LFD Cabinet Oscuro L300 Review

5/28/2014

Cigar: La Flor Dominicana Cabinet Oscuro L300
Size: Toro, 5.7"x50
MSRP: $7.58
Strength: Full
Wrapper: Oscuro
Origin: Dominican Republic

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Prelight: A sweet floral chocolate scent comes off the dark, oily wrapper. Just looking at this cigar makes my mouth water. The foot smells like dark chocolate and cedar. The entire cigar is firm and smooth. The draw is similar to the Reserva Especial after a punch, so I think this is going to go well. The taste of the cold draw is mildly woody and majorly floral.

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1/3: The starts is chocolate, earth, leather, wood and a hint of pepper. (Yes, ALL of those are coming through.) Soon the pepper begins to strengthen, and cream takes over the chocolate taste. This creamy, woody, peppery cigar is delicious, but suddenly, to my chagrin, the flavors mellow. The ash falls after about 1 ½” as it seems a little too flakey.

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2/3: The flavors come back in full force, and are mainly chocolate and wood as the second third begins. Then the next puff is cream and black pepper. Then the next is wood and pepper. This cigar is more schizo than my (soon-to-be) mother-in-law. It definitely keeps me on my toes. The second third wraps up on a more stable profile of chocolate, wood and cream.

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3/3: Finally, the cigar seems to have made up its mind, just in time for the nic kick. Wood and cream, with a hint of pepper.

Overall: This is an interesting cigar; the flavors are not exactly complex, but they change seemingly constantly while the strength and body ebb and flow as well. Although I came into this one expecting a lot, and it didn’t deliver the mind-blowing experience I was hoping for, I was pleased with the performance. I can’t believe I’m going to say this – being a maduro fiend – but I think the natural wrappers are better. Not by much, mind you. This is still an excellent cigar.