Stogie Reviews: La Aurora 1495 B.M.E. Dominicana

Long before the 107, Broadway, and Guillermo León blends were released, the 1495 Series was a top seller for La Aurora, the Dominican’s oldest cigar maker.

“This edition of La Aurora pays tribute to the city of Santiago de los Caballeros, the Dominican land of cigar, founded in 1495 by Christopher Columbus in the heart of El Cibao,” according to La Aurora’s website. Originally released in 2005, and still in production with four vitolas, 1495 is comprised of a Sumatra Ecuador wrapper, a corojo binder, and a filler blend of Peruvian ligero, corojo, Nicaraguan, and piloto cubano tobacco.

The new 1495 B.M.E. is a spinoff of the original 1495, pairing this same binder and filler recipe with new wrappers. The “Dominicana” version, for instance, sports a clean Dominican corojo wrapper, a moderately firm feel, and faint pre-light notes of caramel and raisin. The blend’s only size sells for around $10 and measures 5.75 inches long with a ring gauge of 54. It was named 25th on Cigar Aficionado’s list of the top 25 smokes of 2010.

Once lit, the flavor gets off to a fast start with a cedary, medium-bodied profile. Dry, woodsy spice is prevalent with background notes of cocoa and graham cracker. The aftertaste is a mixture of citrus, black pepper, and peanut. Flavors as varied as these yield outstanding balance and a fine aroma. As a bonus—while the taste doesn’t change much from light to nub, aside from settling at the midway point and then intensifying towards the end—the intricacy of the profile keeps things very interesting. Never does the Dominicana become boring or monotonous.

Near-perfect construction only enhances the experience. All of the samples I smoked for this review displayed straight burn lines, clear draws, and solid ashes that held firm for more than an inch.

I’m highly recommending this incarnation of the original 1495 Series. If you’d like to try the Dominicana yourself, don’t expect to find it online or in a catalogue. B.M.E., after all, stands for “Brick and Mortar Exclusive,” so you’ll have to check with your local tobacconist if you’re interested in the Dominicana or one of the other B.M.E. varieties (Brazilian, Ecuadorian, or Nicaraguan). Your efforts will reward you with an outstanding medium-bodied cigar, one that’s worthy of four and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys