La Aurora Untamed Extreme Robusto

Last year, La Aurora added the Untamed, the most dramatic departure to the company’s then 111-year-old portfolio.

It was not only a matter of making a stronger cigar than La Aurora is known for, but also bringing very modern and aggressive packaging into what is a relatively traditional company. By all accounts that worked and this year, the company wanted to expand on its effort with the Untamed Extreme.

Blend-wise both cigars use a Connecticut broadleaf wrapper, Dominican binder and Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers, although it’s understood that Extreme is supposed to be a stronger version. It’s offered in three sizes: Robusto (5 x 50, $7.50), Toro (5 1/2 x 54, $9) and Gran (7 x 60, $11).

• Cigar Reviewed: La Aurora Untamed Extreme Robusto
• Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
• Factory: La Aurora Cigars Factory
• Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
• Binder: Dominican Republic
• Filler: Dominican Republic & Nicaragua
• Size: 5 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 50
• Vitola: Robusto
• MSRP: $7.50 (Boxes of 20, $150)
• Release Date: October 2015
• Number of Cigars Released: Regular Production
• Number of Cigars Smoked For Review: 3

The only way to tell the Untamed and its newer cousin apart is the secondary band as they both feature dark, oily Connecticut broadleaf wrappers and the same main band. From the wrapper I pick up peanut butter, leather and a touch of chocolate. There’s some muddy earth, roasted peanuts, white pepper, Nilla wafer, a bit of spiciness and leather. From the cold draw, the La Aurora tastes essentially like the end of a chocolate milk shake. There’s some faint touches of peanuts towards the end, but it really is like a chocolate milk shake.

I could have done with the start of the cigar continuing that trend, but it starts much saltier with a mixture of cedar and sunflower seeds over some cocoa. The draw tightens up a bit once the cigar is lit, but fortunately a few puffs in changes back to a normal pace. The Untamed Extreme has a gritty profile with burnt sourdough bread, green licorice and a lot of toasty earth. There’s a familiar chocolate milkshake on the finish, but it’s heavily influenced by the earthiness and not as precise as it was on the cold draw. The core flavors are medium-plus, but the finish is only medium. It’s solidly medium-full in both body and strength, but building.

The cocoa ramps up in the middle portions, no longer a chocolate milkshake and now more of a freshly melted semi-dark chocolate note. Unfortunately, there’s also a vegetal flavor and a sour lemon now around the earthiness in the back. It’s muddled and not the greatest combination of things. The finish adds some meatiness to a familiar peanut note and is the shining start of the second third. It does reach full in both flavor and strength, but the body oddly stays medium-full. Smoke production seems to slow down a bit, but the La Aurora’s construction is otherwise flawless.

Burnt sourdough returns for a few puffs with two inches left, but it’s quickly overwhelmed by a somewhat muted mixture of toasty, earthiness and leather. The Untamed Extreme’s decline in the crispness of the flavor continues. With an inch and a half left a harshness emerges from the grittiness and it becomes time for me to put the Untamed Extreme down.

Final Notes

• Strength got to be full, as did flavor. That being said, the flavors weren’t particularly lively.
• This is slightly stronger than the La Aurora Untamed.
• These bands were extremely difficult to photograph at night.
• The cigar doubted at the 2015 IPCPR Convention & Trade Show.
• While I think La Aurora did a really good job with the Untamed packaging, I think more changes were needed for the Untamed Extreme, as it’s just too similar.
• The whole approach of Untamed seems a bit odd given the Viva Republica brand. It just seems like the two are meant to compete against each other despite the fact they are both made at La Aurora and distributed by Miami Cigar & Co. in the U.S.
• Cigars for this review were provided by La Aurora’s distributor, Miami Cigar & Co., which advertises on halfwheel.
• Final smoking time was a lengthy one hour and 50 minutes.