cigar review
BRAND: La Aurora
NAME: 1495 Series
TYPE: Belicoso
LENGTH/RING GAUGE: 6.25 x 52
WRAPPER: Ecuadorian
BINDER AND FILLER: Dominican, Nicaraguan, Peruvian
DATE OF PURCHASE: 12/20/2006
DATE OF RATING: 05/27/2007
TIME IN HUMIDOR (months): 5.3
LOOK AND FEEL: 91
FLAVOR AND AROMA: 92
BURN: 89
OVERALL SCORE: 90.7
STORAGE CONDITIONS: Produced by La Aurora, this cigar was commissioned as a tribute to the founding of the city Santiago de los Caballeros, D.R., in 1495. Draped in an oily Ecuadorian grown wrapper, it is loaded with Dominican grown Corojo and Nicaraguan grown ligero. I transferred these cigars to my Aristocrat humidor, which is maintained at 71%RH at 73°F.
TASTING NOTES: This is the second tasting review on the La Aurora 1495 Belicoso. This cigar is nothing short of a piece of artwork. The Ecuadorian wrapper is a beautiful marbled, dark walnut color that is best described by comparing it to cut tortoise shell. The wrapper is slightly bumpy to the touch and almost entirely devoid of any veins. Although no under-filling was detected, the wrapper did appear to be somewhat loose along its edges.I clipped an ample portion of this generous, leathery cap, and took a pre-light draw. The draw was easy with the strong flavor of cocoa. I gently toasted the foot with my torch lighter, taking a few light draws to set a nice even ember.
The smoke started out with a cocoa and spice blast that settled down to the flavor of cocoa and nuances of nuts by the first inch. By the end of the first third, the smoke transitioned into woodsy flavors with the light spice continuing its presence. Occasionally, nuances of cinnamon were detected within the spice. In the last half, the woody flavors gave way to flavors of light coffee, giving a long, medium-bodied finish.
The ash on this cigar was a pleasant pearl gray that was flowered and cracked from the beginning. I rolled the ash off somewhere after the one-inch mark, leaving a cinder cone that had developed to one side. By the halfway point, a slight “Canoe” developed, but it soon self-corrected, and was nice and even by the time I finished.
This cigar is showing more complexity as I learn more about its nuances. It is well worth the experience if you choose to try it. We’ll revisit this cigar again in three months.
~Blake
La Aurora: 1495 Belicoso
Friday, June 1, 2007
