For those of you that don’t know…

A vitola that was originally only sold in Europe, the La Aurora 1495 Sumo sizes are now being released in the U.S.

Guillermo’s new love is this 4 x 58 format. He is introducing it everywhere. This short format cigar packs a lot of flavor and has a nice kick to it as well.

There are now six different vitolas in the 1495 line. They are:

  • Belicoso — (6 1/4 x 52)
  • Robusto — (5 x 50)
  • Sumo Short Robusto — (4×58)
  • Sumo Toro — (6 x 56)
  • Churchill — (7 x 50)
  • Corona — (5 1/4 x 43)

 

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

La Aurora 1495 Sumo Short Robusto 1.png

  • Cigar Reviewed: La Aurora 1495 Sumo Short Robusto
  • Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
  • Factory: E. León Jimenes Tabacalera
  • Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra
  • Binder: Dominican Corojo
  • Filler: Dominican Republic, Peru & Nicaragua
  • Size: 4 Inches
  • Ring Gauge: 58
  • Vitola: Petit Robusto Gordo
  • Est. Price: $5.00
  • Release Date: August 2011
  • Number of Cigars Smoked for Review: 2

The first thing you notice is the fact that it is incredibly short and fat cigar. The wrapper is a darkish mottled brown with a bit of tooth to it. There is quite a bit of oil present, and the cigar is very firm when squeezed. The wrapper smells strongly of barnyard, leather and espresso.

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The First Third starts off immediately with a strong creamy leather flavor, interspersed with notes of slightly bitter espresso and black pepper. There is a bit of spice, but only noticeable on the retrohale, a nice start.

La Aurora 1495 Sumo Short Robusto 2.png

At around the Second Third, I start to notice a small amount of  sweetness creeping into the profile. It stays in the background, but is quite obvious. The leather note is strong still, but there is more black pepper than before, and less creamy. Also, a small amount of oak flavor fades in and out.

La Aurora 1495 Sumo Short Robusto 3.png

The Final Third is much the same, profile-wise: sweetness is down (almost nonexistent by the end) and the black pepper got quite a bit stronger. The leather note is dominant, but i did notice a fleeting dark chocolate flavor. It got a little hot at the end, but not too bad.

La Aurora 1495 Sumo Short Robusto 4.png

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Final Notes:

  • The size of the vitola is interesting (although not uncommon these days, sadly), but I have to say, it was impossible for me to feel comfortable with a cigar of this RG in my mouth. It is just too large for my tastes.
  • Having said the above, the price is actually pretty good for the size — you know that a Viaje this size would cost twice as much.
  • Both the burn and draw were impeccable for both samples I smoked.
  • There is an enormous amount of thick white, spicy smoke that emanates from the cigar for the entire cigar.
  • Strength was not an issue, and stayed the same medium minus for the entire smoke.
  • The Final Smoking time for both samples was right under 1 Hour.

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The Bottom Line: I liked this cigar, despite the almost obnoxious RG, but the flavors were just too monotonous for me. If you like a straightforward leather and pepper profile at around $5.00, this is your cigar, but otherwise, it is just another (almost) 60 RG smoke in a sea of cigars. I would not buy a box, but I would not turn it down if someone handed me one to smoke at a herf either.

 

 

Final Score: 83

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Brooks Whittington

I have been smoking cigars for over eight years. A documentary wedding photographer by trade, I spent seven years as a photojournalist for the Dallas Morning News and the Fort Worth Star Telegram. I started the cigar blog SmokingStogie in 2008 after realizing that there was a need for a cigar blog with better photographs and more in-depth information about each release. SmokingStogie quickly became one of the more influential cigar blogs on the internet, known for reviewing preproduction, prerelease, rare, extremely hard-to-find and expensive cigars. I am a co-founder of halfwheel and now serve as an editor for halfwheel.