Robusto, 4.5" x 50 ring gauge
Corona, 5.5" x 43 ring gauge
Hard to believe it was only 107 years ago that La Aurora first started producing cigars, but if you put all your faith in marketing, then you have to believe it's true: it's written right there on the band! All kidding aside, it has been a very busy year for Miami Cigar & Company: they quiet started out the year by expanding the Nestor Miranda Collection with the Dominicano, then sprung the 1989 and Caliber 58 on us with little warning. At the IPCPR show, they debuted the La Aurora Corojo, Guillermo Leon Signature, and Nestor Miranda Art Deco. The major players in the company have become regulars on Twitter in a move of social networking brilliance. And during this rush of activity, they found time to celebrate the 107th anniversary of La Aurora's founding by putting on the market a new cigar-then expanding the line twice with Corona and Lancero vitolas following the initial release. Like I said, a very busy year. The 107 is composed of Dominican and Nicaraguan filler, a Dominican binder and a Sungrown Ecuadorian wrapper leaf. We decided to look at both the Robusto (one of the initial sizes released back in April) and the Corona (released in late August); we have each smoked several of each size.
Dave Said:
I started off with the Robusto, which had a noticeably toothy and mottled wrapper with veins that were bordering on large. I like what they did with the traditional La Aurora lion symbol trimmed with red and gold; this is a look that could have gone wrong, resulting in a corny, cartoonish image, but what they ended up with is very nice. Feeling along the length of the stogie I felt no soft spots-in fact, it was relatively firm except near the foot. The aroma from the wrapper was rich with chocolate and hay notes and I got more of the same on the foot. Prelight, I got a smooth draw with a rich natural tobacco flavor and a sweetness that had hints of chocolate and caramel.
The first thing I noticed after lighting was a maple syrup note the first time I blew smoke out through my nose. On the palate I was not getting much off the bat, but the retrohale was great-a mix of maple, molasses and roasted nuts, with a peppery finish. As the first third developed, I got leather and earthy flavors on the tongue while the retrohale still had a big peppery bite.
In the second third I noticed less earth and more cedar along with the leather flavor that remained. There was also a distinct reduction of the pepper on the retrohale leaving the roasted nuts aspect more room to be noticed.
The last third opened up with a hint of sweet spice to further complement the cedar and leather, but to be honest, after smoking about 4 of this vitola since they came to market, I still do not understand the heavy buzz about them. Don't get me wrong-it is a perfectly fine cigar, just not a world-beater-at least not to me. It is nowhere near as flavorful as its newer brother, the Corona...
The wrapper of the of the Corona looked very much like the Robusto, but with less toothiness; it was very smooth and oily to the touch. I got more of an earthy aroma from it, too, with none of the chocolate I smelled on the robusto until I got to the foot where I got that cocoa note along with quite a bit of manure. There was a fairly spongy spot just north of the band, but everything else seemed evenly packed. Prelight draw was very good and I noted more sweetness and less natural tobacco flavor than I had experienced with the Robusto.
Initial draws on the Corona produced a large volume of smoke with a nice tobacco sweetness on the tongue and the same peppery retrohale I remembered from the Robusto. It was easy to taste how much the wrapper influenced the flavor on this stick with its thinner ring gauge-it just seemed to be a richer, deeper flavor experience right from the start. As the first third progressed I got a lot of that natural tobacco goodness, but a fair amount of molasses and roasted nuts-in some ways much the same as the Robusto, yet I found the flavors to be more in balance and more pleasing here.
Early in the second third I noticed the peppery flavor change from black pepper to a more cayenne note. I also got some leather and earthiness along with just a touch of cedar. There was also still a good deal of sweetness that occasionally gave a dark chocolate note.
In the last third I got an increase in the cayenne pepper and cedar flavors while the natural sweetness of the tobacco provided a solid support structure. Other notes previously mentioned came and went as well. While I found the Robusto to be a fine cigar, the Corona was really a flavor bomb-it was layered, complex and constantly changing. Both vitolas reside in the medium to full-bodied range and I did not notice enough nicotine kick in either to put off any but the most novice of smokers; that combined with a great price point makes this stick easy to recommend for new and seasoned smokers alike. By the time you read this, the 107 Lancero will be on the market; if the flavor intensity of the Corona is any indication, the Lancero may just be the crowing achievement of this line and we hope to bring you a review of that vitola in the next couple months.
Robusto Scoring:
Body: 7/10
Strength: 6/10
Complexity: 7/10
AFP Scale
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 3.5/5
Value: .5/1
Total: 8/10
Corona Scoring
Body: 7/10
Strength: 7/10
Complexity: 8/10
AFP Scale
Prelight: 1.5/2
Construction 2/2
Flavor: 4.5/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9/10
Keith said:
I started off smoking the corona size. The wrapper was a nice chocolate brown with at bit of mottling. The wrapper had medium veins with a good amount of oils on it. When I gave it a squeeze I was able to detect a slight amount of give without any soft spots. The wrapper gave of the aromas of barnyard and leather while the foot gave off scents of barnyard. After I clipped it and took a draw on it I got notes of bitter chocolate with a free draw.
