General Info
- Price: $16.60
- Made By: Tabacalera La Flor S.A.
- Factory Location: Dominican Republic
- Dimensions: 6 1/2″ by 64 ring gauge
- Shape: Figurado (Salomon)
- Filler: Dominican Republic (Criollo 98 and Pelo d’Oro)
- Binder: Dominican Republic
- Wrapper: Ecuadorian Corojo
- Cold Draw: Leather, Coffee, Cocoa, Black Pepper, Cedar, Cinnamon
- First Third: Black Pepper, Creamy Cedar, Sweetness, Hickory, Chocolate, Earthiness, Cinnamon
- Second Third: Saffron Spiciness, Cumin, Leather, Hickory, Bold Spice, Caramel, Creaminess
- Final Third: Black Pepper, Creaminess, Sweetness, Earthiness, Caramel, Saffron Spiciness
Appearance
The La Flor Dominicana Andalusian Bull is a mesmerizing cigar. There’s so much detail and simplicity taking place at once that it’s challenging to decide where to look first. The band’s font based on Pablo Picasso’s handwriting is stunning. Picasso was a big fan of painting bulls, which is fitting since the cigar’s band depicts a matador holding a muleta in a classic bullfighting stance.
Created by master blender Litto Gomez, the cigar’s name is a tip of the hat to Andalusia in southern Spain, where Gomez was born, and there’s a long history of bullfighting. The band’s gold against a green backdrop further nods to Andalusia through its flag’s colors. With such a commanding band, it’s easy to assume that this is a full body cigar reserved for seasoned smokers. And that assumption wouldn’t be wrong, but more on that later.
The reddish-brown hue of the wrapper complements the green and yellow band nicely, and the cigar’s curves make this stick even more appealing. Gomez is known for creating full-throttle blends in unique shapes, and the La Flor Dominicana Andalusian Bull cigar is no exception. As the story goes, Gomez acquired an antique cigar mold in Belgium that he could duplicate and use for the Andalusian Bull.
Cigar factories call the shape Salomon, which falls under the Firagurado class of cigar shapes. Firagurados are any stogie that deviates from standard cigar shapes. One of the more complicated shapes to execute, the Salomon is only trusted to a few top rollers. Half an inch longer than the Montecristo No. 2 Cuban cigar with a wider ring gauge leads me to believe we’re in for a top-shelf smoking experience. Let’s dig in and see what we’re dealing with here.
Taste & Draw
Full in body and strength, the La Flor Dominicana Andalusian Bull is a highly enjoyable Dominican cigar. The draw is excellent and produces a good amount of smoke. Within that smoke is a complex mix of flavors. There are numerous spicy notes like cinnamon, saffron, and cumin, and plenty of sweet ones like caramel, chocolate, and, well, natural sweetness.
In the end, this cigar is a testament to what master blender Litto Gomez is capable of producing. We are lucky to have this cigar and look forward to future sticks of this caliber.
Cold Draw
Leather, Coffee, Cocoa, Black Pepper, Cedar, Cinnamon
I’m always curious about the cold draw with large format cigars. It’s not always the case, but such a mighty-sized cigar is sure to bring the flavor, especially since it was named Cigar Aficionado’s No. 1 Cigar of 2016 and awarded a jaw-dropping 96 rating. Read on to learn more about what the judges said about this gem. For now, let’s cut the cap and take a few pulls.
On the first draw, I’m tasting leather and coffee, both of which were in the cold draw of the Oliva Serie V cigar. I pull again, and cocoa, black pepper, and cedar join the mix. One more cold draw and a cinnamon flavor is apparent.
Is it just me, or does everyone get a little overly excited when they’re about to light up a Cigar of the Year? Let’s get her smoking, ride this flavor wave, and see what we uncover.
First Third
Black Pepper, Creamy Cedar, Sweetness, Hickory, Chocolate, Earthiness, Cinnamon
I get the La Flor Dominicana Andalusian Bull burning and immediately taste a tame black pepper note followed by cedar. However, the cedar has a creamy element, unlike the cold draw. A few puffs down and I’m tasting sweetness, most likely coming off the Ecuadorian Corojo wrapper. The burn line is on point, and the draw is nice and easy.
