Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sun Grown Sumatran
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican, Brazilian, Cameroon
Size: 5 x 54 “Perfecto”
Body: Medium
Price: $11.80-$14.00 ($4.00 on Cbid)

I’ve never been a big fan of La Aurora due to its old school nature of blending. Translation: they take too damn long to age properly once put in your humidor.

But I do like the Preferidos line of cigars. They are elegant and classy; especially when they are enclosed in their shiny aluminum tubes.

Which, by the way, adds another $2.00 to the price point of a single cigar. If you’re not into showing off, who cares. Right?
I was shocked to see how cheaply they can be had on Cbid. My two sticks were a gift. But that’s the going price on Cbid. And retail, well, the price is nutsy coo coo.

I’ve smoked one recently and while it is a very good cigar…. $14.00? You outta’ you mind. Fugeddaboudit!

I love the double figurado shape. And the figurado shaped tube they came riding in on.

According to the Miami Cigar and Company web-site: “These cigars are produced only by expert torcedores with more than 15 years of experience. Each of them produces at most 125 cigars per day.” The Ecuadorian wrapper blend comes in a bright emerald green aluminum tube.

From the La Aurora web site:
“The La Aurora Preferidos is a cigar that a balanced smoke, 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 Preferidos line was the first cigar manufactured in the Dominican Republic back in 1903. The cigar is produced in the original perfecto shape, as it was, when the factory first opened. Only 200,000 are produced annually.

Cigar Aficionado granted it status of one of the Top 59 Cigars a few years back. And was given a rating of 91. The magazine said, “An attractive perfecto with a supple and smooth wrapper. It’s earthy and smooth, with a cedary and toasty character and a hint of coffee beans. The finish is slightly spicy. A tasty and balanced cigar.”
So there you have it. On to brass nuts.

Construction could have been better and I wonder if the cheap price on Cbid is because these are seconds. I’ve smoked many of these in the past and the construction was flawless. This cigar is full of big veins, sloppy seams, inconsistency in color and just plain a mess. But the taste is the same, so who cares. It beats paying $14 for a prettier cigar.
I keep staring at this stick and it is just horrible looking. I think this stick was rolled by the janitor in between cleaning the toilets.

The stick has that gorgeous dark brown, reddish hue. It is very oily and a fairly smooth surface.
I clip the cap and find aromas of espresso, spiciness, toast, baking spices, a small amount of cocoa, cedar and leather. Not bad.

I also clip about ¼” off the foot to give the cigar some space for the lighter to do some good.
Time to light up.

The first flavors are sweet. The draw is excellent. So much smoke that the laptop screen is hard to see. The char line is a bit wavy.

Following the sweetness is cedar and strong leather. With some rich earth.

The body is immediately classic medium. Then the red pepper joins the fray. It is strong like the Garcia Blast at the beginning of most of his cigars.

I had to touch up the foot. It was about to get out of line. But after looking at how it was rolled, I am not surprised.
Half an inch in, flavors fill my mouth. Creaminess, coffee, sweetness, earthiness, red hot mama spice, and cocoa.
The first third ends with a bevy of good flavors. Not quite a flavor bomb, but getting there. The body continues at medium. It has good balance and a nice long finish.

As the second third begins, there is a buttery toastiness component that is a nice addition. The soft creaminess really ramps up at this point taking over the entire flavor profile. And we are still at medium.

The char line gets very close to spot on. As I remove the cigar band, that nice long piece of ash disembarks from the cigar. Rats.

So I am at the halfway point and I am pleased with the flavors so far. But as l like to do, complain about price point….this is by no means a $14 cigar…fancy shmancy aluminum tube or not. I have smoked plenty of cigars at half, or less, that are every bit as good. I guess the limited quantity of the releases each year make it expensive. But if you release 200,000 cigars at $14, they ain’t going nowhere fast. So the explanation that lots of care went into the making of this cigar is a poor excuse for the price point.

Don’t get me wrong, this is a fine cigar. But if it is $14 online, what the hell does it cost in a B & M? Holy shit!
Famous Smoke will sell you a single for $15.50. What a deal!

Flavors are expanding and have turned this cigar into a bona fide flavor bomb. It is chock full of gorgeous, palate pleasing flavors. And I would love to have a box; just not for $275.00. I can buy a box of Paul Stulac White Blinding Light for that. (Read my review of the White Blinding Light.)

The sweetness turns into a syrupy, caramel-like, clotted cream and scones flavor. That’s a mouthful. Whenever my band toured the West Country of England, we stopped at the band leader’s mother’s home and she laid out a spread of scones and clotted cream and it was to die for. Clotted cream is similar to a really heavy whipped cream. But you could stand a spoon it.

The last third begins and it has been a very nice ride. The cigar is exceedingly well-balanced and with a mighty long finish.
Several flavors have disappeared, like the cocoa, coffee, and cedar. The leather is still present. But the sweetness and the creaminess are all encompassing. The spice has moved to the background laying down a nice baseline.

While this is a small stick, it is packed with tobacco. And I’ve put in at least 45-60 minutes to get to the last third.
The flavors don’t stop building. It’s like they are mountain climbing. The cigar, at this point, never gets hot, harsh or bitter. It’s cruising.

And lucky for me, no nicotine kick. So my dear friend, Wally Guse, this is a stick for you..just get it on Cbid, not CI. Wally is a fellow musician that still plays out and once played with the Mamas & Papas. And he cannot take the nicotine, like me.

I finish out the cigar sated from my experience. It’s an old school stick but the last half makes up for it. One of the most flavorful cigars I’ve smoked. And I might go dumpster diving over at Cbid to get me some reasonably priced sticks.

Categories: CIGAR REVIEWS