The La Flor Dominicana La Nox is the newest release from the company blended by Tony Gomez, son of the famed Litto Gomez. LFD is now in its 20th year of business, and business is a boomin’. Just in the last year alone LFD has put out multiple new blends, including the LFD 1994, a special limited edition for the Tobacconist Association of America (TAA) and now a cigar that is taking the market by storm.
The La Nox, which is available in one size, is the most recent blend for the company, making its debut in late 2015. They give us a quick rundown of what the La Nox is about on their website:
“Dark in appearance and in flavor, La Nox features a sweet Brazilian maduro wrapper, a San Andrés binder and a blend of our own Dominican Piloto and Pelo de Oro fillers. Its smooth smoke and rich flavor were crafted for elegance and power. The result is a cigar that embodies its name and the serene experience that only the night can provide.”
Lets take a look.
What am I Smoking?
• Cigar Review: La Flor Dominicana La Nox
• Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
• Factory: Tabacalera La Flor S.A.
• Wrapper: Brazilian Maduro
• Binder: Mexican San Andreas
• Filler: Dominican Piloto & Pelo de Oro
• Size: 6 & ½ Inches
• Ring Gauge: 50
• Vitola: Toro Extra
• Strength: Medium – Full
Packaging & Design
The packaging of the LFD La Nox is certainly one of the most interesting designs I’ve seen in a while. It is an all black box with a matte finish, featuring dark blue clouds under a bright crescent moon in a Van Gogh style. The name “La Nox”, translated from Latin, means “The Night”. And this box certainly carries that theme well. But the thing that makes this box stand out amongst the competition is its round shape, and utilization of two small magnets on either side to hold the lid on tight. The original boxes held 10 cigars, but recently, LFD has discontinued those in favor of a bigger 20-count box.
First Impressions
The La Flor Dominicana La Nox is a very dark looking cigar. The Brazilian maduro wrapper has a very slight tooth to it and is placed neatly over the cigar. Veins are almost non-existent and the seams are nice and tight. It is quite heavy in the hand and densely packed. The color of the wrapper is very uniform and is velvety to the touch. The aroma from the foot is minimal; the only flavors I can sense are tobacco and sweet cocoa nibs. After cutting the LFD La Nox with my Vertigo 64 double guillotine cutter, the pre-light draw offers up a sweet black coffee taste.
Time to get this guy sparked up.
The Smoke
After toasting the cigar with my Vertigo Intimidator jet lighter, the La Nox is off to a great start. Immediately apparent are flavors of sweet tobacco, a mild pepper, dried leather and dark chocolate. Not to mention there is plenty of smoke output as well. Big plus in my book.
Towards the half way point, flavors get deeper and the strength gets a little boost. Sweetness is a major player in the profile of the LFD La Nox, it compliments the cedar notes I’m getting and mellows out the pepper. The taste of the wrapper on the lips is impressive, nuances of coffee and espresso are prevalent.
The La Flor Dominicana La Nox has gone full tilt with strength and flavor in the final third. Brown sugar, molasses, earth and pepper crescendo on the finish. The smoke leaves an oily mouthfeel in its wake, keeping those flavors hanging around my palate for a while.
I feel a lot of the flavors I was experiencing are due to the use a tobacco called “Pelo de Oro”. Pelo de Oro difficult to grow and is also prone to mold during and after the fermentation process. However, if done right, Pelo de Oro delivers some of the most rewarding flavors tobacco can offer. The following excerpt is from TobacconistUniversity.org:
“While this is a Spanish term meaning “golden hair” it is usually a reference to a potent Cuban cigar varietal which was popular in the early and middle 20th Century. This tobacco could be used for wrapper and filler as well, but is disease prone and can infest entire crops and regions so it is rarely grown today. Pelo de Oro can be considered a ‘campesino’ or ‘guajiro’ tobacco since many agricultural workers grow and smoke it to this day – especially in the central part of Cuba. It is known for being quite strong and flavorful as well as sweet.”
Final Thoughts
The La Flor Dominicana La Nox is one of the best cigars I have smoked so far this year. Complexity is a major factor in this blend, delivering big and bold flavor. Although this cigar is on the stronger side of the spectrum, I feel that a wide variety of cigar smokers could enjoy it. In my personal opinion, and if you try it I’m sure you’ll agree, this has to be one of LFD’s best releases to date.
Score Breakdown
Appearance: 20
Flavor: 20
Balance: 18
Burn: 18
Quality: 19
Rating: 95
Price: $11.19 / $199.99
