La Aurora Especiales Corona Gorda

The art of blending new cigars can take a number of different avenues, but a new release from La Aurora includes a method that combines viewpoints from a large number of people.

The La Aurora Especiales was developed from opinions on test cigars by more than 100 retailers who visited La Aurora’s factory in the Dominican Republic. Based on that feedback, La Aurora’s Manuel Inoa came up with a final blend that incorporates an Ecuadorian-grown Cameroon-seed wrapper covering a Dominican binder as well as filler tobaccos sourced from both the Dominican Republic and the U.S.A.

There are currently four vitolas in the La Aurora Especiales line.

• La Aurora Especiales Robusto (5 x 50) — $12 (Box of 20, $240)
• La Aurora Especiales Toro (5 3/4 x 54) — $13 (Box of 20, $260)
• La Aurora Especiales Corona Gorda (6 x 47) — $13 (Box of 20, $260)
• La Aurora Especiales Gran Toro (6 x 58) — $14 (Box of 20, $280)

The Especiales officially debuted during the Tobacco Plus Expo (TPE) in January packaged in boxes of 20, with only 1,000 boxes of each produced. The cigars started shipping to retailers in late February.

• Cigar Reviewed: La Aurora Especiales Corona Gorda
• Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
• Factory: La Aurora Cigar Factory
• Wrapper: Ecuador (Cameroon)
• Binder: Dominican Republic
• Filler: Dominican Republic & U.S.A.
• Length: 6 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 47
• Vitola: Corona Gorda
• MSRP: $13 (Box of 20, $260)
• Release Date: February 2022
• Number of Cigars Released: 1,000 Boxes of 20 Cigars (20,000 Total Cigars)
• Number of Cigars Smoked For Review: 3

“Attractive” is the first word that comes to mind when I see the La Aurora Especiales Corona Gorda for the first time, due to a combination of a gorgeous milk chocolate brown wrapper, a copious amount of oil and the fact that it is smooth as silk when touched. Having said that, one sample has more veins and bumps than the other two, while another features a small soft spot just below main band on the right, and all of the cigars are extremely hard when squeezed. The aroma from the wrapper is medium-full with distinct sweet oak, hay, leather, earth and manure having no problems making themselves known as I bring the cigar to my nose. However, the foot features a number of different scents, including nutmeg, generic nuts, raisins, barnyard and more oak. Finally, after a simple straight cut the cold draw includes flavors that seem to combine both former aspects: creamy oak, hay, sweet raisins, leather tack, cashews and a touch of black pepper.

While the foot of each of the La Aurora Especiales takes a little longer to light than I expected, all three feature the same notes of spicy oak combined with a blast of cotton candy sweetness to start, followed shortly after by a gritty earth flavor that joins the main combination for the entire first third. The profile becomes noticeably more creamy after about 15 puffs—with the spice receding quite a bit as well—and there are additional flavors of cashews, salted popcorn, roasted coffee beans, hay and slight citrus peel. One sample has a slight tang to the finish, and while it is not distinct enough for me to place as a specific flavor, it was not unpleasant at all. In addition, there is a bit of white pepper combined with some more of the aforementioned cotton candy sweetness on the retrohale, the latter of which already seems to be fading a bit. Flavor is a solid medium, while the body and strength end the first third at mild plus. In terms of construction, two of the cigars need no corrections and feature excellent draws, but my final sample runs into issues early due to a weird problem—see below for more details on that—resulting in an extremely open draw as well as the need for a relight.

There are a number of different changes to the profile during the second third of the Especiales, starting with the main flavors. While the oak note remains firmly in place, a creamy cashew flavor easily overtakes the earth note from the first third to round out the leading combination. Secondary flavors of plain oatmeal, hay, cocoa nibs, leather tack, earth and popcorn flit in and out at various times as well, while the cotton candy sweetness on the retrohale from the first third has been replaced with a strong raspberry sweetness that combines nicely with the white pepper that is still present. Flavor has bumped up to medium-full and the body is now at a point just under medium but the strength is holding steady at mild-plus. Thankfully, the draw tightens up on the problematic sample compared to the first third—although it still needs a correction and a relight at different points—with my lighter to keep things in check—while the other two cigars continue along their excellent paths.

The final third of the La Aurora is very similar to the second third, with the same oak and creamy cashew combination reigning supreme in the profile until the end of the cigar. Additional notes of dark chocolate, espresso beans, hay, oatmeal, cinnamon and slight cream are present and there is a bit more white pepper on the retrohale, but the amount of raspberry sweetness remains about the same. Flavor continues to be medium-full, while both the body and strength meet up at a solid medium, where they stay until the end of the cigar. Finally, all three cigars give me very few issues in the final third, with only one—yes, the same one that has given me problems until now—needing two corrections with my lighter before I put the nubs down with less than an inch remaining.

Final Notes

• According to La Aurora, the process of producing the Especiales—”from the seed to the final stage of packaging”—took a total of six years.

• As noted above, my final sample featured some significant construction issues: the draw started out extremely loose, and when I looked at the foot, I could not help but notice a massive hole in missing in the filler that was most likely the cause. While the draw did tighten up in the final two thirds, that sample also needed some burn corrections as well as a couple of relights that just were not issues in the other two cigars.
• Interestingly, even with all of the issues it had, the flavors in the profile of that problematic sample were relatively consistent with the first two cigars, albeit noticeably more muted and quite a bit harsher on the palate at times.
• Editor’s Note: The difference in scores between the sample with the issue and the other two samples was more than 15 points, an extremely wide, and rare, variance in scores for halfwheel. Without the third sample, the La Aurora Especiales was on its way to a very high score. — CM.
• In addition to the above, the ash on one of my samples became very flaky in final third, while the other two had no issues in that regard.
• La Aurora cigars are distributed by Miami Cigar & Co. in the U.S.
• Miami Cigar & Co. is an advertiser on halfwheel. In addition, La Aurora sent samples of this cigar, but those cigars were not used for this review.
• The cigars smoked for this review were purchased by halfwheel.
• Final smoking time averaged one hour and 39 minutes for all three samples.
• If you would like to purchase any of the La Aurora Especiales Corona Gorda cigars, site sponsor Famous Smoke Shop has them in stock here.