Litto Gomez Small Batch #3

[RevSmoke]

Litto Gomez Small Batch #3
6.75X52
This is a Dominican puro, with everything grown on the La Flor Dominicana farms.

0.0 - 2.0 = poor/inferior quality
2.1 - 2.9 = fair
3.0 - 3.5 = good
3.5 - 4.5 = excellent
4.6 - 5.0 = superior

1) Aesthetics: What a great looking cigar! The Colorado maduro wrapper veritably glistens with oil. I love how the color isn’t entirely uniform, but has light variations which follow the small wrapper veins, giving it a barely noticeable mottled effect. It also sports a gorgeous band that accentuates the wrapper.
Score for aesthetics: 4.9

2) Pre-light Construction: A solid stick with no soft spots... Ooops! You gotta be kidding me. Please, Lord... Oh no, what a klutz. Yes, I dropped it and it landed a about a 65 degree angle to the floor and there is a split that runs a good 2.5 inches. This is not a good thing. Once I snipped it, I noticed that even the wrapper by the head was also having issues, this bad boy has suffered some serious trauma.
Score for Pre-light construction: 4.8 (solid construction on the other one I have)

3) Post-light Construction/How it smoked: OK, I started out not expecting a whole lot. I figured I’d get maybe an inch or two and then it would explode, unravel, and generally be unsmokable. Well, it did have some burn issues brought on the by the blunt trauma of cement floor from about 6 feet up, but not as bad as I expected. It did require some touch-ups to keep the burn even as it slowing expanded, but it was reasonable. I also think it burned a bit quicker than it might have were I not to have clumsily abused it. Even with the expansion, the ash held quite firmly for a good inch and a half. This resiliency of this cigar to stand up to flame and a good hour and forty-five minutes of smoking shows the quality of the tobacco and the stellar construction.
Score for post-light construction: 4.9

4) Flavor and strength: This is not a cigar for the faint of heart, it is full bodied, but it is so with class. I hate in-your-face-strong cigars that are so for no reason, this isn’t. A bold sweetness and spice (allspice?) kicked this stick off, and in the background was something fruity, but I am not sure what kind, but it wasn’t citrus. A complexity was woven with some nutmeg, pecan, and cedar interwoven in a bold complexity. The flavor grew, faded, came back, and were constantly changing. I am not sure how much of this was due to the unraveling nature of this poor saps limited smoky existence. I do know this, I loved it from beginning to end.

Score for flavor and strength: 4.9

5) Aftertaste/Finish: I like a finish that lingers sweetly, this did that with some slight spice, exquisite.
Score for aftertaste: 4.6

6) Aroma: I was smoking this outside, so I didn’t get all that I’d normally enjoy getting in the form of aroma, but here the cedar came more to the fore and this is where some sweetness with hints of nutmeg and leather seemed to shine.
Score for aroma: 4.5

7) General Comments: I was impressed how this cigar took the abuse I accidently subjected it to, and came out like a champ. With a tear running along one side and gapping a good 1/16th of an inch into the cigar, I was astounded that it didn’t fall apart in my hands. I’d love to buy more of these, but I won’t, only because I am a tightwad. I am glad I got to experience this one and am looking forward to the other two I have sitting in my ‘dor. It is also my hope that they are not subjected to the same clumsiness on my part. I enjoyed the Small Batch #1 that I had a bit over a year ago, and some say that this one doesn’t stand up to it. Well, I don’t know if that is true or not. I think this is all of SB#1, but what role did the abuse have to play in the flavors. Maybe I’ll revisit this review and update it with after smoking another. But don’t expect it to happen anytime soon.
Overall score for the cigar: 4.8

[papajohn67]

Damn nice review and a damn nice cigar to boot!! Still have a few of the LG 1's & 2's but in my book the latest offering is the cream of the crop.

[RevSmoke]

Originally Posted by papajohn67

Damn nice review and a damn nice cigar to boot!! Still have a few of the LG 1's & 2's but in my book the latest offering is the cream of the crop.

Thanks, I think.

[longknocker]

Nice Review, Todd!

[kelmac07]

Excellent review Todd!!

[RevSmoke]

Originally Posted by longknocker

Nice Review, Todd!

Originally Posted by kelmac07

Excellent review Todd!!

Thanks guys, love doing reviews. Especially enjoyable when someone reads them and gets something useful out of it.

[Ranger_B]

Todd thats a great review man. I have got to find some of these. I think I saw a certain Chicago retailer that had some. I may have to call them.

Great review, just bought one yesterday and will smoke it in a couple of weeks. It is a very good looking cigar.

[RevSmoke]

Originally Posted by Ranger_B

Todd thats a great review man. I have got to find some of these. I think I saw a certain Chicago retailer that had some. I may have to call them.

Yes, Jack Schwartz has them. To me, because of the $17 price tag, this is one of those "try-one-once-if-at-all" cigar, for I cannot afford more than one. I did go against all reason and got 3 this time, but when they're gone, they are gone. I think this is the only cigar over $15 I've done that on. Normally I try one and that's it, but because of the previous releases and trying one each, I knew that these would be special. So, 1 to smoke, and 2 to put away to save for something special - Packer 2011 Super Bowl? Yeah, that'd be a good reason.

