Tag Archives: La Flor Dominicana

April 5, 2026 · 11:12 am

La Flor Dominicana, Montecristo and ChiMolly Cigars from Fox Cigars Mitchell’s 2026 Birthday Kit

Happy Easter and Passover to those who celebrate. I watched The Ten Commandments last night to celebrate. Not all of it, but this time I managed to watch the second half; I usually tap out around the Exodus. Anyway, it’s my policy not to discuss religion or politics, so let’s get on to some cigars.  Obviously, Fox Cigars advertises on CigarCraig.com, so there is some inherent bias on my part. I do like to promote companies I enjoy, and this is one of them, so let’s go with that. It feels better than thinking of this as a blatant shill post. I noticed that Mitchell Fox had a big birthday recently, and they offered a five-cigar sampler for $50 delivered, so I purchased one, unprompted, with my own money. I have fond memories of my 50th birthday celebration, although it was a long time ago! The sampler consisted of the following: the Montecristo 1935 Anniversary Nicaragua No. 2, the Romeo y Julieta Vintage Corona Glass Tube, the La Flor Dominicana Maduro Cabinet No. 6, the Casa Carrillo Pledge Prequel, and the Fox y ChìMolly Robusto E. I’ve had the EPC Pledge and the Romeo before, so I concentrated on the LFD, Montecristo, and ChiMolly this week.

 

I started with the La Flor Dominicana Maduro Cabinet No. 6. This cigar is unbanded, so I wanted to get it out of the way before I forgot what it was. The Cabinet No. 6 is a 5 ¾” x 54 torpedo with a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper over what I’ve seen described as “estate-grown” Dominican fillers and binders. I’m not sure what “estate-grown” means, but it sounds cool. I can’t believe it’s taken me so long to get around to this delightful cigar. The wrapper has an oily sheen—it’s a beauty, for sure. It was loaded with lush, dark fruit and espresso flavors; very much my kind of cigar. I always wonder why companies choose to put unbanded cigars on the market. It seems like it could be a problem. I guess if one is buying the whole box it’s fine, but with singles, there are issues beyond the end-user forgetting what it is. You’d think companies would want the advertising.

 

Second up was the Montecristo 1935 Anniversary Nicaragua No. 2. This is another torpedo, 6 ⅛” x 52, but the box press makes it seem a lot thinner. It’s well-documented that when it comes to Altadis USA, the majority of the cigars I like are made in partnership with A.J. Fernandez. I’ve smoked tons of them, and that’s just the way it is. Upmanns, Trinidads, Romeos, Montes—all the A.J. Fernandez-made lines appeal to me; the rest, not so much. This Montecristo was no exception. My only problem was the secondary band featuring the Cigar Aficionado rating; that seems cheesy. Put a sticker on the box or a shelf talker in the store, but the band is a little much and takes away from an otherwise classy presentation. Still, this is another cigar right up my alley. It’s a Nicaraguan puro made with tobacco from A.J. Fernandez’s farms, featuring nice espresso and chocolate flavors. I’m pretty sure these first two cigars alone retail for over $30, so this sampler is a good buy so far.

 

I’ve heard of ChiMolly cigars, but never really looked into them, cigars but never really looked into them; I assumed it was a house brand for someone, somewhere. Doing some quick research, it seems a couple of young men with Chinese roots are behind the brand. The characters on the band, 青墨琼琳, translate to “Azure Ink and Jade Gems,” apparently a reference to the cigar accessories business that preceded their cigar venture. They make some beautiful ashtrays. The cigars are produced in Nicaragua and, despite my experience with this Fox y ChiMolly collaboration, I’m interested in sampling more of their offerings.  The Fox y ChiMolly Robusto E is a 6″ x 52 toro with an Ecuadorian Habano 99 wrapper, Nicaraguan binder, and Nicaraguan/Dominican fillers. It burned well. Long-time readers will know that when the first thing I mention is the burn, I’m generally not a fan of the cigar. I had expectations that weren’t quite met. This is a woody, leathery cigar that wasn’t bad-tasting, it just isn’t a good fit for my palate. For people who like, for instance, ADVentura cigars, it may be a great fit. I smoke everything, but I can’t possibly like everything.

