Cigar Review: La Aurora 107 Maduro Robusto

The original 107 blend has been one of La Aurora’s most popular releases. It’s no surprise, then, that the Dominican’s oldest cigar maker opted to add a maduro variety.

A select number of tobacconists currently carry the La Aurora 107 Maduro line, and many more are expected to start stocking it in July (to coincide with this year’s IPCPR Trade Show). Four sizes will be on the market: Robusto (4.5 x 50), Toro (5.5 x 54), Belicoso (6.25 x 52), and Corona (5.5 x 43).

Rumors have swirled about the 107 Maduro, which was supposed to have debuted a lot closer to 2010—the year La Aurora released the original 107 line. Will the Maduro use the exact same tobacco as the original, just with a differently fermented wrapper? Are production delays due to the wrapper not burning properly? Who exactly will be carrying this cigar?

We now know the makeup of the final iteration of the 107 Maduro. It has the same Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers, and the same Dominican corojo binder, but this time it’s finished in a Connecticut broadleaf wrapper. (The original 107 sports an Ecuadorian wrapper.)

I sampled three Robustos for this review, each provided to me by Miami Cigar & Co. This stout format comes complete with a dark, moderately veined wrapper with a fair amount of oils and potent pre-light notes of powdered cocoa and damp earth. A simple punch cut yields an easy draw on the firm stick.

The flavor starts with a flurry of coffee and black pepper spice that’s highly concentrated on the tip of the tongue. The texture is coarse and the foot burns hot. Despite this powerful introduction, the resting smoke is creamy with a fair amount of sweetness.

The appeal of the resting smoke turns out to be a prelude to the Robusto’s quick transition to a slightly mellower profile. At the half-inch mark, the base of pepper and coffee starts to get complemented by some sweet and creamy flavors. This renders the cigar somewhere between medium- to full-bodied, and that’s about where it stays until the finale.

For around $7, this is a solid maduro—albeit somewhat lacking in complexity or nuance. The physical properties aren’t stellar (the burn requires several touch-ups to stay even and the white ash has a tendency to be flaky) yet the overall smoking experience is enjoyable. I liked the La Aurora 107 Maduro Robusto, though I can’t say I’ll be jumping at the chance to smoke it again real soon. All this adds up to a rating of three stogies out of five.

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–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys