La Flor Dominicana Air Bender

[issues]

After finally kicking this cold I was able to smoke a cigar today and what better way to start back up than by smoking a new cigar, a La Flor Dominicana Air Bender.



This cigar uses the same Ecuadorian Habano wrapper as their highest rated cigar to date, the La Flor Dominicana Salomon. The filler and binder are from the Dominican Republic.

They are available in the following sizes:

The Matatan (5×50)
The Guerrero (6.25×54)
The Maestro (5.5×52)
The Valiente (6.25×60)

The one I smoked was the Matatan and I was able to purchase it for $6.60.

The Review:

This cigar has a nice oily, silky wrap. No soft spots to be seen with a firm feel all the way down the stick. The color is on the dark side of natural. I see no imperfections and no major veins. The Air Bender has a pleasant woody, salty smell to it and the pre-light draw has the same woody flavor with a decent hit of spice. The pull was a little tight but nothing I would consider an issue.

The light was easy and the first puff had a flavor similar to the pre-light draw with a strong woodsy flavor as well as a nice punch of spice. Through the first third I would describe this cigar as medium body with a very strong ash and perfect burn line. There was virtually no smoke coming from the light gray ash. The flavor stayed pretty consistent with a nice woodsy cedar flavor accompanied by a bit of a nutty, leathery finish. By the end of the first third the spicy punch was all but gone.

The second third stayed about the same. The ash had yet to show any give and the profile started to show a bit more strength. The leather flavor came to the forefront with the woodsy, nutty flavor taking more of a back seat. Towards the end of the second third, I received a blast of pepper during an exhale through the nose. As I tapped the stick with my index finger, the ash showed no sign of dropping off. I was even able to stand the cigar on the ash (wish I had my camera for that one). Right at about the halfway point, the ash finally fell.

The final third started and finished with the slight bitter-sweet flavor of cocoa which accompanied the rich leather flavor quite nicely. The strength of the cigar slowly built up through the second and final third to end as what I would describe as medium +.

In conclusion, this was a good stick but not a great stick. I wouldn’t even pick this up over an LFD Double Ligero or Cabinet Oscuro but the construction was what I would consider to be near prefect. The burn line was razor sharp throughout and the pull was never a chore. It was very consistent and although each third did bring a different flavor or 2, I don't believe it is going to wow you with complexity. If you’re an LFD fan, like me, I would recommend trying it but if you’re not, I don't think this cigar is going to change your mind regarding the brand. The price of the Air Bender is quite reasonable and because of that I could definitely see myself revisiting this cigar in the future.