The Good Stuff:  We joined Anthony Cantelmo and Antonio Gomez from La Flor Dominicana while we were in Phoenix at Fox Cigar Bar for the annual FoxToberfest event. While they showcased a blend they made exclusively for the event, there was another stick I had my eye on. La Flor Dominicana’s Mystery cigar. Basically it’s an event only release which carries the same idea as Quesada’s Heisenberg by not releasing any information about the blend. It’s a cigar, and you smoke it. That is all. I love trying to trudge through all the different tobaccos in a blend and deciphering the impact on the experience, but I also love the mystery in not knowing what’s in a cigar. It gives you an excuse to just sit back and enjoy it instead of picking it apart. We picked up a 5 pack of these bad boys as they came with the purchase of the FoxToberfest blend box.

Here is the press release concerning the blend:

PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Coral Gables, FL, Feb 11th, 2013 – La Flor Dominicana is proud to unveil its new event program for 2013. Known unofficially as the “Mystery Event,” it centers on an unreleased cigar called the “Mystery Cigar.

“The Mystery Cigar is a 6 ½ x 44 (Lonsdale) Maduro. This cigar will only be seen at select La Flor Dominicana Retailer Events throughout the country. The makeup of the cigar will remain a secret, although you can be certain there is a bit of Dominican Ligero from our farm in La Canela.

Consumers who come to the event can get a 5-pack of the Mystery Cigars when they buy a box of La Flor Dominicana cigars at the event. Retailers will also have a limited quantity of Mystery Cigars on hand during the LFD Events for purchase.

Another exciting part of our new promotion allows LFD box buyers to have an opportunity to win a trip to our LFD factory in Tamboril, Dominican Republic. Where they get to go behind the scenes and see how cigars are made.

Depending on the success of our new Mystery Cigar event it will also be coming again in 2014. Of course the natural question about this event is “will this years Mystery cigar go into production?” And of course the answer is “that depends on feedback from the smokers.” We love the new cigar a lot, but we would love to get consumer feedback as we test this new blend across the nation.

It is also unknown how many boxes will be released. I have seen these available in both 5-count and 20-count boxes and only in Lonsdale format.

Size: 6.5 x 44
Wrapper: Unknown
Binder: Unknown
Filler: Unknown
Body: Medium/Full
Strength: Medium/Full
Price: $7.75
Pairing: Lagunitas Brown Shugga’ (American Strong Ale 9.99% ABV)

Prelight: First off, I absolutely love the size. I am a big fan of smaller ring gauge cigars and my two favorite formats are corona and Lonsdale. Throw in a boxpress the La Flor Dominicana did on this Mystery cigar and I’m sold! As an extra touch the slender body of the cigar leads up to an awesome rounded bunched cap. The wrapper on the Mystery cigar in very consistent, dark brown with a few darker areas and one or two larger veins running through the body. The wrapper leaf isn’t very oily, but it’s incredibly toothy and dense. The wrapper feels very, very hard and the rest of the cigar carries absolutely no soft spots. The Mystery cigar is polished off with the standard red, gold, and black “LFD” band.

I don’t get much aroma at all from the wrapper of the cigar but the foot on the Mystery gives off a very spicy, very oaty aroma. The cap cut extremely easy using my double bladed Palio cutter. The oaty aroma I picked up came through boldly in the cold draw with just dabs of spice and tobacco.

First Smoke: LFD’s Mystery cigar lit up quick and easily using my single flame torch. Right off the bat I was greeted with a huge lot of black pepper and spice. Once the pepper began to settle down the Mystery cigar started to show it’s true colors with some awesome cedar, spice, sweetness, a bit of brown sugar, and a neat little floral note on the finish. It’s not starting as bold as a lot of other La Flor Dominicana cigars out there, but it packs some great flavors. The draw was spot on. Each little puff produced the perfect amount of thick, white smoke. The burnline was a little rough, but nothing that needed any extra action from my torch. The ash left behind was a dark and medium gray. While it was pretty tightly compacted, because of the density of the format it only held on for about ¾ of a inch before falling into my ashtray.

Halfway There: Into the second third of this LFD Mystery cigar and the pepper has completely faded out while the spice is still in the mix over some tasty cedar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and again that floral finish. The flavors in this thing are great. The strength isn’t as full as I would normally expect from an LFD cigar either. It’s just a bit above medium and I am feeling nothing in terms of nicotine as I close out the second third. The burnline is still a bit chunky, but again, if I don’t have to fuss with it then it’s not bothering me.

Finish: The strength in the Mystery cigar started to ramp up into the final third. It’s still not a power house cigar, but I really enjoy having that extra “umph” in there. The flavors are still similar with the spice, brown sugar, and floral finish but in the final third some creamy, natural tobacco flavors began to mix in with the strong cedar creating a very smooth finish. I am feeling only a very slight nicotine kick, no harshness at all, and I never had to touch up or relight this cigar the entire hour and a half it took to take it down to the nub.

