La Aurora 107 (New Release)

[OHRD]

Size: 5×50, Robusto

Wrapper: Ecuadorian

Binder: Dominican

Filler: Dominican and Nicaraguan

Strength: Medium

Price: $6.50

Grade: 8.7

The La Aurora 107 was announced March 12, 2010 and is slowly making its way into B&Ms, where they will be exclusively sold. The 107 commemorates the rich history of La Aurora, the Dominican’s oldest cigar maker, which just celebrated its 107th anniversary. The 107 follows the release that honored the 100th anniversary, the Cien Anos. Also available in a Toro (5.5×54) and a Belicoso (6.25×52), the 107 is sold in boxes of 21. You can view the press release for the 107 here.

The La Aurora 107 is distributed by Miami Cigar and Company, who is a sponsor of Toasted Foot and sent us a 5 pack for review. Check out La Aurora online and follow Miami Cigar on Twitter.

Pre-light, 1.6:
The wrapper on the 107 was a medium brown with the slightest red hue, some raised veins with a stalk toward the cap, an overall leathery exterior, and a sloppy double cap. The stick is very firm to the touch with a nice weight and is on the dryer side and only slightly oily. The aroma of the 107 was of pleasant sweet hay with a zest of citrus and a faint pepper in the background. The pre-light draw did not stray far from this, with the pepper remaining on the tip of the tongue while the sweet, mild hay dominated the palate. The draw was a bit tight. The band is simple and elegant, though it does remind me of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

Burn, 1.6:
With La Aurora’s in the past, I’ve had a tighter draw much more often than I’ve had a looser draw, and this was the case with the 107 samples as well. The burn was slow, the draw was tight, and the ash held exceptionally well and was consistently colored. The smoke emitted was surprisingly thick and ample despite the tight draw. The burn was even for the most part, though there were some jags and hills. The aroma of the smoke was great, with a sweet mint that was pretty unique to this smoke.

Flavor, 2.8:
This is where the 107 shined; the combination of Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers created a dynamic combination of sweet and spice. The first third produced a burst of cream with a tickle of white pepper on the tongue – there was a definite battle between the two fillers as to which would dominate the profile. Moving toward the second third, the pepper moved to the back of the throat, the cream took a seat, and the Nicaraguan earthiness rose to the surface and the citrus zest noticed in the pre-light aroma arrived, in the form of lemon. The creamy and mild Dominican flavors returned for the final third and for the most part dominated the rest of the smoke. This mixture of Dominican and Nicaraguan filler created an excellent mix of flavor.

Overall, 2.7:
This was a solid smoke, without question. It remained mild until the second third, where it picked up to a solid medium and remained so throughout the rest of the smoke. I was hoping for a better draw but the flavor was spot on and, at $6.50, this is definitely a great buy. I think there is something for everyone in this smoke, though true lovers of Nicaraguan spice and full body will have to pay special attention to find these components.

(Total: 8.7)