Today we will be taking a look at one of Litto Gomez’ newest additions to his boutique brand LG. This is actually the second addition to his LG line this year, the first being the Lancero that was introduced at the IPCPR in August which has had glowing reviews so far. About a month or so ago we got word that there would be 50 boxes of a new size being releas, a sort of pre-release run, if you will. As soon as we heard that we knew we had to track it down and give it a try. The cigar is fairly large coming in at 6 7/8 x 50. The vitola is officially called the “Dominicano” and has all the familiar looks of the other LG cigars.

In case you didn’t know, all the tobacco in the LG line has been aged for 4 years. This being part of the 2010 release all the tobacco in this cigar is from a 2006 crop grown in the Dominican Republic at Litto’s farm La Canela. The Farm is really a sight to behold and Litto has absolutely mastered the shade tobacco process and certainly gives the Fuentes a run for their money in my opinion. When you see a LG cigar you notice right away that beautiful shade grown wrapper; it’s a soft chocolate color with a reddish tint and just smells like heaven. There is nothing I enjoy more than going through the pre-light ritual of a LG cigar.

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Lets get to it shall we?

 

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  • Cigar Reviewed: Litto Gomez Diez Dominicano
  • Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
  • Factory: Tabacalera La Flor S.A.
  • Wrapper: Dominican Republic (La Canela)
  • Binder: Dominican Republic (La Canela)
  • Filler: Dominican Republic (La Canela)
  • Size: 6 7/8 Inches
  • Ring Gauge: 50
  • Vitola: Churchill
  • MSRP: $12.50 (Boxes of 24, $300.00)
  • Date Released: 2010
  • Number of Cigars Released: 50 Boxes of 24 Cigars (1,200 Total Cigars)
  • Number of Cigars Smoked for Review: 2

This cigar is just a beautiful sight for top to bottom. It has a medium chocolate wrapper with a bit of reddish tint, a few minor veins and an absolutely seamless wrap. It almost looks like one uniform leaf. It has a few lumps towards the head but it has a perfectly applied triple cap. The cigar just screams quality in every sense.

The pre-light aroma is an assault of the senses; there’s cedar, dark chocolate, coffee and cinnamon. It’s a very deep, rich smell. The pre-light draw isn’t quite as rich as the aroma but is full of cedar, chocolate and coffee. All in all just a high class pre-light.

Starting off in the first third the cigar mimics the pre-light with loads of dark chocolate, very dark, almost semi-sweet. There is a lot of espresso in the mix as well as hints of wood and nutmeg. The cigar is producing a ton of smoke and the draw is spot on. The finish is long and peppery with a good amount of spice through the nose; a very nice start.

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Coming into the second third the cigar totally changes up and turns very soft and mellow. There is a load of cedar and the dark chocolate has turned into smooth milk chocolate with lots of creaminess.  The smoke is very full bodied and is velvety and thick on the palate. There are hints of cinnamon here and there however the general spice amount has died down quite a bit. There is no longer a tingling burn through the nose and the pepper has died down on the finish considerably. The finish is still incredibly long and is smooth with coffee notes and cedar. The burn is a bit shaky and the ash flowers and falls off quickly each time.

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Finishing up in the final third the cigar switches up yet again and the first third flavors coalesce with the second third. The dark rich chocolate from the beginning comes back and well as a rich espresso flavor yet the cigar is still holding onto the creamy smooth feel. The smoke is nice and thick and the finish is long and flavorful. Little hints of cinnamon still come through and the pepper has built up. A very nice end to a great cigar.

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Final Notes:

  • I am a huge LG fan and I have smoked a ton of their cigars. I can honestly say with maybe the exception of the Small Batches that this is the best one I have had. It’s certainly the best vitola in the line and it makes me realize why. Litto’s cigars are full of flavor and complexity and I think this blend calls for a larger, or at least longer, vitola so the flavors have time to develop and change. I haven’t smoked the lancero yet but I can imagine it’s going to be a great cigar for the same reason.
  • In all my experience smoking the LG lines I can say that the burn has always been an issue. I found this to be the same with the Dominicano. The ash was flaky and fell off very quickly and the cigar would go out on itself if you didn’t puff on it enough. This gets annoying if you are in a setting where you are socializing and can’t puff on it a lot. This is all in all a minor complaint because it didn’t affect the flavors all that much.
  • While this cigar came from the initial release of 50 boxes we are told there are more boxes trickling out to stores now and they are available at  http://www.jackschwartz.com/.
  • I’m not sure if it’s the Dominicano vitola alone or just the fact that maybe 2006’s crop was better than 2004’s but I enjoyed this as much if not a bit more than the 2008 Chisels I have which have over 2 years on them. I really cannot wait to smoke this cigar a few years from now; I think it’s only going to get better.
  • Final Smoking time was right around 2 hours.

 

The Bottom Line: As I said in the notes section this is easily my favorite vitola in the line. It showed such rich flavors, complexity and balance. The flavor literally changed up right at every third and I was able to pinpoint exactly when it was happening. It really made for an exciting smoking experience and even though I was smoking this cigar in 8 degree weather I was still able to fully enjoy it because of how the cigar was performing. I can’t wait to smoke another and if you get the chance to pick one of these up please don’t hesitate and also don’t hesitate to put some of these away as they will age extremely well.

 

 

Final Score: 92

Steve Valle

Steve Valle wrote for Smoking Stogie, a precursor to halfwheel, from 2010-2011.