Cubano, 5" x 50 ring gauge, $9.76The LG Diez line was released by La Flor Dominicana founder, Litto Gomez, in 2004 to celebrate his 10th year in the cigar business. Gomez decided to follow in the footsteps of the Fuente family and the Opus X in creating his own powerful Dominican puro and all the tobacco used in the LG Diez is grown on LFD's own farm. At first the annual release was planned to be the same blend, but Litto soon recognized the futility of trying to replicate the exact same taste every year on such a small batch basis and has decided that each year will be its own vintage release and the smoker should expect a different flavor. This particular cigar was purchased earlier this year at Uptowns Smoke Shop in Nashville and is from the 2008 release.
Upon release from the cello sheath, the wrapper of the LG is pungent with barnyard and cocoa aromas. The foot is sweeter chocolate and coffee. The color of the wrapper is a simple medium-brown with little mottling and a fine vein structure. It has a slightly oily sheen and just a little give when pinched. The prelight draw was just about perfect; the flavors prelight had plenty of cocoa along with some coffee and dried fruit. This was a very, very flavorful cigar in prelight--very nice!
The initial puffs were packed with black pepper, leather, and coffee. There was a hint of cocoa sweetness, too, but only a hint. The spice was fairly overwhelming during the first third. There were also flavors of coffee, cocoa and some nutmeg, but on top of everything else was a spiciness that has come to be somewhat of a trademark of these super-premium Dominican puros. It is interesting that so many people think of Dominican tobacco as mellow and rather mild, but the LG and the Opus X are Dominican puros that break that mind-set thoroughly.
The spice abated somewhat in the second third, allowing more black coffee and bitter-sweet dark chocolate flavors to come through. Construction was superb: straight burn and perfect draw.
The final third was as delightful as the first two. There was some licorice and dried fruit to complement the black coffee, along with a still-strong undercurrent of pepper spice. It is really hard to go wrong with anything that LFD produces, and this cigar is the pinnacle of that experience. It is strong, without being overpowering; full-bodied without being stifling; and full-flavored from one end to the other. The price tag and its rather limited availability are the only things that would keep me from enjoying this cigar on a very regular basis.
Body: 8/10
Strength: 7/10
Complexity: 10/10
AFP Scale:
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 4/4
Value: 1/1
Total: 10/10
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