La Flor Dominicana Double Ligero Firecracker

In 2007, Two Guys Smoke Shop received a limited edition exclusive in the Don Pepin Garcia blue line known as the Firecracker, a 3 x 50 petit robusto with a long fuse tail. It’s look was unmistakable, well at least until a similar looking Tatuaje, known as the M80, followed and later the Firecracker Cigar, another 3 x 50 version from an unidentified maker.

Earlier this year it was announced that La Flor Dominicana would be making a Firecracker of its own for Two Guys Smoke Shop. It used a 3 1/4 x 50 shape with a fuse and closed foot based on the Double Ligero blend. An Ecuadorian sumatra wrapper was selected over a blend of Dominican fillers.

The cigars arrived at the New Hampshire retailer at the end of March.

• Cigar Reviewed: La Flor Dominicana Double Ligero Firecracker
• Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
• Factory: Tabacalera La Flor S.A.
• Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra
• Binder: n/a
• Filler: Dominican Republic
• Size: 3 1/4 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 50
• Vitola: Petit Robusto
• MSRP: $5.99 (Boxes of 25, $99.99)
• Date Released: March 31, 2015
• Number of Cigars Released: 250 Boxes of 25 Cigars (6,250 Total Cigars)
• Number of Cigars Smoked for Review: 3

While it certainly is not the largest band in terms of percentage of surface area covered, the paper still covers a large portion of the wrapper. There’s some pungent notes from the Ecuadorian wrapper with acidic leather being the only thing that I can identify. The foot of the Firecracker oddly isn’t identical, there’s sweet peppermint and a touch of earth along with a less pungent leather. The cold draw brings flavors of straws, peppermint, grass and a big floral note.

The Firecracker starts with some basic cedar and green licorice. A few puffs in hearty nuts and oregano join the mixture. There’s a floral flavor in the nose, but it’s neither as sweet, nor as dominant as it was for the cold draw. The heavy finish is the most enjoyable part for me, an interesting and detailed mixture of sawdust and Spanish cedar. I’d peg the cigar at medium, definitely not as strong as most La Flor Dominicanas I smoke.

There is still a good bit of floral flavors in the nose, but it’s reduced even further by the middle part. There’s a lot more cedar, some earthiness, grass and a black pepper on the middle of the tongue and back of the throat. I find the first third on all three samples to be far more complex, but the second third is still enjoyable. Smoke production slows down on all three cigars, but that’s not my biggest concern. One samples sees the draw become uncontrollably loose while the other two tighten up.

It’s somewhat challenging to decide where the final third begins, but I notice another change in the Firecracker as the cedar becomes the main flavor with about an inch left. The floral flavor is all but gone by the end of the cigar, but some sweetness emerges from somewhere, which was a bit surprising given it was not noticeable for the previous two thirds. Not much else has changed, other than one sample seeing its draw continue to tighten.

Final Notes

• I’m sure there are some who will smoke this cigar and argue that it shouldn’t be broken down in thirds because of the small size. That logic runs into a bit of a wall because it would probably suggest nine-inch cigars should be evaluated in quarters or fifths. The reality is thirds are somewhat of an arbitrary way used to describe cigars, because most have at least two transition points. I’d say there were two noticeable transitions for the Firecracker, even if it wasn’t professionally proportionally divided.
• The band is pretty awkward because of how close it is to the top of the cigar, constantly touching my lips. Fortunately, I only needed to keep it on for sample—and even then it was removed pretty quickly.
• While you can pull on the fuse to remove the cap, I found cutting the cigar produced a much better draw.
• Speaking of draw, it was all over the place and really contributed to the poor score. One was too loose, two were too tight. I appear to have nearly no luck when it comes to draws in the month of April. Outside of that—construction was pretty good.
• The Tatuaje M80 is returning later this year.
• Two Guys Smoke Shop has a pretty aggressive box discount on the Firecrackers. A box purchase will save you over 30 percent compared to buying a single, far more significant than the normal 10 percent you can expect on most purchases from most retailers.
• Having a cigar with a closed foot seems to not be the trend it was a few years ago.
• Strength never got much beyond medium, which is not what I was expecting.
• Cigars for this review were purchased by halfwheel.
• This was a very slow-burning cigar with it taking me 45 minutes to get through two and a half inches.
• You can purchase the La Flor Dominicana Double Ligero Firecracker here.