1495 Series Aurora Robusto

In 1495, Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue and, among other places, arrived at the fertile valley of Cibao, establishing the city of Santiago de los Caballeros. Today the valley is home to the finest Dominican tobaccos. La Aurora's 1495 Series pays tribute to Columbus' touchdown on Dominican soil. The Robusto is a supremely-made, medium to full-bodied blend that may be the factory's finest accomplishment to date. The 1495 series was developed by Jose Blanco, one of La Aurora's master blenders. In creating this cigar, his challenge was to be the first to blend four different tobaccos. He uses a Dominican Corojo binder with a mix of Dominican Piloto Cubano, Nicaraguan, Peruvian and Dominican Ligero filler and then adorns it with a stunning, marbleized Ecuadorian-grown wrapper leaf. No wonder the beautifully constructed Series 1495 was a hit from the start. This little Robusto produces a lot of smoke but the draw is cool and easy. The ash—a nice white color—is firm. The smoke started out with a cocoa and spice blast that settled down by the first inch to the flavor of cocoa with nuances of nuts. By the end of the first third, the taste transitioned into woodsy flavors without losing the light spice. Occasionally, we detected nuances of cinnamon. In the last half, the woody flavors gave way to flavors of light coffee and a long, medium-bodied finish. The 1495 is a complex, vibrant smoke that doesn't overpower. A V.S.O.P. brandy complements it nicely.