La Aurora Hors d’Age 2021 – Blind Cigar Review

Cigar Info

Today, we’re taking a closer look at the La Aurora Preferidos Hors d’Age 2021 LE, marking its return after a two-year break. This line, which debuted in 2018 and saw annual releases up until 2020, brings a new iteration in a 6×54 Toro size. It features an Ecuadorian wrapper and binder, along with a blend of fillers from the Dominican Republic, Colombia, and Nicaragua.

The cigar had its official sales launch at TPE 2023 in Las Vegas. The Hors d’Age 2021 LE is a limited edition, with only 700 boxes available. Each box contains 15 cigars, priced at $30 per stick. Ed McKenna, CEO of La Aurora USA, LLC, highlights this release as a commemorative mark of La Aurora’s 120th anniversary. La Aurora, known as the Dominican Republic‘s original and oldest cigar manufacturer, has maintained a standard in premium cigars for over a century.

The tobacco for these cigars has undergone a 12-year journey of growth, aging, and craftsmanship, all taking place at the La Aurora S.A. factory in the Dominican Republic. Master Blender Manuel Inoa describes the Hors D’Age as a well-balanced blend, featuring a distinctive profile for an extra-aged cigar. It opens with spicy black pepper notes, followed by layers of wood, cinnamon, nuts, and citrus. The smoke is aromatic and rich, with creamy white textures and a delicate roasted coffee finish, making it a sophisticated choice for seasoned smokers.

Vital Stats:

Vitola: Toro
Length: 6″
Ring Gauge: 54
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Ecuador
Binder: Ecuador
Filler: Columbia, Dominican Republic, Nicaragua
Factory: La Aurora S.A.
Blender: Manuel Inoa
Number of reviewers: 5 Angel M. (Angel) Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi) Noah S. (Noah) Kevin J. (maninblack77) Diana (ArmyRN)
Price: $30.00
Age: 3 Months
Release Date: Feb 2023
Contributed by: La Aurora Cigars

Initial Impressions – La Aurora Hors d’Age 2021

Appearance: 93

“This hefty toro has a beautiful oily leather appearance to it, almost like the color of a baseball glove that’s been oiled up.” –Kevin J. (maninblack77)

Aroma: 89

“There is a sweetness to the aroma upon inspecting the foot of the cigar and a hint of chocolate is noted. The dry draw produces a eucalyptus-type flavor mixed with some anise. There is also a little tingle of pepper.” –Diana (ArmyRN)

First Third

Flavor: 88
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium

“We’re not off to a good start at all. As soon as I cut and lit this cigar the wrapper went into self-destruct mode. Each and every crack I noticed upon inspection has immediately spread and unraveling of the wrapper has occurred in numerous places. Beyond the construction issues, the smoke is harsh and off-putting. Charred oak is the only flavor I am getting early on and it is overpoweringly bitter. In addition, the finish is dry and tannin rich leaving a chalk like coating all over my palate. Beyond the first few puffs a peppery spice joins the charred oak. There are a lot of flavors that can pleasantly balance and compliment the bitterness of charred oak but a ton of black pepper doesn’t seem to be one of them. The retro offers a little reprieve from the harshness with a softer and slightly sweeter smoke although the flavors are still dominantly woody and peppery. One positive thing I can say is that there is an abundance of smoke with each puff and despite the train wreck of a wrapper leaf, the burn line has been fairly straight so far. About an inch and a half in, a faintness of honey joins the smoke offering up at least a little balance and maybe a glimmer of hope for what to come.” –Noah S. (Noah)

“The initial flavors, upon lighting, are full of tannic bitterness with a cedar finish. The retrohale warms the sinuses with lingering chili oil essences. The finish dissipates quickly on both the palate and the sinuses. As I reach the last breaths, of the third, the smoke starts to develop a note of orange pith that brightens up the profile. It is a welcomed change. The mouthfeel is super light.” –Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)

Second Third

Flavor: 92
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium

“Flavor notes became a little richer about a half inch into the second third. The leafiness has subsided a bit and there is more of a toasted oak wood that emerges. The cigar remains creamy and the toastiness adds a nice dimension to the woodiness of the cigar.” –Diana (ArmyRN)

