La Flor Dominicana Limitado V

Prior to the IPCPR Trade Show, La Flor Dominicana announced several projects they would be showcasing.   One cigar that was sure to interest cigar enthusiasts and especially La Flor Dominicana fans is the fifth release of the La Flor Dominicana Limitado series.  Appropriately titled, the La Flor Dominicana Limitado V, this is positioned as being based off the original Limitado I blend.   La Flor Dominicana has averaged about two years between Limitado releases and it has been almost three years since there has been one.  In my opinion this one was worth the wait as the Limitado V is an outstanding release.   No doubt, the Limitado V strengthens what already was a strong IPCPR for Litto Gomez’s company.

The Limitado V will be packaged in boxes of 48.   Plans are for only 2000 boxes to be produced for a total of 96000 cigars.  The cigar is beginning to make its way to brick and mortar retailers as this assessment is being written.   This write-up will be based on a pre-release sample.  As with all pre-release samples, we will default to a pre-review to share some thoughts and perspectives on the cigar experience.  We will provide a final assessment update and score at a later date as the cigar makes its way into retail shops.   A disclaimer is that this write-up is based on a single smoking experience of the Limitado V.

Blend Profile and Vitolas Available

Normally these are separate components to the assessments done on this
web-site, but in this case they will be combined as it will be easier to
contrast the La Flor Dominicana Limitado V with previous Limitado releases.  With the exception of the Limitado II, each release of the Limitado series has had only one vitola.

La Flor Dominicana Limitado V
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra Ligero
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Dominican
Vitola: 6 1/2 x 54

For historical purposes, here are the four previous La Flor Dominicana Limitado Releases

La Flor Dominicana Limitado I
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican
Vitola: 6 1/2 x 54

La Flor Dominicana Limitado II
Wrapper: Ecuadorian
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican
Vitola(s): 6 1/2 x 54, 5 x 50,  6 1/2 x 44

La Flor Dominicana Limitado III
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Dominican
Vitola: 6 1/2 x 52

La Flor Dominicana Limitado IV
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Oscuro
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican
Vitola: 6 1/2 x 52

From a country of origin standpoint, the Limitado V seems to have a resemblance to the Limitado III.  However, as mentioned above, the press release has mentioned the blend was actually based off the original Limitado I blend.

Appearance

The La Flor Dominicana Limitado V is a visually stunning cigar.  It has a coffee bean color with a slight colorado red tint to it.  The wrapper itself is oily.  There are a couple of visible veins and the wrapper seams are well hidden.

The band is the classic red, black, gold, and white LFD band to it.  It is highlighted by “LFD” in gold-colored cursive font on a red background.   The rest of the band is adorned by gold designs on a black background.  Toward the lower part of the band it says “La Flor Dominicana” in white font, and below that it says “LIMITADO V”.

Preparation for the Cigar Experience

For my cigar experience with the LFD Limitado V, I opted to go with a straight cut into the cap of the cigar.  Once the cap was clipped, it was time to begin the pre-light experience.   The dry draw notes provided a nice mix of coffee and cedar notes.  Overall, I considered the pre-light draw of the Limitado V to be satisfactory.  It was now time to toast the foot of this cigar and see what this cigar would bring to the table.

Flavor Profile

After lighting my La Flor Dominicana Limitado V, the coffee notes that were present on the pre-light draw continued.  As opposed to the cedar notes, I was picked up a classic pepper spice early on.  There also was a chocolate sweetness that was present.  For the first five percent of the cigar experience, the flavors seemed to all jockey to become primary note.  Around the five percent mark, the pepper moved to the background.

By the time the Limitado reached the ten percent mark, the coffee notes were joined by some nut flavors in the forefront.  The chocolate sweetness was close behind the coffee notes, and the pepper spice still lingered in the background.

By the start of the second third, the coffee notes retreated into the background and the nut flavors took control as the primary note.  In the background, a citrus sweetness complemented the chocolate sweetness.  The coffee and pepper notes were also in the background.  The nice thing is how the citrus, chocolate, coffee, and pepper notes were secondary – providing nice complementary flavors without overwhelming the flavor profile.  This flavor profile held throughout much of the second third.

In the last third, the nut and pepper took control of the flavor profile as most of the other notes began to dissipate.  While there was some spice toward the end, the pepper never got overwhelming with the Limitado V – making for a nice close to the smoke of the cigar.  The resulting nub was a little soft to the touch, but also cool in temperature.

A note on the aroma: when examining the aroma closely, this will yield a sharp pepper smell.  This is present throughout the cigar experience.  There is no doubt the ligero wrapper is in play here.

Burn and Draw

The Limitado V scores very well in terms of the attributes of burn and draw.  I would definitely rate the Limitado V as one of the higher scoring LFDs when it comes to these attributes. The burn was outstanding on the Limitado V.  The burn line was very sharp from start to finish – requiring low maintenance in terms of touch-ups.   The burn rate and burn temperature were ideal.   As for the draw, this was outstanding as well.   This is the kind of cigar that is enjoyable to puff on from start to finish.

Strength and Body

The LFD Limitado V will provide its share of pop, but for the most part is not going to be a cigar that knocks you down.  From a nicotine profile standpoint, I assessed the Limitado V to be medium to full strength for most of the cigar experience.  Toward the end, the Limitado V does cross into full strength territory, but I would say it still isn’t overbearing at the end – just a little stronger.

The flavors of the LFD Limitado provide just the right amount of depth.  I assessed the Limitado V to be medium to full-bodied for the entire smoking experience.  The slight increase in strength at the end will give that attribute an edge over the body, but for the majority of the smoking experience the strength and body are well balanced.

Final Thoughts

My feeling is that the Limitado V will go down as one of the great limited edition releases by La Flor Dominicana.   This is a cigar that has a wonderfully complex flavor profile and is complemented by great flavor notes and great construction.  This cigar along with the La Flor Dominicana Oro Maduro have provided for two very good 2012 releases by Litto Gomez and his team.   This is a cigar that will most certainly satisfy La Flor Dominicana fans.   I see this as a cigar for the more experienced cigar enthusiast, but if a novice wants to cut their teeth on something medium to full, I would not hesitate to recommend this.   This is a cigar I want to definitely keep some supply of in my personal humidor.

Summary

Burn: Excellent
Draw: Excellent
Complexity: High
Strength: Medium to Full (Full at end)
Body: Medium to Full
Finish: Good

Source: The cigar for this assessment was provided by La
Flor Dominicana at the 2012 IPCPR Trade Show.   The request was
initiated by La Flor Dominicana to myself (Cigar Coop) to provide
feedback.   Cigar Coop is appreciative to samples provided but this
plays no role in a final assessment rating and write-up.