La Aurora 115th Cigar And Gold Rolex GMT-Master Watch Medium

Founded in 1903, the La Aurora cigar factory is the oldest in the Dominican Republic; it is also one of the most prestigious. Located in the Valle del Cibao, La Aurora regularly opens its doors for tours to cigar aficionados who travel to the Caribbean island.

Yet, those who are not able to make the trip are still able to experience the legacy of this premium Cigar manufacturer via the 115th Anniversary cigar, which the brand refers to as the embodiment of the century-old legacy.

In this article, we review the La Aurora 115th cigar according to the following considerations:

Watch The Video Review

Overview

  • Brand: La Aurora
  • Range: 115th (Anniversary Edition)
  • Reviewed Vitola: 5 x 50 Robusto
  • Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra
  • Binder: Brazil
  • Filler: DR, Brazil, Nicaragua
  • Factory: La Aurora Dominican Republic
  • Handmade: Yes
  • Body: Medium – Full
  • Estimated Smoking Time: 60  Minutes
  • Pricing: $9.5 / Single [Buy Now]

Released in 2018, the La Aurora 115th cigar celebrates the 115 years since the founding of the brand’s factory in the Dominican Republic in 1903. Upon its introduction, the cigar was a limited edition but its popularity led production to continue.

First Third Of 115th Anniversary Cigar La Aurora 2

Shop For La Aurora Cigars Online!

Buy NOW!

La Aurora 115th Look & Feel

  • Rolling Consistency: Even roll
  • Spring: Slightly firm

The La Aurora 115th Anniversary has an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper that gives the cigar a very attractive brown exterior. There is a very slight sheen to the wrapper and some slight veins.

Of the nearly 10 cigars I smoked before completing this review, a couple of them possessed more prominent veins. However, this was by no means a constant across all of the 115th cigars I enjoyed.

La Aurora 115th Cigar Review

Prior to review, the La Aurora 115th Anniversary cigars were stored in my cigar cabinet with 65% Boveda RH packs. Moreover, previous to smoking them, I confirmed the individual RH of each cigar to be around 68% relative humidity with the help of the CigarMedics HumidiMeter.

Pre-Lighting Experience

  • Draw: Ideal draw that poses slight resistance
  • Aromas: Hay, wood, and sweet notes

The pre-light draw, which I found to have the perfect amount of resistance, presents some notes of hay. Alternatively, the foot poses woody notes with pleasantly sweet cedar and oiled leather.

1st Third Smoking Experience

  • Notes: Wood, cinnamon, and spices

The most noticeable flavor notes I encountered in the first third were woody notes and spices, of which cinnamon was the most appreciable. At this stage, the retrohale possessed a creamy earthiness.

I did find that the cigar seemed to take a bit of time to “get going.” This is to say, the first third did not have much in the way of smoke output.

2nd Third Smoking Experience

La Aurora Cigar Burning And Zenith Defy Ultraviolet Watch

  • Notes: Woody notes, caramel cream, and pepper spice

The second third further echoes the woody and caramel cream notes from earlier, though the retrohale has now developed a touch of citrus accompanying the peppery notes.

Unlike the first third, the output of smoke by this point has increased dramatically. I gladly met this evolution in the cigar as it increases the body and mouthfeel of the cigar and, ultimately, the experience as a whole.

Final Third Smoking Experience

  • Notes: Cedar, woody oak, earth, and sweet spice

A sweet spice becomes evident in the final third. It’s also accompanied by notes of cedar, oak, and earth. I was also glad to continue savoring the acidic or citrus notes in the retrohale that I first detected in the second third.

Overall Burn

Anniversary Edition Cigar Band On La Aurora 115th And Xikar Cutter

  • Ash Backbone: Flaky
  • Burn Angle: Mostly constant, sometimes wavy
  • Temperature: Hot, particularly during 2nd third
  • Draw: Ideal
  • Final Smoking Time: 60 minutes

The finish of the La Aurora 115th definitely lingers and while there is a bit of evolution in the flavor profile of the cigar, it’s mostly constant throughout. What’s not as constant is the smoke output which, as I pointed out earlier, definitely increases into the second and final thirds and greatly enhances the experience.

With a robust flavor profile, prominent woody and earthy notes that are clear but not overpowering, the 115th cigar was quite enjoyable.

Indeed, I did find some issues in construction in a couple of the cigars that I smoked. In some instances, I met a hot smoke towards the middle of the cigar along with some uneven burn angles and flaky ash. Yet, these issues were not ones that I found to be regular throughout all of the 115th cigars that I smoked.

Shop Now For La Aurora Cigars

Overall Experience

Box Of 20 La Aurora 115th Cigars

It was already my experience with previous La Aurora cigars that the box leaves little to be desired and the 115th Anniversary Edition is no different.

The 5×50 Robustos are presented in a wooden box with a matt black finish and gold accents. The inside of the lid is adorned by a dandy depiction of the La Aurora factory in Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic.

The band accompanying each cigar is also quite attractive. It melds black and gold elements, along with embossing and various bits of information regarding the cigar and the occasion, which makes it an overall very attractive cigar.

The box and the band, two critical elements of presentation, coupled with the sophisticated experience of the 115th Anniversary cigar make this an ideal choice to bring along to a black-tie event, wedding, or another formal event.

Pairing Recommendations With A La Aurora 115th Cigar

La Aurora Cigar With Rum Glass In Hand 2

Since the La Aurora 115th Anniver Edition featured few if any sweet notes, I paired it on multiple instances with two personal favorites: Ron Diplomático and Flor de Caña 18.

These two aged rums, hailing from Venezuela and Nicaragua, respectively, did a proper job of counterbalancing the woody notes of the La Aurora 115th with their own bit of sweetness.

Closing Thoughts

Wooden Presentation Box For 20 Robusto Cigars

This La Aurora 115th is clearly a medium-to-full blend with a similar body. Considering its enticing presentation and rather accessible price point of just under $10 per cigar, it’s easy to recommend this cigar as one to keep in your humidor. And lastly, while you may encounter some construction and burn issues as I did, these are not particularly uncommon for this price range and are definitely overshadowed by the entire package.

Shop Now For La Aurora Cigars
"With its robust flavor profile and alluring presentation, the 115th Anniversary proudly exemplifies the legacy and heritage of La Aurora."
Bespoke Unit Rating: ★★★★★

Further Reading

If you enjoyed reading this cigar review, feel free to check out more related content:

Cigars Contents

Cigar-Home-Button
Cigar-Anatomy-Button Cigar-Vitolas-Button
Cigar-How-To-Smoke-Button Cigar-Lighting-Button Cigar-Cutting-How-Button Cigar-Brands-Guides-Button Cigar-Where-Button

Our Newsletter

Best Of Bespoke Unit & the Web