I keep smoking, and the black pepper is gaining in strength, similar to how the black pepper amplified in the first third of the Drew Estate Liga Privada No. 9 cigar. The creamy cedar has now morphed with a hickory note, which I wasn’t expecting. This combination of wood notes is delightful. I hope it sticks around.
Chocolate and earthiness enter the picture toward the end of this third, as does the cinnamon from the cold draw. This is one complex cigar where the sweet and spicy are both firmly established, playing off each other in the best of ways. It looks like every note from the cold draw made it to this round, save the cocoa.
Second Third
Saffron Spiciness, Cumin, Leather, Hickory, Bold Spice, Caramel, Creaminess
Moving into the second third, things are starting to pick up. The smoke has an enjoyable chewy texture. The burn line remains close to razor-sharp after I easily touch up a slight rouge angle. I’m tasting a unique saffron spiciness mixed with cumin—both of these notes were called out by the 2016 Cigar Aficionado judges. The black pepper has slipped to the back of the room for now. I expect to see the note make a big comeback in the final third, but you never know.
The leather note is still rocking, as is the hickory. The cedar is gone, and while the cinnamon has all but vanished, a bold spice note has taken its place, smashing onto the scene like some NBA rookie looking to make his mark. A caramel note has overpowered the chocolate from the first third. Beyond that, I’m tasting a lot of creaminess, not unlike that in the Bolivar Belicosos Finos Cuban cigar.
Final Third
Black Pepper, Creaminess, Sweetness, Earthiness, Caramel, Saffron Spiciness
Long before reaching the final third, it was clear why this stick won 2016’s Cigar of the Year, and this grand finale drives that certainty home. As predicted, the black pepper is back and raging at full strength, though the other notes keep the blend balanced. The creaminess seems omnipresent, and the stick delivers a full bodied smoking experience. The remaining flavors are sweetness, earthiness, caramel, and saffron spiciness.
I can’t say enough good things about this cigar. Get your hands on a few. If you feel the same, you’ll certainly keep your humidor stocked with more than a handful.
Summary
The La Flor Dominicana Andalusian Bull is a slow-burning Cigar of the Year that could hold the next prime spot in your humidor. It’s a full bodied, full strength smoke that increases in strength and complexity. Along the journey, numerous flavor hits make an appearance: black pepper, coffee, cedar, hickory, leather, cinnamon, sweetness, and more.
From first light, until you finally defeat this bull, you’ll understand why it beat out so many notable blends in 2016 to clutch the No. 1 spot. No matter what notes the chewy smoke throws your way, the cigar is a masterclass in balance, never becoming harsh. Having said that, this one is for cigar enthusiasts who have been around the humidor a few times, and even those seasoned smokers should get a good meal in before lighting up this baby.
La Flor Dominicana Andalusian Bull Cigar Pairing Notes
I selected these pairings to bring out the best in specific notes and calm some of the more aggressive ones down. This approach aims to further balance the cigar and the pairing. That said, due to the full strength of the mighty La Flor Dominicana Andalusian Bull, I primarily chose strong stouts and brown spirits and tossed in a non-alcoholic drink for good measure.
- Triple Barrel Big Bad Baptist Stout by Epic Brewing Co
- Glyph Spice Whiskey
- Chocolate Doberge Cake Stout by Abita Beer
- Bib & Tucker 10 Yr Bourbon
- Barq’s Root Beer
La Flor Dominicana Andalusian Bull Cigar History
Due to its unique shape, only a few expert rollers produce the La Flor Dominicana Andalusian Bull cigar. This is one of many reasons why they’re hard to find. The filler blend is made with Dominican tobacco grown on the cigar country that is La Canela Farm, co-owned by Litto Gomez.
Clutching Cigar Aficionado’s 2016 Cigar of the Year took this already coveted smoke to the next level. Of the blend, Cigar Aficionado stated that it’s “bold and savory with strong notes of hickory and leather. But it continues to take on a complex spiciness of saffron and cumin as well as a slight tangy note that brings the strength and spice together quite gracefully—and it only gets better with every puff.”
Winning Cigar of the Year and securing a mind-blowing 96 rating make this one a no-brainer for any serious cigar enthusiast.