It is interesting that some of the special releases have a similar price tag, but I rarely buy them. Like the Tats. I haven't had a Frank or a Face, I got the Drac and the Boris, but wasn't really excited about the Drac and the Boris still sits. I wasn't a big fan of the Tat red or black tubos (which someone gave to me), so I didn't see the reason to spend the money on them. Other special Tat releases I also haven't gotten since to my tastes they are hit or miss, and I'm not spending $10+ on a cigar I might not really enjoy. In the same way, I have had a few Viajes, nothing impressed me, so all the special releases, while tempting, were not enticing enough to make me pull the trigger.

I love Padrons, but I don't buy '64s or '26s till I can get them for around $10 a stick. As for the ones over $20 a stick??? If I wouldn't have been gifted them, I wouldn't have had those to try.

Why I went on that rambling excursion of diarrhea of the keyboard, I have no idea. It is typed, so it will be sent.

Peace of the Lord be with you.

[zappaFREAK]

Great review. I may have to try these.

[Ranger_B]

Originally Posted by RevSmoke

Why I went on that rambling excursion of diarrhea of the keyboard, I have no idea. It is typed, so it will be sent.

See now you have to go clean that up.

I agree on the pricing on a lot of the special releases these days. I like to have a treat now and then. I for sure will not be running out to get a huge box of these. But like you 2 or 3. I never get just one in the off chance that it is a bad stick. I fell if I am going to spend the money I should give the cigar the best chance at success so I normally hold judgement till I have had 2 or 3 for that reason.

[Ratters]

Had one last Friday thanks to bobarian. Really good smoke. Started off with a bit of that Dominican flavor I don't care for, but then settled into a really great smoke. Lasted about 2.5 hours too. What really struck me though was the wrapper on the thing. It really looks like leather, simply oily and gorgeous. I will probably never smoke another one due to the price, but I'm really glad I got the chance.

[Emjaysmash]

Thanks for the review Todd!

[shilala]

Damn you for this review. Really.
The SB#1 was one of those smokes that totally impressed me. It's what made me get hooked on LGD stuff. Then I got you hooked. I suppose this is payback?
That sweetness you mentioned is what really stood out with the #1. The body and flavors were so full and complete and perfectly suited to my taste. You hit the nail on the head with "the strength is there, but it's there for something". The first one I had kicked my ass royal, and it was right at the peak of my "smoke the strongest, grossest cigars I can find" phase.
The one thing I disagree with is putting them away. I honestly think they can only lose essence and flavor from here. Smoke them, my brother. Perfect doesn't get any better than perfect, and I can only see them going downhill from here.
I'm already sick to my stomach thinking about buying these. Damn you again. I'll tell Lisa who's fault it is, you can bet.

[RevSmoke]

Originally Posted by shilala

Damn you for this review. Really.
The SB#1 was one of those smokes that totally impressed me. It's what made me get hooked on LGD stuff. Then I got you hooked. I suppose this is payback?
That sweetness you mentioned is what really stood out with the #1. The body and flavors were so full and complete and perfectly suited to my taste. You hit the nail on the head with "the strength is there, but it's there for something". The first one I had kicked my ass royal, and it was right at the peak of my "smoke the strongest, grossest cigars I can find" phase.
The one thing I disagree with is putting them away. I honestly think they can only lose essence and flavor from here. Smoke them, my brother. Perfect doesn't get any better than perfect, and I can only see them going downhill from here.
I'm already sick to my stomach thinking about buying these. Damn you again. I'll tell Lisa who's fault it is, you can bet.

Wow, all the vitriol!

I was given a Small Batch #1 about a year and a half ago at a herf over at 14holestogie's house by Tristan and loved it, but didn't have to worry about getting any more because there weren't any.

Then you came along and bragged up LGDs and Coronados, sending me to go back into the La Flor Dominicana realm.

Interestingly, they came out with their first two lines at the end of the '90s and they didn't really impress then, and I haven't had the desire to go there. I did try their Ligero and Double Ligero lines, but they didn't really thrill me either. I haven't had the Cameroon Cabinets, the Salomones, or any limited editions other than the Small Batch. I did try the Air Benders, and they are the only ones with the LFD band that entices me to get a box of them - although I have resisted the temptation thus far.

As for putting them away, well, maybe we disagree. Like I said, if we (Packers) get to the Super Bowl, that would be my smoke.

As for Lisa knowing about it, she already probably curses my name for the stuff you've told her that I am to blame for.

Peace of the Lord be with you.

It has been a long time since I have experienced a Litto Gomez.
Excellent review. I will have to try to find some around here.

[BigAsh]

I love this stick!...thanks Todd!

[NorcalMark]

Great review on a stellar cigar

I loved the review! Do you have pictures?

[RevSmoke]

Originally Posted by staminator

I loved the review! Do you have pictures?

Nope, sorry, no pictures. I dropped the cigar in the basement, onto a cement floor. I was looking at the stick, figuring out if I wanted to bring it ice fishing with me, when I dropped it. It landed on the foot at a 65 to 75 degree angle to the floor as I watched it, almost like it went into slow motion. It bent as it hit the floor and the foot expanded.

I knew immediately this was going to be ugly. I almost cried as I stooped to pick it up, knowing what I'd see when I looked at it. I put it in my travel humi and decided it would be my first cigar. I loaded up a few others, thinking that I might not even be able to smoke this one.

Yeah, a camera might have been a good idea, but I'm not wired to think that way.

Peace of the Lord be with you.