La Aurora Preferidos Gold Tubos (Corojo) Review
Cigar: La Aurora Preferidos Gold Tubos
Size: Perfecto 5" x 54
Wrapper: Corojo
Binder: Corojo
Filler: Dominican Republic/Brazilian Bahia/Cameroon
Price: MSRP ~$20
Initial Impression/Prelight
This Gold appears, like the others in the Preferidos line I've enjoyed, to be well-rolled. It is firm all the way down the length, with no bumps. The wrapper is top-grade with small veins and no visible blotches or imperfections. It is a medium golden brown, smooth and even satiny to the touch, with only a light sheen of oils. I gave it a pre-cut sniff and picked up barnyard and pepper, then after I nipped about 1/4" I got some light hay but little else. The draw was too tight, but I've smoked enough of these now that I know not to cut any more off - the tapered perfecto foot doesn't let enough air through until you've gotten a few puffs in, and if you cut too much to start you may end with a more open draw than you want.
The band is the same as all the other Preferidos, displaying the La Aurora lion. This cigar came in a gold aluminum tubo which is pretty cool the first time, but I'd probably rather just have the cigar run $1 cheaper with no tubo. I picked up a box of these about 3 months ago, and they've been resting at 65% in my wineador ever since. North Texas was blessed with a smashing 65 degree day, so I took some time this afternoon to enjoy the weather, the sun, and the ducks on the pond behind my house along with this fine smoke.
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1st Third
Rookie mistake right off the bat - it was bright and sunny out and I couldn't see the flame on the torch lighter very well, and I just blasted the foot badly. Scorched the wrapper about 1/4" down, and the first few puffs were pretty harsh. I puffed and purged a few times, and it took a few minutes to get to the good stuff. I finally got down to some oaky wood flavor and a big, almost "uh-oh", blast of red pepper. The pepper did die down by the end of this section, and I don't know how much to attribute to my extremely poor initial lighting attempt. The smoke was plentiful and white, while the flaky ash surprised me, both for the flakiness and the fact that it dropped off less than an inch in. I'd call it medium-full flavor and medium- strength at the end of this section.
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2nd Third
The cigar really started impressing me in this third. About 1 1/2" in the smoke becomes much more creamy. Any hint of harshness is long forgotten, and the pepper and oak have died out too. The flavors are replaced by some cedar, leather, and saltiness, along with that creaminess and tobacco sweetness. The ash is still a little flaky but firming up, and if the smoke output doesn't quite match my own gold standard (Padron), it's still plentiful and white, pouring from both ends after each puff. I started getting some spiciness like nutmeg towards the end of this section, which closes at medium+ flavor and medium strength.
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Final Third
I loved this part - smoooooth and buttery and spicy. Again the leather and cedar basically faded out, and the best way I can describe the flavors at the end is that it tastes like a spice cake smells while it's baking. I got more of that light tobacco sweetness, and the lip-tingling baking spices really dominate. I let the smoke creep towards the back of my throat and waft out slowly, and I did pick up some of that early red pepper towards the end too. I used a classy toothpick to help me smoke this one down to the very end, and never got a hint of harshness even as it heated up.
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Overall Impressions
I can hardly say enough good about this cigar. The initial harshness was probably my own fault, and after that the cigar just kept getting better with each puff.
• There probably aren't a lot of people keeping track of my favorites, but if you've done a trade or pass with me you may know I really enjoy the La Aurora Preferidos line because I almost always include one or two.
• I guess I can take a point off for wavy burnline - at one point the line was off by about 1/4", but it self-corrected and never needed a touch-up.
• I love perfectos and will go out of my way and pay a little more to get my hands on them. I've smoked a dozen or two of the Preferidos and have yet to experience major construction issues, which speaks to the skill of the rollers.
• The La Aurora website lists the same binder leaf and filler leaves for all the Preferidos line, with the exception of the Emerald (Ecuador wrapper). It is fun to note the differences that each wrapper imparts, as well as the similarities that you can pick up from a Connecticut shade to a maduro to the Corojo.
• I don't know if the filler blend is exactly the same for each wrapper type, and I haven't been able to find that information anywhere.
• La Aurora states the leaves used in this cigar are aged for a year in old rum barrels. Presumably just the filler leaves are aged that way, but either way I don't ever pick up any noticeable rum flavor.
• Strangely to me, this cigar felt like it had a hair less strength than the Connecticut wrapper.
I try to only smoke the Preferidos when I have some quiet time to enjoy the complexities of the cigar. The flavors shift and improve throughout, and after all the cigars I've tried I just keep coming back to these as some of my favorites. The Connecticut shade wrapper remains my favorite (barely), but this Corojo wrapper is just behind.
Buy a box, that's what I did.
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