Cigar Review: La Aurora Belicoso
22 Apr 2013
My consumption of La Aurora cigars seemed to drop off right around José Blanco’s departure from the oldest cigar maker in the Dominican Republic. But the relationship between these two events is merely correlation, not cause-and-effect.
Several years ago, my humidors were always full of La Aurora sticks of various blends—Barrel Aged, 107, Guillermo León, Escogidos, 1495, Preferidos, 100 Años, etc. Nowadays I don’t keep much La Aurora inventory. I’m not really sure why since, as a whole, I always enjoyed the creations from this storied cigar maker.
Perusing the shelves of my tobacconist the other day, I came across the Belicoso (6.25 x 52) from La Aurora’s original Cameroon-wrapped line. The price point of $3.95 was attractive, as was the prospect of reengaging with an affordable blend I hadn’t smoked in a long while.
Perhaps you, too, have been away from this value-priced smoke for some time. In that case, let me refresh your memory. It comes complete with a Dominican binder, Dominican and Nicaraguan filler tobaccos, and a clean, golden wrapper with few veins and considerable tooth. The foot smells of hay and honey and the cold draw is easy with some spice on the lips.
After establishing an even light, that spice carries over to the flavor, which is characterized by dry cedar, pepper, and warm tobacco. A half-inch in, the texture becomes less salty and the spice more muted as a candied pecan taste comes to the fore. Cedar remains the dominant note, now complemented nicely by creamy nut and sweetness. Smoking slowly is advised to help avoid the onset of mustiness.
Construction is top-notch. The white ash holds firm for an inch or more. The burn line is set-it-and-forget-it straight. The draw is effortless. And each puff produces ample plumes of aromatic smoke.
No, this isn’t a terribly complex or memorable cigar. But the quality, consistency, flavor, and value make it a solid choice for everyday smoking or the golf course. Keep the La Aurora Belicoso in mind if you’re looking for a decent Cameroon-wrapped smoke that won’t break the bank. It’s worthy of three stogies out of five.
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photo credit: Stogie Guys
Patrick Ashby
Co-Founder & Editor in Chief
Patrick Semmens
Co-Founder & Publisher
George Edmonson
Tampa Bureau Chief
Am I the only one who forgot La Aurora even had a core blend? Not sure I've ever smoked it…
Sounds like a decent stick. Why only 3 stories?
3 stogies that is. Darn predictive text…
It is pretty decent. And a good value for the money, too. But it just doesn't have much in terms of complexity. It doesn't compare with the 3.5- or 4-stogie rated cigars. Buy, hey, as an everyday smoke, you can do a lot worse.
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Thank you and good luck.
Sounds like the higher ratings go to sticks with more oomph and lots of good complex flavors (padron anni, anejo, etc). 3 isnt a bad rating, and imho is justifiable for a consistent 1 dimensional smoke. Maybe should have been higher b/c of the price point, but to each their own. I have a box of the coronas I pick out of time to time and enjoy the break from the sticks you feel like you should concentrate more on to try and pick out all the aromas.