Wrapper: Ecuadorian
Binder: Brazilian
Filler: Dominican Cibao Valley, Brazilian, Nicaraguan
Size: 5.75 x 54 Toro
Strength: Medium
Price: $11.00
Release Date: June 2019
Factory: La Aurora S.A. Dominican Republic

My cigars received 6 months of naked humidor time.

THE WHOLE MEGILLAH:
The appearance is all ahead rough cob. Not a pretty cigar. But under tight scrutiny of klieg lights, the cigars shows a nice oiliness.

The wrapper emits a spicy barnyard. As well as a stirring sweetness, dark chocolate, strong cinnamon, maple syrup, and black pepper.

My PerfecPunch blows the hatch, and I have a PerfecDraw. Two plugs in only 9 words. I expect a pat on the head and a ‘Who’s a good boy, are you a good boy?’ from Dr. Rod.

The cold draw is delicious following the lead of the aromas by adding even darker chocolate, more cinnamon, maple syrup, creaminess, tart lemon, black pepper, and peppermint. Lovely.

It seems the long nap has been kind to this blend. It begins with a subtle richness and notes of black licorice, cinnamon, black pepper, sourdough bread, and creamy lemon.

The price makes this blend very attractive. We all seem to be looking for the variety of holy grails of $10 or less. Smokers have fatigue from overpriced cigars. If you keep up with cigar news, you see an onslaught of new releases every day. Most of them are $15 or more…quite a few in the over $20 range. This filthy habit of ours has become an elitist hobby.

I feel like listening to Cream this morning. It goes down well with a cigar in my mouth.

The balance is spicy leaning. It will either calm down or I pull a Marie Antoinette on this baby. Curved Air had that title in their catalog and every damn concert we played the thing. For the year or so I was in the band, we played the same set list. No wonder that Stewart Copeland got fired every week. Lucky for him, he was boning the chick singer.

If you live in a climate with four seasons, it is ultra important that you learn how to dry box your cigars effectively. Whether it is the humidity from snow and rain or humid summers, a couple days in an old cigar box works wonders for bringing out the best in your cigars.

After an inch, the spiciness dies down and is met punim to punim with exotic creaminess that has a banana finish. Dark cacao and black coffee give the right amount of dense bitterness. The good kind.

This blend seems like an oversight from La Aurora. Very different from most of their blends. I like it. The leaf stats are what I would use if blending a cigar. Oh wait, I am. You’ll never believe who I am working with.

Blind Faith. Presence of the Lord. What a shame that the one hit wonder saw its demise because the fellas began chewing each other’s heads off.

Creamy takes off and finds another gear. Strength began at a stout medium and hangs there on inch #2.

If you prefer not to spend $20 for a similarly blended cigar for your morning smoke, this is a great alternative. But wait, I haven’t finished. I’m getting ahead of myself.

I took my new girlfriend to her first Led Zeppelin concert in 1972. The Long Beach Arena went black. John Bonham’s drum kit was clear plastic with colored flashing lights. He exploded, not like Spinal Tap, with the opening of ‘Rock and Roll.’ The stunning overload of sight and sound saw the chick jump up and she didn’t sit down for the rest of the show. She was petite so no one complained. A Nebraska spinner.

The burn is razor sharp confirming that construction is first rate.

Richness doesn’t let up. Complexity finds its home with simple refinement that keeps my decaying brain interested in finding out where it will go.

A sip of coffee and my palate widens like that spinner’s alter ego.

Hey boys, if you’d like to have a cigar with me via Zoom, let me know below.

I tried using an app with sleepy rain sounds. Except I couldn’t find a single one in which the rain modulated. It was more annoying that calming.

Flavors are gentle. Like my pet iguana named Ollie. I have a pet fish named Stan. When we go on walks, no one stares. In the late 90’s, we rescued a racing greyhound that had that perfect fawn coloring. We moved to the S.F. Bay area where there were no racers. I’d walk the fine-looking animal, and kids would point and ask where I got a pet deer. I told them Oakland.

The burn line is amazing. The draw is perfecto mundo.

Most of us are getting hammered this morning with thunderstorms. It modulates.

So happy that elections are over. Every break in tv shows have four political commercials. This country should follow Europe’s rules of only allowing a few weeks for politicians and judges to campaign. I actually watch tv on a tv.

The first half was splendiferous. Not a single criticism. It flowed beautifully with a lithe richness and lovely complexity. Is it a fancy cigar? No…but then I’m not a fancy guy. It took a solid hour.

A year ago, my son-in-law was hurt on the job. He was assigned to a desk job editing body camera video. He enjoys the shit out of it but would love to get back on the street bringing bad guys downtown.

Flavor points color inside the lines with creamy chocolate, coffee, caramel, maple syrup, sourdough bread, black pepper, and aged oak.

I smoked a couple sticks early and was of course disappointed. 6 months of sleep makes a big difference. I get caught up in the melee of reviewing limited edition boutique cigars way too much. Finding good regular production cigars doesn’t happen all that much once your palate develops. Plus after 15 years of doing this, I’ve pretty much covered all the catalog stuff.

This blend is not a flavor bomb. Transitions are minimal. But the depth is not. In the past, Casdagli’s Daughters of the Wind was my morning go to. The La Aurora 115 could easily supplant that $20 stick. I can get two 115’s for one DotW.

Strength is upped. But not overpowering. I inject street meth directly into my optic nerve. Works every time.

In the late 80’s, ‘Cops’ was the only doc in that genre. It was very novel at the time. I was in the produce section of the grocery store with my 4-year-old daughter. She saw a black couple and began singing, “Bad Boys.” Holy shit, the stink eye we got from the pair was embarrassing. My attempt to explain came out as only clicks and whistles.

If you like an easy-going blend…if you like not spending more than $10 for a cigar, then the La Aurora 115 is a solid purchase. If I had blind tasted this blend, I’d guess it was much more expensive.

The cigar comes in four sizes: Robusto, Toro, Belicoso, and Gran Toro.

You can purchase the La Aurora 115 from sponsor Small Batch Cigar. Take 10% off with promo code KATMAN.

RATING: 95

Categories: CIGAR REVIEWS

Tags: cigar reviews, cigar reviews by the katman, cigars, katman, La Aurora 115 Toro | Cigar Reviews by the Katman, la aurora cigars, phil kohn