Fall 2020 PCA Magazine

30 PCA The Magazine | AUTUMN 2020 PREMIUMCIGARS.ORG The Blend La Aurora 107 Nicaragua Size: Robusto – 5 x 50 Filler: Nicaraguan Binder: Nicaraguan Wrapper: Nicaraguan habano Factory: La Aurora, Santiago de Los Caballeros, D.R. MSPR: $8.50 per single / $170 per box (20 cigars) Smoking time: 1 hour, 20 minutes T H E R E V I E W ominican though the La Aurora factory may be, the company uses a lot of Nicaraguan leaf. La Aurora has for 10 years been celebrating its 107th anniversary with a 107 line of cigars. Its 107 Nicaragua is the latest release in the series, just out this fall, and is the company’s first offering composed entirely of Nicaraguan leaf. For filler, the 107 Nicaragua uses viso, seco and ligero from the Condega region of Nicaragua. Binder and wrapper leaves are seco and ligero from Estelí. The wrapper leaf on this cigar is shiny and slick, the color of milk chocolate. Seams are barely visible, and a couple of veins can be seen running the length of the cigar. Packing is generous and construction is solid, with a very firm feel between the fingers. (The cigar weighs 13.4 grams out of the cellophane.) The scent emanating from the cigar before light-up is disarmingly mild. The double cap receives a standard punch cut perfectly, and the draw is superlative. The cold draw conjures conventional ghosts of plowed earth and barnyard—no surprises, and certainly nothing off-putting. As is my habit, I try the two bands to see how readily they will release before lighting up, and to my great pleasure these bands pop right off without damaging the wrapper leaf. I always take this as a positive sign that extra care was taken in product design. On light-up, sweet and spice flavor notes predominate. The retrohale is noticeably spicy—really, a little too stout for my delicate sinuses to handle. It is already apparent that this is going to be a rather full-bodied smoke, in the Nicaraguan tradition. Within the first few minutes I detect a decided cinnamon spice note beginning to sing, with an aftertaste of baker’s cocoa. Smoke production is copious; in fact, oily, blue smoke fills the room. Within five minutes the spice blast in the retrohale is much creamier and more coffee-like. At 25 minutes in, I must say, the burn is superb, with the 1½-inch ash still hanging on tight. (It finally dropped off at 30 minutes—quite impressive!) At 40 minutes, about halfway through, the flavors are mellowing and further intermarrying, and they are now starting to evince some of the frothed-milk notes of a fine cappuccino. One intriguing complexity: I am also detecting a hint of Oreo cookie in there. The nic hit is medium. One hour in, I have 2 inches of cigar left to go. The burn has been remarkable, nearly straight as a ruler D CIGAR REVIEW BY WILLIAM C. NELSON