With Litto Gomez and Jon Carney coming to town next week for the launch of the La Flor Dominicana TAA 48th, we reached into our archives with a cigar that was originally reviewed in November. The Habano Perfecto continues to be one of my favorite cigars from their portfolio and thankfully where I work still has these in stock.
Cigar Review: La Flor Dominicana
Size: 5 5/8 x 54 (Perfecto)
Wrapper: Habano
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic
Strength: Medium-Full
The Look: Despite being called the perfecto the cigar doesn’t have a true perfecto shape to it as the foot of the cigar isn’t as tapered as the cap. The Habano wrapper that adorns the cigar is flawless with only minimal veins. The band of red, black and gold denotes LFD in the center. In the hand the cigar is firm with no soft spots and feels exceptionally heavy for its size.
The Notes: The aroma off the cigar before even cutting it is inviting and has at least a couple of years of age on it. The foot serves up notes of molasses and figs while the wrapper has some subtle cinnamon qualities to the nose. Once the cap is clipped the molasses notes dance on the palate and mingle with raisins.
The initial third of the cigar mimics that of the cold draw. There is incredible sweetness reminiscent of molasses and a touch of raisin as well. Through the nose is some spice that is subtle and creates a nice contrast to the sweetness of the cigar.
In the second third of the smoke the spice notes turn things up a notch especially through the nose, but on the palate the cigar remains deliciously sweet with continues notes of molasses. There is a subtle saltiness on the lips and tip of the tongue that isn’t over powering.
In the last third of the Perfecto Habano from La Flor Dominicana there are some cedar notes that develop that are especially evident on the aroma of the cigar. Through the nose the cigar continues to serve up pepper notes while the palate perceives some continued molasses and hints of nuts.
The Burn: The cigar has a razor-sharp burn with a fairly thin combustion line. The light gray ash is flawless with almost no flake held firm for each third of the cigar. The draw was perfect and the cigar remained lit throughout the memorable experience.
The Finish: When I originally reviewed this cigar back in 2009 I scored it a 96, so for those that think I review high I guess one can argue my ratings have always reflected that way. As I have a grown as a cigar smoker I have branched out and smoked over a thousand brands by now at least. With all those cigars under my belt, the La Flor Dominicana Perfecto Habano is still a score that scores high. I wish they were still available, but alas they are a rare breed.
Score: 94
Price: $9.29 / $163.99
La Flor Dominicana Perfecto Habano
La Flor Dominicana Perfecto Habano Foot
La Flor Dominicana Perfecto Habano Burn
