Cigar Review: Hoja de Flores Auténtico Maduro Double Toro

This cigar kicks off like a winner. The Dominican tobaccos create a spicy mix that’s complex and intriguing. The flavors are layered, from fiery peppers to bright clove. It’s a high-flying delight. Only later does it deflate a bit.

In the final third, most of the spice is gone and some burn issues become mildly irritating. But those issues didn’t spoil this smoke, just kept it shy of the pinnacle. Along the way there were numerous other flavors, including cedar, leather, and coffee.

Introduced at last year’s International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Trade Show by La Hoja Cigar Co., I only recently encountered the brand at a local shop. I was a bit hesitant to try it, partly because I’m not a big maduro fan and partly because of Patrick S’s hesitation about an earlier stick from La Hoja. But an enthusiastic recommendation won the day.

My first concern was quickly dispatched. Frankly, I’d never have guessed this cigar was a maduro. I think it’s also considerably different than the line my colleague tried.

The Auténtico Maduro Double Toro, with a price tag of about $12, is a 6.25-inch stick with a ring gauge of 54. It sports a soft box-press with a nice Corojo 2006 maduro wrapper and a “blend of original piloto, ligero, and seco Dominican fillers,” according to the company.

The occasional burn problems were the only construction problems I encountered. It generated a lot of smoke. Strength was in the medium to full range.

This is a cigar well worth picking up, especially if you haven’t tried some of the “new” Dominicans lately. I rate it three and a half stogies out of five.

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–George E

photo credit: La Hoja Cigars Instagram