Background

The La Aurora Preferidos 1903 series was first released in 1998 in honor of Eduardo León Jimenes, who founded La Aurora in 1903. The initial releases were all Perfecto’s but La Aurora later added a 5 x 50 Robusto and a 40 x 7 Lancero. The following additional information was taken from the La Aurora website;

It is made with tobacco leaves that have undergone a process that takes longer than four years, from the curing to the first stage of ripening, as well as a year of aging in rum barrels. Once rolled, the Preferidos remain in the aging room for another 6 to 8 months.

The five varieties of Preferidos share the same Piloto Cubano, Brazilian Bahía and Cameroon fillers, and the Piloto Cubano binder. They are available in different wrappers: Cameroon, Maduro, Corojo, Connecticut and Ecuadorian Sumatra.

Today I am smoking the Cameroon wrapped No. 1 which is the largest (6 x 58) of all the available Perfecto’s. With that out of the way, let’s get to burning!

Stogie Stats

Origin: Dominican Republic
Wrapper: African Cameroon
Binder: Piloto Cubano
Filler: Piloto Cubano, Brazilian Bahía and Cameroon
Strength: Medium
Vitola: Perfecto
Size: 6 x 58
Age: Unknown
MSRP: About $17.00 a cigar (but you can find them at deep discounts)

Review

The cigar is a beautifully rolled perfecto with no soft spots or flaws. It is uniformly firm and has a gorgeous Colorado Maduro colored Cameroon wrapper. The wrapper and foot have a delicious spicy scent and the pre-light draw follows suit.

After clipping the cap with a straight cut, the initial draw is perfect and pulls ample amount of smoke. The stick greats me like an old friend with some mild wood, sweetness, and that familiar Cameroon spice. So far, the strength and body is a solid medium. Thus far the burn is perfect and the ash falls for the first time at the end of the first third.

At the beginning of the second third I begin to have some wrapper issues. It is peeling apart but as unattractive as it is, it is not affecting the burn, draw, or flavor. I am getting a lot more spice now, especially when passed through the sinus’. It is an enjoyable, refreshing spice which reminds me of ginger. By the mid-point of the cigar, I begin getting some sweetness on the finish which is just fantastic. The cigar is pouring smoke and the second third ends smoothly.

The last third enters with a nice creamy finish. The sweetness is gone but the spice remains and I can detect some hints of coffee. The strength of the stick has remained a solid medium, but the body has crawled its way into a medium/full as I make my way down the narrow end of the cigar towards the foot. In the end, the one inch nub is cool and firm.

Conclusion

La Aurora probably makes some of the best Cameroon sticks I have ever had and the La Aurora Preferidos 1903 Cameroon No. 1 does not disappoint. The cigar is refreshing, complex, and enjoyable. While the MSRP is high, I have seen these at deep discounts (as much as 50% MSRP). I will say that my number one Cameroon is still the LA Aurora Preferidos Lancero but the No. 1 Perfecto would be a close second. Consequently, I am going to give it a Stogie Geeks Rating of “Box Worthy”. Check it our for yourself!