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Stogie Reviews: Mi Dominicana Corona

13 Oct 2009

Two months after the 77th annual International Premium Cigar and Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR) Trade Show in New Orleans, the industry remains focused on the newest additions to the market. But many of us still have some catching up to do. The Mi Dominicana, introduced at last year’s IPCPR event in Las Vegas, is one blend that, until recently, never made it into my humidor.

Mi Dominicana CoronaMi Dominicana is the first Dominican puro made by tobacco giant Altadis. It is crafted by José Seijas, general manager of Tabacalera de Garcia, Ltd.—one of the biggest cigar factories in the world—and the man behind the Dominican versions of Montecristo, H. Upmann, and Romeo y Julieta.

Born in Santo Domingo, Seijas created this eight-vitola blend to honor his Dominican heritage. “Everything that is beautiful about the Dominican Republic has gone into this cigar,” he says on Altadis’ website. “Mi Dominicana is my personal tribute to our nation and our people…[It] truly captures the pride of my country.”

That pride is evident in the Corona’s promising appearance. This five and a half inch by 44 ring gauge cigar includes a carefully applied cap, a firm feel, and a toothy, oily wrapper. The sole aesthetic drawback is the network of thick veins that crisscross the cigar’s surface.

Pre-light, sweet floral notes shine though. A cold taste reveals honey on the lips and a slightly stiff draw, then the first lighted puff produces notes of sage, coconut, almond, and toast. The profile is fairly balanced and medium-bodied, and the aftertaste reminds me of yellow cake.

These flavors remain largely unaltered at the midway point. The only change, unfortunately, is a bitterness on the finish. That, and I find myself growing a bit bored of the once interesting taste—a boredom that carries through to the end of this 90-minute smoke.

While the flavor is neither completely dull nor utterly inspiring, Mi Dominicana’s physical properties are above average. The draw opens nicely, the white ash behaves well, and the burn only requires minimal touch-ups to stay even. These characteristics were apparent in both Corona’s that I smoked for this review.

Still, for a cigar that commands a price tag of about $7-8 apiece, José Seijas’ Mi Dominicana falls a bit short. I was left hoping for more from a highly anticipated blend that is intended to espouse the attributes of a great tobacco-growing nation. Ultimately, the Corona earns three stogies out of five.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here.]

Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

4 Responses to “Stogie Reviews: Mi Dominicana Corona”

  1. Chris V Tuesday, October 13, 2009 at 5:14 am #

    Oh good sir I must disagree with you on the 3 stogies here! Granted, I haven't had this vitola, but the Lanceros are a treat! A cigar store owner recommended them to me with the words, "They remind me of an Opus Lancero with age on it." And although I think that may be a slight stretch, I don't think it's an all-encompassingly wrong one. I find them quite enjoyable and well worth their price tag.

  2. Marky56 Tuesday, October 13, 2009 at 6:56 am #

    I thought this was pretty so-so, too. Not something I hated, but also not something I felt good about spending $8 on.

    Maybe the Lanceros are a better format for the blend…

  3. furious Friday, October 16, 2009 at 5:18 am #

    Agreed. This one looks a hell of a lot better than it smokes.

  4. dwayne hall Tuesday, April 13, 2010 at 10:51 am #

    I agree with most of what you said about this smoke. But you should try the Lancero. Chris V is correct about the aged Opus X comparison. The Lancero size makes this cigars one of the best on the market.