As soon as I lit it up I got intense flavors of chocolate with spice on the tongue and retrohale. The draw was great and produced large volumes of smoke, just as Dave experienced. It started off in the medium full range. The flavors of cream and wood started to come through. The ash was a grey color and held on for about an inch. The burn was slight wavy, but it might have been the rainy windy weather that could have caused that.
The second third was much more flavorful with flavors of leather, nuts, wood, cream, and chocolate. At the beginning of this third the spice toned down slightly, but built toward the end of the second third. This cigar was very enjoyable!
The final third ended with a bang. The flavors of coffee, chocolate, cola, earth, cream and an herbal spice were all present. The cigar stayed in the medium full range. The spice was still present, but not as intense as the beginning.
Next I smoked the robusto. Visually these cigars were very similar with a milk chocolate brown wrapper with medium veins and some oils. The cigar was evenly packed with a slight amount of give too. The wrapper gave off notes of barnyard, and the foot barnyard and chocolate. Clipping and taking a cold draw produced the same results of a good draw and tastes of bitter chocolate.
First thing I noticed after lighting up the robusto was the flavors and strength weren't as intense as the corona. The flavors of chocolate and spice were present just not as strong. I was also able to get flavors of leather and coffee as I progressed through the first third. The burn was slightly uneven with a grayish white ash which held on for about an inch.
The second third brought flavors of chocolate, leather, coffee, cream and cedar with a bit more spice, but still not as much as the corona. To me this cigar was medium bodied.
The final third didn't see any changes in the flavors, just the intensity. The flavors weren't as strong. The band came off easily, as did the one on the corona. The spice also toned down to where it was barely detectable.
In conclusion I agree with Dave, while the robusto was a good cigar, while the corona was a great cigar. The flavors and strength were much more intense. In my opinion the corona would go great with a cup of coffee in the morning, after breakfast of course. The corona is something I'd keep on hand when I didn't have a lot of time but wanted a flavorful cigar. I'm looking forward to trying the lancero and am hopefully able to get my box this week.
Corona Scoring:
Body: 7/10
Strength: 8/10
Complexity: 7/10
AFP Scale
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 1.5/2
Flavor: 5/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9.5/10
Robusto Scoring
Body: 6/10
Strength: 6/10
Complexity: 6/10
AFP Scale
Prelight: 2/2
Construction 1.5/2
Flavor: 4/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 8.5/10
Corona, 5.5" x 43 ring gauge
Hard to believe it was only 107 years ago that La Aurora first started producing cigars, but if you put all your faith in marketing, then you have to believe it's true: it's written right there on the band! All kidding aside, it has been a very busy year for Miami Cigar & Company: they quiet started out the year by expanding the Nestor Miranda Collection with the Dominicano, then sprung the 1989 and Caliber 58 on us with little warning. At the IPCPR show, they debuted the La Aurora Corojo, Guillermo Leon Signature, and Nestor Miranda Art Deco. The major players in the company have become regulars on Twitter in a move of social networking brilliance. And during this rush of activity, they found time to celebrate the 107th anniversary of La Aurora's founding by putting on the market a new cigar-then expanding the line twice with Corona and Lancero vitolas following the initial release. Like I said, a very busy year. The 107 is composed of Dominican and Nicaraguan filler, a Dominican binder and a Sungrown Ecuadorian wrapper leaf. We decided to look at both the Robusto (one of the initial sizes released back in April) and the Corona (released in late August); we have each smoked several of each size.
Dave Said:
I started off with the Robusto, which had a noticeably toothy and mottled wrapper with veins that were bordering on large. I like what they did with the traditional La Aurora lion symbol trimmed with red and gold; this is a look that could have gone wrong, resulting in a corny, cartoonish image, but what they ended up with is very nice. Feeling along the length of the stogie I felt no soft spots-in fact, it was relatively firm except near the foot. The aroma from the wrapper was rich with chocolate and hay notes and I got more of the same on the foot. Prelight, I got a smooth draw with a rich natural tobacco flavor and a sweetness that had hints of chocolate and caramel.
The first thing I noticed after lighting was a maple syrup note the first time I blew smoke out through my nose. On the palate I was not getting much off the bat, but the retrohale was great-a mix of maple, molasses and roasted nuts, with a peppery finish. As the first third developed, I got leather and earthy flavors on the tongue while the retrohale still had a big peppery bite.
In the second third I noticed less earth and more cedar along with the leather flavor that remained. There was also a distinct reduction of the pepper on the retrohale leaving the roasted nuts aspect more room to be noticed.
The last third opened up with a hint of sweet spice to further complement the cedar and leather, but to be honest, after smoking about 4 of this vitola since they came to market, I still do not understand the heavy buzz about them. Don't get me wrong-it is a perfectly fine cigar, just not a world-beater-at least not to me. It is nowhere near as flavorful as its newer brother, the Corona...
