Cigar Info
La Aurora announced last March that they were launching the La Aurora 1962 Corojo and the La Aurora 1987 Connecticut. La Aurora is celebrating their 113 years in existence. These two blends are dedicated to the years in which they began working with the types of wrappers used on each. Today we are reviewing the La Aurora | 1962 Corojo Robusto.
This cigar was reviewed blind (no bands) by a panel of at least 4 reviewers. They did not know what they were smoking beforehand. The scores are an average of all the reviewers' scores with outliers removed. All of our cigars reviewed are shipped to the panelists with Boveda packs to ensure optimal smoking experience.
The La Aurora 1962 features a corojo wrapper, from the Cibao Valley in the Dominican Republic, wrapped over an Ecuadorian binder, and fillers from the Cibao Valley and Nicaragua. La Aurora offers both cigars, in four sizes in 20 count boxes: Robusto (5 x 50), Churchill (7 x 50), Toro (5 1/2 x 54) and Gran Toro (6 x 58). The low MSRP of $5.50 to $6.00 is to pay tribute to the consumers who have supported La Aurora for 113 years.
Vital Stats:
Vitola: Robusto
Length: 5″
Ring Gauge: 50
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Corojo
Binder: Ecuador
Filler: Cibao Valley and Nicaragua
Factory: La Aurora Cigars S.A.
Blender: Manuel Inoa
Number of reviewers: 4 – Eric (smalls29) Stefan (Stefan) Matt C. (Big Matt) Derek (StogieNinja)
Price: $5.50
Age: 10 Months
Release Date: March 2016
Contributed by: La Aurora Cigars
Initial Impressions
Appearance: 88
“Its a very rustic robusto with a very sloppy cap. Not pretty, but it has it’s own charm, I suppose” –Derek (StogieNinja)
Aroma: 88
“There is a sweet smell of cherry and wood detected pre light. A smell that is enticing me to light up really quick.” –Eric (smalls29)
First Third
Flavor: 89
Strength: Medium-Strong
Body/Complexity: Medium-Full
“Unfortunately the sweet cherry aroma smelled pre light is not there in flavor. There is a predominance of wood with spicy notes mixed in. There is a peppery tingle on the lips and a nice aged tobacco flavor left over. Not bad thus considering. There is a nice campfire smell to the smoke given off.” –Eric (smalls29)
“The beginning is of pure, basic tobacco flavor, strong yet not harsh. It’s like smoking raw tobacco but without the bite (and the nasty aftertaste that coats your pipes). Some deep cocoa notes start creeping up toward the end of the first third.” –Stefan (Stefan)
Second Third
Flavor: 89
Strength: Medium-Strong
Body/Complexity: Medium
“2/3 Exhale is wet cedar, earth, cocoa and espresso beans. Retro has nuts, cinnamon and cream. The cigar remains balanced. The burn line is wavering a little bit but doesn’t have me rushing in for a touch-up. The profile of this robusto remains much the same as the 1/3 but body has ramped up providing a great mouthfeel. This is by no means a sweet tasting cigar but it has just the right amount of sweetness on the nose and mouth. Finish is medium.” –Matt C. (Big Matt)
“Into the second third, the harshness thankfully disappears. There’s toasty tobacco, cedar, a simple-syrup sweetness, and hints of baking spices in the background. It’s still not a great smoke, it’s fairly one dimensional, but it’s still decent enough to smoke.” –Derek (StogieNinja)
Final Third
Flavor: 86
Strength: Medium-Strong
Body/Complexity: Medium
“It is sad but this cigar has gone south. The flavors have gone bitter with nothing but a strong woody flavor. The after taste is bitter and almost repulsive.” –Eric (smalls29)
“The cherry notes intensify during the final third. There is also an addition of a sweet component that makes for a long vanilla aftertaste. The draw is unfortunately quite loose, requiring slow puffing. Before one can fully enjoy this final act, the nub gets too hot to be smoked.” –Stefan (Stefan)
Overall Impressions
Draw: 93
“Great draw with just the right amount of resistance.” –Matt C. (Big Matt)
Burn: 88
“Slightly wavy burn line, but needed no touch ups, and the combustion was great.” –Derek (StogieNinja)
Construction: 90
“Solid. It punched nicely and held up well in the fingers. The chimney was also a nice plus.” –Eric (smalls29)
Overall Strength: Medium-Strong
Overall Body/Complexity: Medium
Experience Overall: 88
“Even though the final third was bitter and poor tasting, overall it was a good cigar. Not much in the way of flavors other than a nice woody taste and a wonderful campfire smell. The beginning had some nice spicy notes and a wonderful peppery tingle on the lips, but that did not last too long. In the end his would pair nicely with a good whiskey or even a string espresso.” –Eric (smalls29)
“A strong cigar with pure tobacco flavors and a clean aftertaste. Was packed rather loosely, so I’m wondering whether a thinner vitola would smoke better. Regardless, don’t hesitate to try it if you’re a nicotine fan!” –Stefan (Stefan)
“I enjoyed this robusto and would happily smoke it again in any circumstance. The flavors present were exciting for the palate and was a satisfying smoke.” –Matt C. (Big Matt)
“I struggled with the rating on this one, but in the end, it just wasn’t a good cigar, it was a fair cigar. I assume this is a cheap cigar, made with inexpensive, lower quality tobacco, but well blended. If that’s the case, it’s decent for what it is. If not, the harshness and lack of dimension are unacceptable. I wonder if additional rest would eliminate the harshness. Only if it’s a real bargain would I bother to try and find out.” –Derek (StogieNinja)
Smoking Time (in minutes): 59
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Reviewer
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Appearance
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Aroma
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1/3
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2/3
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3/3
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Draw
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Burn
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Constr.
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Overall
Experience |
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| Eric | 88 | 87 | 88 | 88 | 85 | 90 | 90 | 90 | 87 |
| Stefan | 83 | 80 | 90 | 90 | 92 | 85 | 85 | 83 | 90 |
| Matt C. | 90 | 87 | 90 | 90 | 87 | 92 | 85 | 90 | 87 |
| Derek | 88 | 87 | 85 | 85 | 85 | 95 | 90 | 90 | 85 |
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To view the complete scores and notes, click here.