Agile Cigar Reviews are cigar assessments where we use a lightweight, shorter format. These will never take the place of our comprehensive reviews. They are only used on blends we have previously assessed. This might be a blend we are re-scoring or giving a score for the first time. It might be a blend we are looking at in a different size. Today we look at the Flores y Rodriguez Connecticut Valley Reserve Figurado by PDR Cigars. We have assessed the La Aurora Preferidos Broadleaf (Diamond) Corona before back in December 2014 when it was known as the Corono Especiales size.

 

Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican, Nicaraguan
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic (La Aurora S.A.)
Corona: 5 1/2 x 42

Back at the 2012 IPCPR Trade Show, La Aurora Cigars introduced a sixth blend into its popular perfecto-shaped Preferidos line known as the La Aurora Preferidos Diamond. This release was significant because it introduced a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper into the series. Fast forward four years to the 2016 IPCPR Trade Show and La Aurora Cigars decided to introduce a series of three parejo line extensions to the first six installments to the Preferidos series and one them would be a 5 1/2 x 42 Corona size. The Corona size is officially dubbed the La Aurora Preferidos Broadleaf Corona. Today, we explore the La Aurora Preferidos Broadleaf Corona. This is a cigar that has been aging in the Cigar Coop humidor for the past 20 months.

The parejo line extensions added Robusto, Toro, and Corona sizes into the Preferidos line, but the Corona size wasn’t completely new. Back in 2014, La Aurora had released a limited series known as the Corona Especiales which featured 5 1/2 x 42 parejo offerings for the six Preferidos blends. These cigars were offered on a limited basis – mostly in the mid Atlantic market. Now they have returned to the market as a regular offering in the La Aurora portfolio and simply known as “Corona”.

In addition to the Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, the La Aurora Preferidos Broadleaf features a Dominican binder and fillers from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. The cigar is made at the La Aurora factory in the Dominican Republic.

The La Aurora Preferidos Broadleaf Corona started out with notes of mocha, black pepper, earth, and a slight maduro sweetness. The mocha was a fusion of chocolate and coffee notes while the maduro sweetness was a fusion of natural tobacco and dried fruit. The mocha and earth notes became primary early on with the pepper and maduro sweetness secondary. As the cigar experience progressed through the second third, the pepper notes slowly increased while the maduro sweetness diminished. By the last third the transitions stabilized. The mocha and earth notes remained primary, the pepper notes were a close secondary note while the maduro sweetness was more distant.

The big difference I saw was the aging had an impact on both the strength and body. While my previous experience with this size delivered a full strength, full-bodied smoke, I found this 20-month-old aged sample to be on the upper end of medium strength and medium-bodied. There wasn’t much variance in the intensity levels of these attributes during the smoking experience.

I have always enjoyed the La Aurora Preferidos with the Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper. While I was happy that flavor-wise the Corona was similar to the Corona Especiales I smoked, I was hoping this cigar still had some of the more powerful characteristics I have known this blend to produce. Still, this was a very good cigar. Given aging mellowed this cigar a bit, I’d recommend the aged one to any cigar enthusiast, but would also caution the novice this cigar is quite bold with less age. As for myself, it’s a cigar I’d smoke again and buy multiples of – but I would probably smoke through what I have quickly rather than letting my supply age.

Summary

Key Flavors: Mocha, Earth, Black Pepper, Maduro Sweetness
Burn: Excellent
Draw: Excellent
Complexity: Low to Medium
Strength: Medium
Body: Medium
Finish: Very Good

Rating

Value: Buy Multiples
Score: 90

References

Previous Assessment: La Aurora Preferidos Diamond Corona Especiales
News: La Aurora Preferidos Parejo Line Extensions Showcased at IPCPR Trade Show
Price: $8.39
Source: Miami Cigar and Company (Distributor)
Brand Reference: La Aurora

Photo Credit: Cigar Coop