Especial Robusto a Stogie Geeks Rating of “The Fiver”. While it’s not something I would personally reach for often, I would also not mind smoking it again.
Stogie Geeks Audio
January 11, 2012
Review: La Flor Dominicana Reserva Especial Robusto
Tim Mugherini 3- The Fiver Reviews, Stogies 0 Comments
Background
Not much can be obtained about the La Flor Dominicana Reserva Especial line. I had not even heard of the series until Paul had introduced me to it several weeks ago. I obtained the following information from the La Flor Dominicana website.
The cigar is available in seven different sizes including a Churchill, Figurado, Belicosos, Robusto, two different sized Tubo’s, and a Perfecto, called the El Jocko, which is available in the Ecuadorian Connecticut and Maduro Wrapper. Today I am smoking the Robusto (5 x 48) given to me by Paul. Nuff Said, let’s get to burning.
Stogie Stats
Origin: Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut-seed Wrapper
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Piloto Cubano
Strength: Medium/Full
Vitola: Robusto
Size: 5 x 48
Age: One Year
MSRP: $7.96 ($199.0 for a box of 25)
Review
The cigar is very firm which may or may not be an issue. The light brown wrapper has a lot of small veins and a slight oily sheen to it. The cigar is adorned with a beautiful double band. The second band follows the edge of the first so closely that at first glance they actually appear to be one. The pre-light scent and draw contains a lot of earth with some spice.
The initial draw hits me with a lot of pepper and takes me by surprise. I wasn’t expecting such a strong profile and my tongue is already tingling a bit from the spice. Soon after the flavor profile settles into a nice mix of earth and pepper but the pepper still dominates. The finish is long and quite dry. The draw is great and has just the right amount of pull in my opinion. The burn is good and the ash is firm and the color is nice mix of salt and pepper. The first third continues with the same flavor profile and ends with the ash falling for the first time.
At the start of the second third I notice the cigar has a very nice aroma. I can also detect some faint floral notes but they are being over powered by the pepper. This doesn’t last long before I notice the entrance of a lot of cedar. The finish is still long, burn still good, and draw perfect.
The last third begins with the pepper settling down a bit and allowing the cedar and a hint of nuts to come through. The finish is very toasty now and much more enjoyable. The burn and draw never falter and I smoke the Robusto down to about the last inch. The nub is firm but a little hot and find myself wishing there was more.
Conclusion
This cigar, visually, has a great presentation. The ornate band and enjoyable aroma of the smoke as well as the skill of the torcedor should all be noted. The flavor profile was not very balanced however. Lot’s of pepper dominated the other flavors during the first two thirds and the last third demonstrated this cigars best qualities in terms of flavor. In all fairness, I don’t generally enjoy cigars with such a spicy profile, but I do recognize others do. The construction and consequential performance of the cigar was an A+. And if something with a spicy profile is your gig I would recommend you check it out for yourself. In conclusion, I am going to give the La Flor Dominicana Reserva Especial Robusto a Stogie Geeks Rating of “The Fiver”. While it’s not something I would personally reach for often, I would also not mind smoking it again.
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