Overview: This is just another great cigar to add to the already stacked La Flor Dominicana portfolio. It’s not as bold as some other LFD’s but it makes up for that with some amazing flavors, and an incredibly smooth and enjoyable experience.  My only complaint is how difficult it is to get your hands on these cigars. There was plenty to go around during the event, but I fear I would have a hard time finding a box if I went searching for one (Which I just might). Outside of that, the price point, vitola, and overall great experience make for a very box worthy cigar that I would welcome into my daily rotation with open arms.

Pairing: I couldn’t think of a better beer to pair with the LFD Mystery cigar other than Lagunitas’ Brown Shugga’. As the name would suggest it’s packed with some great brown sugar sweetness while still carrying a bit of the hoppiness that Lagunitas is known for. I also picked up some great citrus, caramel, and lots of maltiness. You gotta love the ABV on this guy too coming in at a whopping 9.99%. I’m sure that sugar had a lot to do with that. Either way the flavors mended in perfectly with the cedar, spice, and sweetness from the cigar. It’s almost as if these two were made for each other.

The post La Flor Dominicana – LFD – Mystery Cigar appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

When I received the cigars, I was instantly impressed by the presentation of the Carajos. I absolutely love the packaging in the cedar box/sleeve and the size of these puppies. Browsing laflordominicana.com, I did not come across any information on these sticks. After messaging Anthony Cantelmo for some information on the cigar, I was forwarded an e-mail from Antonio “Tony” Gomez, Litto Gomez’s son, about the Carajo. This is what Tony has to say:

The Carajos are basically an experiment to see how big a % of Ligero we could fit into a cigar relative to its ring gauge. Carajo is one of those words that can be used in a lot of different ways and doesn’t necessarily have an exact definition, but it is typically used as an exclamation or for emphasis. I’d say that “Los Carajos” loosely translates to “The Shit”. Anyone that lights up a Carajo will experience an immediate blast of power and flavor and it wouldn’t be out of the ordinary for them to proclaim “Carajo!” or “Shit!” haha.

The Facts

Vitola: Petit Corona
Size: 4 by 34
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra Maduro
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican
Pairing: N/A
Smoke Time: 50 Minutes

Pre-light

This petite corona sports a dark reddish brown wrapper that has a very fine tooth.  The cigar is firmly packed from head to foot, and I encounter no soft spots during my pre-light inspection.  The wrapper aroma is of cedar, which is expected due to the packaging of the cigar. I do not pull much else off the foot other than a mild spice sting in the nose.

The cap has been applied neatly. A nice change from the last couple of cigars I have reviewed. The double cap clips clean, revealing a great draw . The cold draw delivers cedar and rich tobacco, with hints of cinnamon and nutmeg.

First Third

This LFD  is comfortable in several respects. The small ring gauge makes it comfortable in the hand and mouth, and the draw has just the right amount of resistance. The Carajo Maduro is producing a satisfying amount of smoke that is delivering heavy flavors of black coffee and earth, and a black pepper spice that warms my palate. I will not be retrohaling this cigar often due to the sharp,black pepper blast. A salt and pepper, layered ash is holding strong. The fine tooth on the wrapper leaf can be seen in the ash as it burns down. The thick eyeliner burn is even and the ash holds to three-fourths of an inch before dropping.

Middle Third

The spice has picked up leaving a tingle at the back of my throat. A rich cedar has arrived in the flavor mix bringing a nice balance to the coffee and earth. Already making my way down to the disproportionately large band, I remove it with ease. There seems to be an unidentifiable sweetness attempting to make its way into the flavors. With this being a Maduro, I did expect some sweetness in the smoke.  No change in the burn or ash. It is nice to see such a small ring gauge producing a firm ash that isn’t constantly dropping in my lap.

Final Third

The flavors have been full throughout but it is just as I enter the final third that I begin feeling a relaxing amount of nicotine. If this cigar was any larger, I would probably need a fuller stomach to smoke it without getting sick. All the flavors from the previous thirds have balanced making this one heck of a pleasant smoke. Now I am wishing I had a few more inches! The richness continues to pick up pace, as well as the sweetness that seems to be more of raw sugar sweetness than anything else. Some heat is forming  in the smoke and on the tips of my fingers, letting me know it is time to put this cigar to a close.

Wrap-up

The La Flor Dominicana Carajo Maduro delivered bold flavors, with a nice amount of spice that will wake you up and keep you interested in the cigar. The burn line and ash were exceptional for a petit corona and I can’t forget the perfect draw. I have smoked through half of the 6 pack, and all have performed at the same level. A 6 pack of the LFD Carajo Maduros can be found online around $18, which is an easy buy in my book. According to a halfwheel.com news piece, there has been a change in packaging to boxes of 5 that will be offered at $15.60. However, as of now, the 6 count boxes can still be found online. I am always on the lookout for great, small cigars that can be enjoyed commuting to and from work or maybe even during a lunch hour. While this may not be a cigar I would smoke on my way to work, I will definitely keep a handful around for the drive home or a quick lunch break.

The post La Flor Dominicana – Carajo Maduro appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.