La Flor Dominicana TAA The Golden Salomon Natural

Since 2018, La Flor Dominicana has used what it calls the Golden Blend to create cigars for the Tobacconists’ Association of America (TAA) and its Exclusive Series Program. The blend was created in celebration of the TAA’s 50th anniversary, also known as the golden anniversary, and has been offered in both natural and maduro versions.

According to the company, 2022 was the final year that the Golden Blend would be used for TAA releases, and LFD sent it out in a grand vitola, a 7 x 64 salomon.

The blend details for the La Flor Dominicana TAA The Golden Salomon Natural have not been released, though previous versions of the Golden Blend have used a Nicaraguan sun-grown wrapper for the natural version, while the maduro version used a Connecticut broadleaf wrapper. Underneath those leaves has been a variety of Dominican leaves, including a corojo 99 binder that, when announced, the company said was only being used for its TAA releases.

In December 2022, the cigars began shipping to TAA retailers that ordered them several months earlier.

• Cigar Reviewed: La Flor Dominicana TAA The Golden Salomon Natural
• Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
• Factory: Tabacalera La Flor S.A.
• Wrapper: Undisclosed
• Binder: Undisclosed
• Filler: Undisclosed
• Length: 7 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 64
• Vitola: Salomon
• MSRP: $35 (Box of 10, $350)
• Release Date: December 2022
• Number of Cigars Released: 400 Boxes of 10 Cigars (4,000 Total Cigars)
• Number of Cigars Smoked For Review: 3

I really like the color of the wrappers on these cigars, as they are a medium shade of brown that doesn’t inherently remind me of anything other than tobacco. Even though there generally isn’t a lot of sheen, there is a bit of oiliness to the leaves that is picked up by my fingers. In my opinion, the wrappers look even better when there is that oiliness. If anything, the wrappers have some noticeable veins, but they don’t bother me one bit. Each cigar is rolled to a point where it feels quite firm, and each of the three cigars shows consistency in firmness, which is impressive on its own but even more so given the vitola. Aroma off the wrapper is like a freshly opened package of graham crackers, with a bit of sweetness an overall first impression that isn’t shy but isn’t overpowering. The small opening at the foot doesn’t allow much of the binder or filler to join the aroma, so it’s more of the same graham cracker aroma, though one cigar adds just a bit of a peppery undertone. Airflow is good but can be a bit firm as I expected given the size of the foot, though it doesn’t concern me as I’m optimistic it will improve once lit. Graham crackers are present here as well, as is a bit of creaminess, with little pepper present.

The La Flor Dominicana TAA The Golden Salomon Natural begins with a profile that starts by reminding me of slightly watery oatmeal, with one cigar adding a bit of a funky edge that I can’t quite identify. As the first puffs continue, I find a bit of creaminess, some dry earth and bread crust contributing in varying degrees. Once the burn line reaches the larger part of the foot, I get some wood in the mix, followed by the addition of dry Cheerios and the first sensation of some pepper on my taste buds. The draws in the early goings largely mirror the cold draws; one cigar gives me a firm draw that needs to be muscled through, though it does get better once the burn line reaches the larger portion of the cigar. Another cigar, which has the loosest draw of the three, doesn’t show any of the restrictions or indication that the vitola might be affecting airflow, though it does seem to firm up a bit in the first minutes after lighting the cigar. One cigar has the creaminess in a position that it catches my attention more than the other two do, and I definitely enjoy this particular expression of the blend more than the other two. The first third of the cigar definitely feels like it is trying to sort itself and its flavors out, as while it is enjoyable, the flavors that the cigar offers still taste more individual than cohesive, something I’m hopeful can get resolved in the coming puffs. Assuming the cigar is lit evenly, the burn line stays even but might require the occasional touch-up to even things out, though it’s nothing I’m willing to deduct points for given the vitola. Smoke production is good though not particularly voluminous, while draw is good on the whole but with some variance. Flavor is medium, body is medium-minus, and strength is mild.

The second third sees the flavors come together a bit as I had hoped, tied together by a bit of creaminess that is a fairly new addition to the profile, though it has made appearances previously. It is a very subtle addition in the first part of this section, building to a more noticeable and standout contributor by the midway point, with the exception of one cigar where it was present in the first third. While the La Flor Dominicana TAA The Golden Salomon Natural has had numerous individual flavors up to this point, I wouldn’t call it a complex cigar because of how the flavors seemed more individual than cohesive. That definitely changes in this section, as I can now taste creaminess, earth, black pepper, campfire and graham cracker layering upon each other in a way that really works well. I’m a bit surprised that retrohales aren’t more potent, but I’m not complaining, as they provide a gentle accent to the flavor with just a bit of peppery tingle. At the midway point, the La Flor Dominicana TAA The Golden Salomon Natural has both a creamy undertone and a smoky top layer, an interesting contrast that the smoke creates on the way in and out of my mouth. Retrohales don’t show quite as much of the creaminess, but rather add another layer of smoky pepper to the experience. This profile holds steady for the remainder of the second third, something I’m quite pleased with as the cigar is showing very good complexity and balance. Flavor is medium-plus and occasionally medium-full with a retrohale, while body is medium-plus and strength is medium-minus. Construction is very good and hasn’t presented me with any issues of note.

The start of the final third is likely the peak of the cigar to this point, as it feels like all the components have aligned and the cigar is delivering its pepper better, both in terms of intensity and where it falls in the layering of flavors. Around that pepper is either a toasted plain bagel or a Hawaiian sweet roll, common in the bread note but rather different experiences on the palate. Both are enjoyable, and both get accented by sprinklings of pepper, which makes for an interesting combination with the sweetness when it is present. Retrohales add a bit more to the profile, though I’m not quite sure if it’s for the better, and it’s this change that signals that the cigar is undergoing some broader changes. There’s a bit more roughness to the profile, as I get a very dry chalk sensation and something that reminds me of Altoids but with less of a minty flavor. The final two inches bring a bit of heat to the profile, which isn’t a great addition for my palate as it makes the flavor sharp and accelerates the feeling of palate fatigue. Flavor in this section is generally medium-plus but does inch up into full territory at the very end, while body and strength both stay around medium. Construction remains very good, though at times I find myself spacing out my puffs so as to not double down on the harsher flavors, which means I need to give a cigar an occasional relight.

Final Notes

• The La Flor Dominicana TAA 2018 Golden “Oro” Anniversary, which was the first time the Golden Blend was used, was also one of the more memorable packaging designs I can recall. The boxes were mocked up Tony Gomez during the TAA’s gathering using WhatsApp, and it became the basis for the final packaging.
• I reviewed that cigar as well in December 2018, and reduxed it in January 2021.
• While I’d love to see that packaging return, sometimes it’s best to just leave something as a one-off in order to stay away from trying to improve upon something so distinctive.
• The 2022 release, known as the La Flor Dominicana TAA 50th Oro Tercera Edition, came in the company’s iconic chisel vitola, which is the other size I associate with La Flor Dominicana.
• While a number of companies produce cigars in the salomon vitola, I will always associate it with La Flor Dominicana after the highly-regarded cigar the company released in the late 2000s.
• The La Flor Dominicana TAA The Golden Salomon Natural flirts with some nicotine strength at times, but never crosses the line where I feel it after putting the cigars down.
• The cigars for this review were purchased by halfwheel.
• Final smoking time was two hours and 45 minutes on average.
• Site sponsor Corona Cigar Co. carries the La Flor Dominicana TAA The Golden Salomon Natural.

Patrick Lagreid

I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for Major League Baseball, plus I'm a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.