La Flor Dominicana Factory Press Limitado (2013)

In 2013, La Flor Dominicana released the newest iteration in its Factory Press line, the Factory Press Limitado. Having debuted at the RTDA show in 2005—the precursor to the IPCPR Convention & Trade Show—the Factory Press line is made up of cigars that feature an extreme box-press shape that are sold in chests that hold 10 factory press molds with 12 cigars in each mold.

Coming in at 6 1/4 x 60, the sixth—and so far, final—release in the series was named the La Flor Dominicana Factory Press Limitado, and was composed of a an aged Ecuadoran dark sumatra wrapper covering a Nicaraguan binder and Dominican filler tobaccos. While final production numbers are not known, each cigar had an MSRP of $14.50 and was packaged in molds of 12.

There have now been six different releases in the Factory Press series.

• La Flor Dominicana Factory Press I (6 1/2 x 60) — 2005
• La Flor Dominicana Factory Press II (6 1/4 x 54) — 2006
• La Flor Dominicana Factory Press Limitado (6 1/4 x 54) — 2007*
• La Flor Dominicana Factory Press III (6 1/4 x 58) — 2008
• La Flor Dominicana Factory Press IV (6 1/2 x 60) — 2011
• La Flor Dominicana Factory Press Limitado (6 1/4 x 60) — 2013

*This release also has been characterized as “Limited Release Factory Press II” 

Here is what I said in my original review back in 2013:

Much like the La Flor Dominicana Mystery, I found the blend of the La Flor Dominicana Factory Press Limitado to be significantly sweeter and have less overt strength than I was expecting, and that is a positive trait, at least for me. The construction was excellent on both samples I smoked and I literately could not ask for more in that regard. Although the flavors in the profile is not overly complex and does not change up all that much as it progresses, I really enjoyed the flavors that were present. While the Factory Press Limitado is not going to knock out my favorite La Flor Dominicana, the Cameroon Cabinet, it is a very solid addition to their lineup.

• Cigar Reviewed: La Flor Dominicana Factory Press Limitado (2013)
• Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
• Factory: Tabacalera La Flor S.A.
• Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra
• Binder: Nicaraguan habano
• Filler: Dominican Republic
• Length: 6 1/4 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 60
• Vitola: Gordo
• MSRP: $14.50 (Boxes of 12, $174.00)
• Release Date: August 2013
• Number of Cigars Released: n/a
• Number of Cigars Smoked For Redux: 1

Much like the first time I reviewed it, the La Flor Dominicana Factory Press Limitado is covered in a mottled mocha brown wrapper that is silky smooth to the touch with no obvious veins. As with all Factory Press releases, it has an extreme box-press and has a little resistance when squeezed Aroma coming off of the wrapper is a combination of sweet leather, barnyard, black pepper, espresso beans and hay, while the cold draw brings flavors of sweet milk chocolate, nutmeg, black pepper, anise, leather and cocoa nibs.

Starting out, the Factory Press Limitado brings immediate flavors of creamy leather, milk chocolate and fresh coffee grounds with lesser notes of hay, earth and aromatic cedar. There is a great berry sweetness that is present from the first puff that keeps getting stronger as the cigar burns down, hitting its high point just after the halfway point before starting to slowly decline. Interestingly, while there is very little pepper that is obvious during the first third, it becomes more obvious as the second third starts and remains a strong presence until the end of the cigar. The profile shifts a bit in the second third, with the aromatic cedar becoming the dominant flavor, along with new notes of barnyard, buttery popcorn and fresh cut grass.

Construction-wise, the La Flor Dominicana Factory Press Limitado is excellent in every regard from a close to razor sharp burn line that only needs to be touched up once early on to a draw with just the right amount of resistance after a simple straight cut. In addition, the smoke production is quite high for the entire cigar, while the smoke itself is dense and white, leading to some great smoke rings. The strength is a bit surprising, hitting the medium mark early in the second third before finally leveling out at a level slightly above full at the middle of the final third, although it never comes close to being overwhelming.