The wrapper of the of the Corona looked very much like the Robusto, but with less toothiness; it was very smooth and oily to the touch. I got more of an earthy aroma from it, too, with none of the chocolate I smelled on the robusto until I got to the foot where I got that cocoa note along with quite a bit of manure. There was a fairly spongy spot just north of the band, but everything else seemed evenly packed. Prelight draw was very good and I noted more sweetness and less natural tobacco flavor than I had experienced with the Robusto.
Initial draws on the Corona produced a large volume of smoke with a nice tobacco sweetness on the tongue and the same peppery retrohale I remembered from the Robusto. It was easy to taste how much the wrapper influenced the flavor on this stick with its thinner ring gauge-it just seemed to be a richer, deeper flavor experience right from the start. As the first third progressed I got a lot of that natural tobacco goodness, but a fair amount of molasses and roasted nuts-in some ways much the same as the Robusto, yet I found the flavors to be more in balance and more pleasing here.
Early in the second third I noticed the peppery flavor change from black pepper to a more cayenne note. I also got some leather and earthiness along with just a touch of cedar. There was also still a good deal of sweetness that occasionally gave a dark chocolate note.
In the last third I got an increase in the cayenne pepper and cedar flavors while the natural sweetness of the tobacco provided a solid support structure. Other notes previously mentioned came and went as well. While I found the Robusto to be a fine cigar, the Corona was really a flavor bomb-it was layered, complex and constantly changing. Both vitolas reside in the medium to full-bodied range and I did not notice enough nicotine kick in either to put off any but the most novice of smokers; that combined with a great price point makes this stick easy to recommend for new and seasoned smokers alike. By the time you read this, the 107 Lancero will be on the market; if the flavor intensity of the Corona is any indication, the Lancero may just be the crowing achievement of this line and we hope to bring you a review of that vitola in the next couple months.
Robusto Scoring:
Body: 7/10
Strength: 6/10
Complexity: 7/10
AFP Scale
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 3.5/5
Value: .5/1
Total: 8/10
Corona Scoring
Body: 7/10
Strength: 7/10
Complexity: 8/10
AFP Scale
Prelight: 1.5/2
Construction 2/2
Flavor: 4.5/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9/10
Keith said:I started off smoking the corona size. The wrapper was a nice chocolate brown with at bit of mottling. The wrapper had medium veins with a good amount of oils on it. When I gave it a squeeze I was able to detect a slight amount of give without any soft spots. The wrapper gave of the aromas of barnyard and leather while the foot gave off scents of barnyard. After I clipped it and took a draw on it I got notes of bitter chocolate with a free draw.
As soon as I lit it up I got intense flavors of chocolate with spice on the tongue and retrohale. The draw was great and produced large volumes of smoke, just as Dave experienced. It started off in the medium full range. The flavors of cream and wood started to come through. The ash was a grey color and held on for about an inch. The burn was slight wavy, but it might have been the rainy windy weather that could have caused that.
The second third was much more flavorful with flavors of leather, nuts, wood, cream, and chocolate. At the beginning of this third the spice toned down slightly, but built toward the end of the second third. This cigar was very enjoyable!
The final third ended with a bang. The flavors of coffee, chocolate, cola, earth, cream and an herbal spice were all present. The cigar stayed in the medium full range. The spice was still present, but not as intense as the beginning.
Next I smoked the robusto. Visually these cigars were very similar with a milk chocolate brown wrapper with medium veins and some oils. The cigar was evenly packed with a slight amount of give too. The wrapper gave off notes of barnyard, and the foot barnyard and chocolate. Clipping and taking a cold draw produced the same results of a good draw and tastes of bitter chocolate.
First thing I noticed after lighting up the robusto was the flavors and strength weren't as intense as the corona. The flavors of chocolate and spice were present just not as strong. I was also able to get flavors of leather and coffee as I progressed through the first third. The burn was slightly uneven with a grayish white ash which held on for about an inch.
The second third brought flavors of chocolate, leather, coffee, cream and cedar with a bit more spice, but still not as much as the corona. To me this cigar was medium bodied.
The final third didn't see any changes in the flavors, just the intensity. The flavors weren't as strong. The band came off easily, as did the one on the corona. The spice also toned down to where it was barely detectable.
In conclusion I agree with Dave, while the robusto was a good cigar, while the corona was a great cigar. The flavors and strength were much more intense. In my opinion the corona would go great with a cup of coffee in the morning, after breakfast of course. The corona is something I'd keep on hand when I didn't have a lot of time but wanted a flavorful cigar. I'm looking forward to trying the lancero and am hopefully able to get my box this week.
Corona Scoring:
Body: 7/10
Strength: 8/10
Complexity: 7/10
AFP Scale
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 1.5/2
Flavor: 5/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9.5/10
Robusto Scoring
Body: 6/10
Strength: 6/10
Complexity: 6/10
AFP Scale
Prelight: 2/2
Construction 1.5/2
Flavor: 4/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 8.5/10
Agree, disagree or have your own thoughts you would like to share on this cigar? Please leave a comment and speak your mind!
Guys really great review first time I've read a dual review. I preferred the corona myself over the robusto. Keep up the great job.
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