The La Flor Dominicana Coronado Maduro did not exactly take the cigar community by storm when it was released in mid-2009. Intended as an experiment of sorts, it the cigar is the exact same blend as the regular Coronado by La Flor, which I still love to smoke, with a Maduro wrapper from Ecuador replacing the rosado Nicaraguan wrapper on the original blend. Only 83 boxes of 24 (1,992 total cigars) were produced, and almost one year later, there are still a few available for purchase.

When I first reviewed this smoke (right after it was released), the strength in the cigar overwhelmed just about every characteristic that were present. However, I did note that I thought this would make a great aging candidate (mostly due to the strength, and the fact that I knew what the blend of this cigar was SUPPOSED to taste like). In fact, one of my comments in the original review was “I don’t mind strong cigars, in fact, I enjoy most of them, but this blend to me seems very young, and needs to rest for a while to get everything in harmony.there is not doubt in my mind that it will be an amazing smoke with some rest.”

Well, I bought 10 of the cigars when I reviewed them the first time, and honestly had forgotten all about them until Matt, a good friend of mine, randomly mentioned smoking one and how great it was with a bit of rest.This got me thinking how different another review on this cigar would be (compared to the first one), and so here we are.

TheLa Flor Dominicana Coronado Maduro is still a cigar with a jet black wrapper.I have not run across many wrappers that are darker, and there is still quite a bit of oil present (in fact, the oil easily came off on my finger).The wrapper is also quite smooth to the touch, and smells VERY strongly of chocolate.so strongly, in fact, that I had my wife smell it (without telling her anything) to see what she thought.her comment was “Smells like a Hershey’s bar, not get that damn thing out of my face”.The prelight draw also tasted strongly of Bitter chocolate, and this was an interesting development, as I do not remember anything close to that from the first review.Here is a photo comparing the La Flor Dominicana Coronado Maduro (left) to the Regular Coronado (right):

Also, here is the view from my room balcony as I was smoking:

But enough of that, let’s get down to business, shall we?

• Cigar Reviewed: Coronado by La Flor Maduro Corona Especial
• Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
• Factory: Tabacalera La Flor S.A.
• Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
• Binder: Dominican Corojo
• Filler: Dominican
• Size: 5 7/8 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 47
• Vitola: Corona
• Est. Price: $10.00
• Date Released: April 2009
• Number of Cigars Released: 83 Boxes of 25 Cigars (2,075 Total Cigars)
• Number of Cigars Smoked for Review: 2

The First Third started out with so much black pepper that it had me wondering if I was just going to get a repeat of the same cigar I had six months ago.however, after about 15 puffs, the pepper faded very quickly into a pleasant background note, and I started tasting some really great notes of Leather, bitter chocolate, and a spicy, woodsy combo (oak?) that all combined into a wonderful experience.

At the start of the Second Third, the pepper from the beginning of the smoke almost totally disappeared, and the profile of the cigar started leaning towards more Creamy, but with some spice left over.the main flavors were still the same, but with everything together, it was just a great flavor combo.

The Final Third was not as impressive as the first two.in fact, the cigar pretty much fell apart (flavor wise) at the very end.the flavors from the first two-thirds started disappearing, one after the other, and at the end, I was just left with a harshness that made me happy to finish.However, I usually smoke it as far to the nub as possible, so people who quit earlier then that (say, right after the band) would not even notice it.

Final Notes:

• I have never smelled or tasted some much of a chocolate flavor in a cigar before, (there was even more than with the Graycliff Double Espresso), and it ranged from a slightly sweet to a very bitter profile.
• The ash on this cigar was not pretty, and was extremely flaky.
• There was quite a bit of woodsy, spicy smoke produced from this cigar.An interesting combo considering the flavors of the actual cigar being more of a chocolate profile.
• If you want to try them, I would buy them TODAY, as they will not last long.I got my at Jack Schwartz, but you can also find them at Arnold’s.
• The Final Smoking Time was 1 Hour and 40 Minutes.

The Bottom Line: To me, the La Flor Dominicana Coronado Maduro is one of the best examples of how a (non cuban) cigar can improve (Greatly) after aging for a specific timeframe.the first time I smoked this cigar, any flavors that it had were overwhelmed by the strength that was present. now, after 6 months, the strength is still there (albeit diminished greatly) but instead of it being the main component, the strength now compliments the other flavors which have had time to develop into a MUCH more complex (and enjoyable) smoke.Having said that, the cigar did get a bit harsh at the end, and I think I will let the rest of these rest for another year or so before trying again, as I think they can be even better then they are now.

Original Score: 83

Redux Score: 89