“The second third opens with a roasted coffee flavor entering the equation to go along with the leather, barnyard, and charred oak. The retrohale has a nice slightly citrus tinge to it. There are times when a chocolate note creeps in that also adds a pleasant surprise here and there.” –Kevin J. (maninblack77)

Final Third

Flavor: 93
Strength: Medium-Strong
Body/Complexity: Medium-Full

“In the final third, the flavors remain fairly the same. However, besides the vanilla, cedar, and cinnamon, there is a slight cashew flavor that has kicked in. The smoke dried out a little bit, but still is semi-smooth and creamy and the temperature has remained slightly cool.” –Angel M. (Angel)

“Strength picks up in the last third with the flavor notes bumping up also. The predominant note continues to the smoked oak wood. The leafiness has picked up again, however, it mixes nicely with the increased body of the oak, giving the cigar a better balance of flavors going into the finish.” –Diana (ArmyRN)

Overall Impressions – La Aurora Hors d’Age 2021

Draw: 89

“Thankfully this stick had no issues in the draw department as it was near perfect from start to finish. Given the wrapper issues, any deviation too far in either direction from a perfect draw would have been disastrous to the smoking experience. One major plus was that each puff produced a satisfying mouthful of smoke.” –Noah S. (Noah)

Burn: 91

“The burn is a little wavy but never a problem. The burn line is on the thick side. The bunch burns at an even rate never needing a touch-up.” –Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)

Construction: 92

“No problems were noticed with the cigar during the smoking experience. There were no cracks, lifts or tears in the wrapper and the filler remained consistent in it’s density throughout the smoke. The cap did not deteriorate and held up well. The cigar has a very solid body and perhaps could do better with just a little less to improve the draw and bring out more flavor.” –Diana (ArmyRN)

Overall Strength: Medium
Overall Body/Complexity: Medium
Experience Overall: 90

“Overall, this was a great cigar. All the flavors pretty much stayed consistent throughout the whole cigar but complemented each other, the only exception was the pepper that dropped off fairly quickly after the first third. The vanilla, cedar, and cinnamon with the late addition of cashew were very delicious and interesting. The Smoke texture was very good and stayed smooth enough to make it enjoyable.” –Angel M. (Angel)

“This cigar is very good with some great transitions. It goes from tannic notes to bitter fruit to bright green notes. It may not be something I reach for on a normal occasion but I wouldn’t be opposed to smoking it again. I can see it finding a home in some humidors.” –Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)

“Ultimately, this cigar left a lot to be desired. I have no other way of explaining the wrapper situation other than it was a complete dumpster fire. Once everything unraveled out of the gate I thought for sure that this cigar was going to be a lost cause. Thankfully the issues were reserved to a handful of touchups to correct a burn that had a natural tendency to wander. Even though the burn issues were relatively minor, the smoking experience was less than ideal. Not only did I have to babysit the burn the entire time, I ended up wearing more ash and wrapper fragments than ended up in the ashtray. Flavor-wise, all is well that ends well I suppose, but the first third was pretty brutal. Charred oak and an abundance of black pepper dominated early on, a combo of flavors that didn’t exactly tickle my fancy. It wasn’t a total wash however as the flavors and balance came around for the second two-thirds which ended up delicious. Had it not been for the construction issues the majority of this smoke would have been a banger! Construction and burn issues always leave me wondering what could have been which unfortunately just marred the experience for me. I’d try it again but would do so with a lot of reservations.” –Noah S. (Noah)

“This was an enjoyable cigar overall, even with the wrapper burst at the end. I thoroughly enjoyed the mixture of charred oak, leather, roasted coffee, and chocolate. I would definitely try this again, in better smoking conditions. It had a lot of those great habano flavors I have come to enjoy.” –Kevin J. (maninblack77)

“This cigar has potential but unfortunately in its current state, it was lacking in flavor and complexity for my pallet. It definitely got better as it progress, but I was not impressed at all during the first third. It only began to pick up about halfway through the second third. The final third, especially the last inch and a half, were the tastiest. For me, the cigar would not be in my rotation. Simply because it is larger than I normally like to smoke, but more importantly, there wasn’t enough complexity for me to be intrigued. I would, however, use as a yard gar.” –Diana (ArmyRN)

Smoking Time (in minutes): 97

To view the complete scores and notes, click here

La Aurora Hors d’Age 2021 – Blind Cigar Review