Cigar Review: La Aurora Preferidos Connecticut Robusto

Several years ago, I picked up a five-pack of cigars from La Aurora. The small white box, fashionably adorned with lions, contained one Robusto from each of the five Preferidos blends: Connecticut, Ecuador, Cameroon, Corojo, and Maduro.

The Preferidos series debuted in 1998 to honor Eduardo León Jimenes, the man who founded La Aurora in 1903. Initially, all Preferidos cigars were perfectos. About five years ago, though, La Aurora began to offer Preferidos in standard parejo shapes.

Since trying each of the Preferidos Robustos in the five-pack, I later bought several more to be able to write reviews. I reviewed the Cameroon in January, and now it’s on to the Connecticut, a golden-colored smoke with a shade-grown wrapper, a Dominican piloto binder, and filler from Brazil, Cameroon, and the Dominican.

The Connecticut Robusto has a dry, clean wrapper with a nice cap at the head and a tight cross-section of tobacco at the foot. The pre-light notes are classic Connecticut: sweet hay with a touch of almond.

Once lit, the cigar has a surprisingly spicy kick that reminds me of ginger. In the foreground of the profile is a hearty dose of dry oak. Some meaty flavors come and go, but there’s little of the traditional Connecticut taste, which usually includes nuts and cream.

Towards the midway point, the spice fades a bit, the oak becomes more dominant, and some of the flavors I had been anticipating—including almond—emerge. But the dry woodsy flavor remains an unwavering centerpiece.

Throughout the smoke, the physical properties exemplify the high standard that I’ve come to expect from La Aurora. The burn line is near perfect, the gray ash holds strong, and the draw is smooth.

The three Connecticut Robustos I bought for this review cost about $10 apiece at my local tobacconist. Notwithstanding this cigar’s outstanding construction, I simply don’t think it’s worth that price. I don’t mind that it doesn’t taste like other Connecticuts on the market but, at this price level, I expect more balance and a little less dryness and meatiness. Since you can spend $10 or less on many finer cigars—including cigars made by La Aurora—I’m giving the Preferidos Connecticut Robusto two and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys