For the fifth size in the New World Dorado line, AJ Fernandez selected a corona vitola that would become the line’s thinnest ring gauge, while only being just an eighth of an inch longer than its shortest vitola. The new size is a 5 5/8 x 46 corona that, like the other sizes in the line, is box-pressed.
The blend remains the same, with a Nicaraguan sun-grown habano wrapper atop a Nicaraguan binder and filler. The majority of the tobacco used in the blend comes from AJ Fernandez’s Dorado farm in Estelí. Dorado is the Spanish word for golden, which is reflected on the cigar in the gold foot ribbon, as well as the use of golden colors on the band. The line is produced at AJ Fernandez’s San Lotano Factory in Ocotal, Nicaragua, which is located about 50 miles north of Estelí and about 15 miles south of the border with Honduras.
Note: The following shows the various New World Dorado cigars that have been released over the years. Some of these cigars may have been released after this post was originally published. The list was last updated on Oct. 11, 2023.
When I start on this section of a review, I often start by trying to think of the one thing I would tell someone if I were tasked with selling them on why to spend their money on this cigar. I could certainly say that the New World Dorado Corona has plenty of vibrant flavor, particularly if a pepper-forward, earthy and eventually robust profile sounds appealing. I could make the case that it’s priced pretty well, though that is always subjective. But the more I think about it, I don’t know what my elevator speech on the New World Dorado Corona would be, other than to simply try something different. If asked about the one thing I will most likely remember about the cigar, it is the focused pepper that hit the top of my throat with remarkable consistency, something that I’m sure the people behind it would rather not be the most memorable thing about it. Yet beyond that, it’s still quite good and enjoyable, there’s few, if any, harsh spots, and the construction was near flawless across the three samples. But ask me in a week to describe this cigar, and I’m not sure I could give you anything that would be helpful if printed on a shelf talker. The New World Dorado Corona was certainly an enjoyable cigar, yet for my palate, stopped short of crossing into that upper echelon of cigar experiences that imprint themselves into my memory.
The New World Dorado Corona began shipping to stores in mid-August 2023.
Cigar Reviewed: New World Dorado Corona
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Factory: San Lotano Factory
Wrapper: Nicaragua (Habano Sun Grown)
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Length: 5 5/8 inches
Ring Gauge: 48
Vitola: Corona
MSRP: $10 (Box of 10, $100)
Release Date: August 2023
Number of Cigars Released: Regular Production
Number of Cigars Smoked For Review: 3
At first glance, the New World Dorado Corona looks very good, with an even color that I’d describe as being just a tick darker than medium brown. The three cigars each look to have a matte finish, but upon closer inspection, I find some oiliness on the wrappers, as well as a bit of very fine texture. The band is a bit big for the cigar, the N in New World is almost completely covered, but beyond that I have no qualms. As noted above, the New World Dorado Corona gets a box press, and as such I find it to have a soft, pillowy density, maybe a tick or two softer than average for a box-pressed cigar in two of the three I have queued up for this review. The head is also more pronounced than I would consider average, with just slightly more elongated shoulders. The foot has an aroma that is slightly sweet, though I can’t quite place what it or its underlying components are. One sniff makes me think of a butter-glazed roll, another makes me think of Frosted Flakes, though neither is a spot-on description. The cold draw is smooth but ranges from the middle of the spectrum to just a tick open or a tick loose, The flavors are fairly subdued, with a touch of buttered dinner rolls, a very faint hint of airy mint, and very little, if any, pepper to be found.
The first puffs have more pepper than I would have been led to believe based on the aroma and cold draw, yet it’s not overbearing with pepper out of the gate. Dry earth is the main backing flavor, then a bit of wheat bread, with some hints of creaminess developing in the first inch. There’s also a rather long, pepper-driven finish that is aimed squarely at the top of my throat. As the first third progresses, the cigar gets toasty, with a bit more wood in the equation and the emergence of some of those cereal notes, but they get overshadowed by the pepper. Retrohales have a nostril-opening amount of pepper to them; were I feeling congested, this would seemingly be as effective of a remedy as anything I’d have on hand. A bit of heat tags along with the pepper, the combination lingers clearly on the palate as this section finishes. One sample has a slightly sour finish, but it’s fairly minor and only appears one time. Flavor sits between medium and full in the first third, body is medium-plus and strength is mild thus far. Construction is very good in all categories and in all three cigars.
