For their 20th anniversary, Anthony’s Cigar Emporium in Tucson, Ariz. celebrated by commissioning two special cigars – one was the My Father Le Bijou 1922 The Martino, which Charlie Minato reviewed last week, and the other one was the La Flor Dominicana Anthony’s Cigar Emporium 20th which I’ll be taking a look at today. Not only is Anthony’s celebrating their 20th anniversary, but the Gomez family of La Flor Dominicana is also commemorating two decades of cigar making. La Flor was chosen for a number of reasons, one of which was that it was one of the first brands for the store itself to carry.

Anthony s Cigar Emporium Anniversary Cigars

 

  • My Father Le Bijou 1922 The Martino (4 1/2 x 50) — Nov. 14, 2014 — 500 Boxes of 15 Cigars (7,500 Total Cigars)
  • La Flor Dominicana Anthony’s Cigar Emporium 20th Anniversary (6 1/4 x 60) — Nov. 18, 2014 — 200 Boxes of 10 Cigars (2,000 Total Cigars)

The cigar was released at an event on Nov. 18, which had Litto Gomez in attendance. Afterwards the cigar was made available at the store’s other locations and website.

La Flor Dominicana Anthonys Cigar Emporium 20th-1

(Box image courtesy of Anthony’s Cigar Emporium.)

La Flor Dominicana Anthony s Cigar Emporium 20th Anniversary 1

  • Cigar Reviewed: La Flor Dominicana Anthony’s Cigar Emporium 20th Anniversary
  • Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
  • Factory: Tabacalera La Flor S.A.
  • Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro
  • Binder: Dominican Republic
  • Filler: Dominican Republic
  • Size: 6 1/4 Inches
  • Ring Gauge: 60
  • Vitola: Gordo
  • MSRP: $11.50 (Boxes of 10, $115)
  • Date Released: Nov. 18, 2014
  • Number of Cigars Released: 200 Boxes of 10 Cigars (2,000 Total Cigars)
  • Number of Cigars Smoked For Review: 2

The LFD Anthony’s Cigar Emporium has a dark chocolate colored wrapper with many visible veins, though not ones that are palpable. The wrapper isn’t what I would call rough or smooth, but it’s closer to the smoother side of the spectrum and has a nice oily feel to it. Giving it a light squeeze there’s hardly any give at all and is quite hard. The aroma off the wrapper is a rich earth, cocoa and leather mix while the cold draw is much more delicate with a chocolate pudding note alongside some barnyard and black pepper.

Starting into the cigar it’s a bold but not an overwhelming profile of earthiness, black pepper, a little baking cocoa and an amazing hazelnut note. The burn isn’t perfect starting out, with a small spike in the burn line, but other than that it’s fairly even. The ash looks a little flaky, though none is actually coming off and it holds on to just under the inch mark. About an inch in, the wrapper seems to be having a little trouble keeping up on one side, so a little touch up is needed. The draw is pretty good, right in the middle of the ideal range. There hasn’t been much change in the notes that make up the profile, but it seems to have gotten a little sweeter and smoother.

La Flor Dominicana Anthony s Cigar Emporium 20th Anniversary 2

Moving into the second third the earth and nuttiness has maintained while the black pepper has grown. The cocoa seems to have faded away, though it was replaced with a cinnamon note and some cedar shavings. The burn continues to be an issue, seemingly okay after a touch up only to have an entire side lag behind the combustion again. The ash has become less stable as well, actually flaking off instead of just looking like it will. The profile continues to be the redeeming factor, with a very enjoyable mix of flavors

La Flor Dominicana Anthony s Cigar Emporium 20th Anniversary 3

The final third continues with burn issues and one relight, though the profile continues to keep me interested. Cocoa has made a reappearance in the last two inches, and alongside the nuttiness, black pepper, cinnamon and cedar it’s a very interesting and enjoyable profile. Unfortunately the burn continues to be an issue, to the point of the cigar going out with about an inch left. At this point I’m frustrated enough with the construction issues that it’s enough of a sign for me to put the cigar down.

La Flor Dominicana Anthony s Cigar Emporium 20th Anniversary 4

Final Notes

  • Like nearly every other La Flor Dominicana single store exclusive, there is nothing to tell this release apart from any other beyond the size.
  • The burn issues were extremely frustrating. Touch ups would put a temporary bandaid on the issue, but it would almost immediately crop up again.
  • The strength on this was pretty classic LFD – strong and left me feeling it for a while afterwards.
  • I find it very fitting that both ACE and LFD were celebrating its 20th anniversary, although as we’ve mentioned before, the latter as a company is not really 20-years-old.
  • The cigars for this review were purchased by halfwheel.
  • Final smoking time averaged right around two and a half hours.
  • Anthony’s Cigar Emporium lists the LFD ACE as in stock on its website. You can also call 1-844-4-CIGARS (844-424-4277) to order it. Be sure to tell them you heard about it on halfwheel.
85 Overall Score

Most of the time if I’m continuously having to touch up a cigar, I’ve put it down before I’m halfway through and moved onto something else. There are only a few cigars that I’ve smoked that I can say had some really terrible burn issues that I wanted to keep smoking because the profile was so enjoyable. The La Flor Dominicana Anthony’s Cigar Emporium 20th has now been added to that list. Despite the burn issues, the profile was nuanced and developed throughout the cigar, keeping it interesting and continuously bringing my focus back the profile and not the burn. These are still in stock now, but if you want to try them I’d hurry because they won’t last long.

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Brian Burt

I have been smoking cigars since 2005 and reviewing them as a hobby since 2010. Initially, I started out small with a 50-count humidor and only smoking one or two cigars a month. Not knowing anybody else that smoked cigars, it was only an occasional hobby that I took part in. In March of 2010, I joined Nublive and Cigar Asylum, connecting me with many people who also shared an interest in cigars. Reading what they had to say about brands I had never heard of, I quickly immersed myself in the boutique brands of the industry and it was then that cigars transformed from a hobby into a passion.