2023 Cigar of the Year Countdown (Coop’s List) #5: La Flor Dominicana Solis

#5 2023 Cigar of the Year: La Flor Dominicana Solis

SPECIFICATIONS

Wrapper: Sun Grown Habano
Binder: Sumatra
Filler: Dominican
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Factory: Tabacalera La Flor
Toro Extra: 6 1/2 x 50
Price: $13.20

Sponsor: No
Samples Provided for Initial Review: No
Review: La Flor Dominicana Solis (Toro Extra) (9/3/23)
Appearances on Countdown (By Year/Company): 4 (2012, 2016, 2020, 2023)

The Details

The #5 2023 Cigar of the Year is the La Flor Dominicana Solis. Many cigar companies are family operations, and that applies to La Flor Dominicana and the Gomez family. La Flor Dominicana is known for the blends created by Litto Gomez. Litto’s wife Ines and his son Tony have also been involved with the company for many years. In 2022, another member of the family, Litto Gomez Jr, would get a chance to spearhead his first project. Dubbed “Solis,” the cigar had its debut at the 2022 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show.

The name Solis is derived from the Latin word “sol,” which means sun. This name is appropriate because Solis features Sun Grown Habano wrappers. The packaging for Solis utilizes a circular box similar in shape to the one La Flor Dominicana’s La Nox is packaged in, a project spearheaded by Litto’s other son Tony. As a result, the Solis/La Nox delivers a “day/night” complementary tandem by the two Gomez brothers in the LFD portfolio.

In addition to the Sun Grown Habano wrapper, Solis also features a Sumatra binder and a filler consisting of all-Dominican tobaccos coming from the Gomez family’s La Canela farm in the Dominican Republic. Production comes from the Gomez family’s factory, Tabacalera La Flor in Tamboril, Dominican Republic. Solis comes in one size – a 6 1/2 x 50 Toro Extra.

The Solis delivered notes of earth, natural tobacco, dried fruit, cedar, pepper, and baker’s spice. The cigar delivers a medium strength, medium-bodied profile for the first two-thirds before progressing to medium to full strength and medium to full-bodied in the final third.

This is the fourth year that La Flor Dominicana has placed at least one cigar on a Cigar Coop Countdown. If you are keeping score at home, this is the ninth cigar from the Dominican Republic to land on the Countdown.