Creaminess and pepper start the second third of the New World Dorado Corona, with a custard-like first impression that quickly turns peppery while the smoke is in my mouth and then on the exhale and retrohale. While I enjoy the pepper in the profile, the finish is a bit less enjoyable as that pepper is quite focused on a single spot at the top of my throat, almost like it’s boring into it with some heat. It isn’t as noticeable in the first cigar, but in the other two, it becomes notable and almost expected, as it is one of a handful of consistent experiences across the three cigars. The pepper in one cigar becomes particularly strong, almost as if a higher priming of tobacco found its way into the blend, and it intensifies both puffs and retrohales. By the midway point, the creaminess is out of the lead flavors, now more of an accent to an increasingly robust and earthy core profile, and that change sticks around for the rest of this section. It also takes the flavor up to medium-full, while the body of the smoke sits closer to medium, while strength is now closer to medium. Construction remains very good with absolutely no problems in draw, smoke production, burn line, ash or any other aspect of construction.
A bit of a well-baked, plain cake donut manages to push through the earthiness as the final third gets underway, though there is still plenty of pepper to be found both on the palate and through the nose, and it still hits the back of my throat with a particular focus. The dropoff in earthiness thins out the body of the smoke a bit, nudging it just under medium for a few puffs, a change that makes me wish the creaminess would return. As the end of the cigar approaches, the cigar keeps leaning into its pepper, including via retrohales, though they are manageable, while my palate is on the verge of fatigue. This section is also where the cigar teeters on the line of being too much. As much as I wish that the finish would soften up, it doesn’t, but I will count it as a positive that it doesn’t go overboard in two of the three cigars, while the third makes a couple of steps over the line for my liking. The New World Dorado Corona finishes full in flavor, medium-plus in body and medium-plus in strength. Construction remains fantastic and problem-free.
Final Notes:
This is the second cigar that I’ve reviewed recently that had bands that appeared to be too big for them; the other was the Powstanie Broadleaf Corona Gorda.
You can also find the New World Dorado Corona in the New World Dorado The Gold Standard Sampler, which includes one of each of the line’s five sizes. If you’re a fan of the line, I’d recommend picking one up as a way to smoke the five sizes and see if you notice a difference among the various vitolas
Finding a patched wrapper is nothing new. While not ideal, it is probably better than not patching it. Yet, one of the New World Dorado Coronas had one of the largest patches I’ve seen on a premium cigar, as it covers three sides:
Give the final third, I was a bit surprised that I didn’t get more nicotine strength from the New World Dorado Corona, but none of the three cigars had me feeling woozy once done. If anything, whatever strength the cigars offered was only noticeable while smoking them and dissipated as soon as the cigars were in the ashtray.
As has been noted before, the inside of the band features Abdel Fernández’s signature, which is printed in such a way that I have seen numerous people think it was actually signed by hand.
It also leads me to wonder if some people who post about it in Facebook groups truly believe it was hand-signed, or if they are simply trying to see if others believe it. Sort of the “legit Cubans?” question that pops up daily.
I’d love to do the math to see how long it would take Abdel Fernández to sign a single day’s production of cigars from his main factory in Estelí, Nicaragua. I’m pretty confident it would be a multi-day task.
Regardless, I commend the company for using the back of its bands for something that starts a conversation and gets pictures of it posted on social media. I’ve long maintained that the back of a cigar band is good real estate that can be used for any number of purposes.
The cigars for this review were purchased by halfwheel.
Final smoking time was one hour and 45 minutes on average.
Site sponsors Atlantic Cigar Co., Cigaras Direct. carries the New World Dorado Corona. Some of those stores, as well as Gotham Cigars, carry the New World Dorado The Gold Standard sampler, in which you can get the corona vitola.
88Overall Score
When I start on this section of a review, I often start by trying to think of the one thing I would tell someone if I were tasked with selling them on why to spend their money on this cigar. I could certainly say that the New World Dorado Corona has plenty of vibrant flavor, particularly if a pepper-forward, earthy and eventually robust profile sounds appealing. I could make the case that it’s priced pretty well, though that is always subjective. But the more I think about it, I don’t know what my elevator speech on the New World Dorado Corona would be, other than to simply try something different. If asked about the one thing I will most likely remember about the cigar, it is the focused pepper that hit the top of my throat with remarkable consistency, something that I’m sure the people behind it would rather not be the most memorable thing about it. Yet beyond that, it’s still quite good and enjoyable, there’s few, if any, harsh spots, and the construction was near flawless across the three samples. But ask me in a week to describe this cigar, and I’m not sure I could give you anything that would be helpful if printed on a shelf talker. The New World Dorado Corona was certainly an enjoyable cigar, yet for my palate, stopped short of crossing into that upper echelon of cigar experiences that imprint themselves into my memory.
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.
