Archive for the ‘La_Flor_Dominicana’ Category

La Flor Dominicana N.A.S.

Sunday, June 8th, 2014

It’s been awhile since I’ve done a review, and as you’d expect, I’m very backlogged. I couldn’t decide what to smoke, until I ran across the N.A.S. by La Flor Dominicana. It is a cheroot, which means it was hand rolled, but not pressed in a mold. This results in one ugly looking cigar. The blend is all Ligero tobacco, but, you’re probably wondering what the name means. Nasty Ass Shit. Let’s see if this thing lives up to it’s name.

 

Wrapper: Dominican

Binder & Filler: Dominican

Size: 5.5 x 42

Price: Around $8.00

 

Pre-Smoke & Construction:

Did I mention how ugly the cigar was? Otherwise, it was well constructed. I could feel knots when squeezing, but, I would expect this from a cheroot. The wrapper had almost no odor at all. The draw was a little snug, but a small clip opened it right up. I picked up woody and earthy notes on the pre-light draw.

The ash held for about a half of an inch, and there was plenty of smoke volume.

1 LFD_NAS cigars

 

Flavor:

I was expecting a blast of pepper in the first third. Instead, I was greeted with a dark, smooth, woody flavor. Earthy notes lingered behind it, but it was subtle. After about a half of an inch, I started to get hints of pepper. It was a warm, flavorful pepper, maybe cayenne.

2 LFD_NAS cigars

The second third kept the same woody core. The pepper increased in strength, and had a sweet, almost cinnamony tingle. Yes, we make up our own words at tomscigars.com. Earthy notes fell far in the background.

3 LFD_NAS cigars

The pepper increased in strength in the last third. It kept the tingle I mentioned before, but took on a black peppery feel. Wood remained the main flavor, and earth was more noticeable.

4 LFD_NAS cigars

Conclusion:

This was a good full bodied cigar. It burned better than I expected, and tasted good. Anyone who knows me can predict my complaints. The price is a bit high for a smaller cigar. If I were to be extremely critical, it would be the name. N.A.S. just makes me say “Nasty Ass Shit” in my head. Print the name on the label, it’s ok, they are only words. Seriously though, price and appearance aside, this was a nice little smoke.

La Flor Dominicana Ligero Oscuro

Friday, August 17th, 2012

I’ve been smoking the La Flor Dominicana Double Ligero for a few years now. The Ligero usually slips under my radar, until recently. I started enjoying these when I don’t want to risk the ass kicking of the Double Ligero. As always, I paired this cigar with water. Let’s see how it went.

 

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra

Binder & Filler: Dominican

Size: L250 4 3/4 x 48

Price: $7.10

 

Pre-Smoke & Construction:

The wrapper had a toothy and blotchy appearance. That may not sound so good, but it didn’t look bad at all. Perhaps “Rugged” is the word that fits here. I can only compare the scent of the wrapper and foot to sweet cedar. The cigar was solidly packed, perhaps too solid. This probably explained a draw that was a bit to tight for my liking. The pre-light flavor was sweet, and made the nose tingle a little bit.

It should be noted that I rarely have draw issues with any La Flor Dominicana cigar. Anyway… The ash held for just over an inch, and the burn required no corrections.

1 La_Flor_Dominicana_Ligero_Oscuro cigars

Flavor:

The first third came out of the gate with a nice black pepper. Retrohaling, when done with care, was no problem at all. Wood was up next, and it was of equal strength as the pepper. Espresso notes were noticeable in the aftertaste. The smoke feel was dry and crisp.

2 La_Flor_Dominicana_Ligero_Oscuro cigars

The second third kept that zingy pepper. If anything, I had to pay extra attention to retrohaling. The strength of the espresso increased, and it took on tinge of sweetness. Wood was up next, along with earthy notes. The smoke feel became smoother, but stayed shy of creamy.

3 La_Flor_Dominicana_Ligero_Oscuro cigars

Wood was the dominant flavor in the last third, behind the pepper that is. Espresso was up next, along with a note of earthiness. Everything was basically up front, and nothing stood out over the other.

4 La_Flor_Dominicana_Ligero_Oscuro cigars

Conclusion:

This was a very good full bodied cigar. As you might expect, it sits right below the double ligero in terms of strength. It offers plenty of flavor, minus the ass kicking. Construction is generally good. It was luck that I’d review the one with a snug draw. The bottom line is, I have liked these cigars for awhile now, and I’ll be smoking more.

La Flor Dominicana Air Bender Maduro

Tuesday, February 28th, 2012

A couple years ago, Ed and I reviewed the original Air Bender. I remember liking it. The other day, I noticed an interesting display of cigars on Ed’s counter. It turned out to be the Air Bender, but with a maduro wrapper. The blend is the same as the original. The only difference is the wrapper. I hear these are of limited availability as well. I picked some up, got a glass of water, and took some notes. Here’s how it went…

 

Wrapper: Brazilian Habano

Binder: Dominican Republic

Filler: Dominican Republic

Size: 6.5 x 54

Price: $9.50

 

Pre-Smoke & Construction:

The wrapper looked nice and had a dark oily surface. It was a little bumpy with small to medium veins, and I could find no flaws. The wrapper had a mild sweet woody smell, as did the foot. The draw was perfect, with a slight resistance. The pre-light flavor was sweet and cedary.

The burn required no corrections, and the ash held for over an inch before falling off.

1 La_Flor_Dominicana_Air_Bender_Maduro cigars

Flavor:

The first third started off earthy and peppery. A woody flavor joined pretty quickly. When passing smoke through the nose, there was a nice smooth pepper that had a nice zing to it. Very slight earthy notes were noticed in the background.

2 La_Flor_Dominicana_Air_Bender_Maduro cigars

The second third saw an addition of coffee. It matched the strength of the woody flavor. Some chocolaty bitterness was right behind it. The pepper remained smooth but started to pack a punch if I wasn’t careful when passing it through the nose. As I approached the end of this third, the sweetness increased, and I started to notice a tanginess.

3 La_Flor_Dominicana_Air_Bender_Maduro cigars

The last third was a combination of espresso, dark chocolate, and wood. Like before, the zingy pepper remained. The strength and body increased a bit, and the flavors were more in your face. Nothing subtle here. It should be noted, by the end of this third, I had quite a nicotine buzz going. Nothing crazy, but I was feelin it.

4 La_Flor_Dominicana_Air_Bender_Maduro cigars

Conclusion:

This was a good full bodied, full strength cigar. The flavors, construction, and burn were all good. I can’t really compare it to the original air bender since I haven’t had one in so long. But based on it’s own merits, I enjoyed this cigar. It didn’t WOW me, but for a nice smooth full bodied smoke, this did the trick. I’d recommend it, and I think it was worth the $9.50 I spent.

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