Last week I mentioned stopping at New Tobacco Village in Whitehall, PA and picking up some cigars. I took a chance on two of the cigars, the La Aurora 115th and 120th Anniversary cigars. Naturally, I started with the La Aurora 115th Anniversary , a 6″ x 58 Gran Toro. This cigar has an Ecuador Sumatra wrapper, Brazilian binder and fillers from Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and Brazil. This one doesn’t come in a cedar sleeve, like the 120th, but had a real woody profile to me. I was dissatisfied with the smoke output on this cigar, and what smoke I got was thin in body. So considering I didn’t care for the flavors I was able to get, and the lack of substantial smoke, this probably isn’t a cigar I’m going to re-try. I’m really hit or miss with La Aurora cigars, there’s some I really like, and I hold on to the brand for sentimental reasons, hence my opening remark about taking a chance.
Being somewhat of a cigar optimist, I lit up the La Aurora 120th Anniversary, also in the 6″ x 58 Gran Toro. This one is a Dominican Puro, with a Dominican Habano 92 wrapper, Dominican binder and filler from the Cibao Valley in the D.R.. Based on the blend, I should have liked this cigar less than the 115th, lets just say I found it different. The draw and smoke output were much better, and allow me to clarify something, the 115th had what seemed to be a fine draw, it was just stingy with the smoke. This one had much better body to the smoke, but I still got the woody flavors, which isn’t my preference. I contemplated having something that I really like after smoking this, but my palate was fatigued by the time I was done with it and I figured what’s the point? I’m not one to put a cigar down if I don’t like it when it’s the first time I’ve smoked it, like I said, cigar optimist. I’ll stick with the La Aurora Time Capsule and Preferidos blends (I may still have a Bristol Especiale from the first box of cigars I bought 28 years ago!).
After two misses, I hoped the next cigar would be a sure thing. One f my favorite activities in the summer months is sitting on the porch (enclosed), with a cigar and watching a movie. The temperature hardly 
matters, it was toasty yesterday, I just find it relaxing after finishing chores. There’s always the chance that a neighbor will do something silly like mow their lawn, but I rigged headphones to the TV just in case (it’s an old TV, no bluetooth). So I put a movie on and lit up the Black Label Trading Co. Orthodox. I like most of the BLTC/BWS cigars, the fact that they say this is getting back to their roots sounds good to me. I had gotten the 5¾” x 50 toro which has a bit of a pigtail cap. The cigar has a dark San Andrés wrapper, Ecuador Habano binder and Nicaraguan fillers. Sounds like a winner for me so far. This was offered to retailers who attended the last PCA show in March, so it’s pretty new. I loved it. It was heavy on the dark dried fruit notes, with some earth and spice. My biggest complaint was that it didn’t last through the movie, but that’s OK, I stopped the movie, took a nap, and resumed it after dinner. (side note, just saw the judge lop the end off a cigar with a miniature guillotine in Sammy Hagar’s I can’t Drive 55 video…I didn’t remember that! I have 80’s videos playing while I type). The Orthodox was rich and satisfying, it definitely made up for two days of disappointment.
Bob the Cigar Guy was kind enough to mention me in one of his recent reviews (https://youtu.be/WCZNh1A4-yE?si=c0UoH3vSo2V_u02n), and I appreciate his effusive, yet certainly unnecessary, praise. Bob’s a good dude, check out his stuff if you get a chance. That’s all for today, until the next time,
CigarCraig