 

I really need to get to Arizona one of these days and check out one of Fox’s retail locations.  That’s all for today, until the next time, when I may shill for someone else, 

CigarCraig

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November 9, 2025 · 9:46 am

La Flor Dominicana Suave, Rocky Patel Emerald and a Room101 Namakubi Cigar

Another week down. We’re well into November, I have to start thinking about putting up Christmas lights, and decorations, and as fast as time is going I’m wondering what’s the point?  I’ll no sooner get them up and have to take them down. My grandmother always told me the older you get, the faster time goes by and she wasn’t wrong!  Things need to slow down!  Anyway, my daily vacation is a cigar, and I try to slow things down for the hour and a half I spend with one.  This week I had a trio of new-to-me cigars (actually four, but one needs a second look. I’ll try to get that in next week).  The first two I purchased on a visit to the Wooden Indian a couple weeks back. I’ll start with the La Flor Dominicana Suave Grand Maduro No. 6 .  This is a 5¾” x 54 torpedo, with a Mexican San Andrés wrapper, binder from Jalapa, Nicaragua and Dominican Republic fillers.  It’s a throwback to the original LFD blends back in 1994, before they were known for making powerhouse cigars. I likened the flavors to bakers chocolate, there was a dryness to it, cocoa without sweetness.  As it warmed up it got some spiciness, but was never what I’d call strong, just a really nice, medium cigar.  I’d recommend trying this, it’s a really nice cigar. 

 

I’ve been making an effort to sample more Rocky Patel cigars, the trouble is, I have a problem remembering what I’ve tried and what I haven’t.  I will often search my own website to check, which is kinda why I started doing this in the first place, to create a record of what I smoke, a web log, I guess.  There should be a word for that.  Anyway, I knew I hadn’t tried the Rocky Patel Emerald yet, I’d have remember the green sleeve on the cigar.  It reminded me of Christmas, even though it’s not supposed to. I smoked the Toro, and I’ve mentioned before that I like that a lot of Rocky’s toros are 6½” x 52, I like that extra half an inch.  Of course, if it’s a bad cigar, that’s no good, but I don’t think I’ve come across a Rocky Patel cigar that was bad.  I digress. The Emerald has an Ecuador Habano wrapper, over a Mexican binder with Nicaraguan and Honduran fillers. They say that this is their first box pressed cigar that’s on the lighter side of medium.  I think the green snuck into my subconscious, because it had a Christmasy flavor, baking spices like Christmas cookies. I liked it a lot, so much so that I went out and bought another one.  Oddly, my Facebook post about this cigar had more engagement that most of my posts. 

 

I’ve smoked a couple of these Room 101 Namakubi Chingon.  I love the blue presentation, long considered a bad color for cigar bands, it’s come around and it really works on this.  This is made in partnership with William Ventura in the DR, I’m guessing at his factory in Tamboril.  It uses the Ranfla vitola, a 6½” x 50 perfecto. Interestingly, the size is incorrectly stated on the press release (twice) as 5½” x 60, and I’ve seen that parroted on other sites, certainly by people who would know the difference. I’d actually like to try this in a 5½” x 60, I almost feel cheated if I got the wrong samples….almost.  This is an exceptional cigar, and it should be for the $25 price tag.  It has an interesting herbal start, switching to cane sugar in the second two thirds. I enjoyed the first one so much that I had to go back for a second one, which unfortunately I didn’t get to enjoy as much because I was trying to watch the Flyers game, and the sketchy websites I was using were giving me fits. I would pay someone a nominal fee (or send cigars?) for the use of their cable credentials so I can watch on the NBC app, I’m too cheap to spend $38 a month for Peacock, that negates my savings dropping cable.  I’m bitching about $38 a month  while smoking $25 cigars, first world problems.  I like this new Namakubi better than my memory of the old one, and I had an excellent well aged Namakubi Papi Chulo not long ago!  

 

That’s all I have for today, until the next time.  

 

CigarCraig

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June 4, 2023 · 9:40 am

Smoking Some Tobacco Plaza Ltd. 50th Anniversary Cigars

I was talking to Danny Ditkowich of Tobacco Plaza in Great Neck, NY recently and the subject of the store’s 50th Anniversary and the special cigars that accompanied it came up. So I decided to smoke some and highlight them here.  I’ll get it out of the way, the links I put in this post will go to the store’s website, where you could purchase each of these cigars. Danny mentioned that the Tatuaje (along with the Tuxtla series) are 10% off while supplies last, and there’s free shipping fo the month of June.  All that out of the way, let’s talk about these three tasty cigars!  The first one I smoked was the Tatuaje TP DD 50th Exclusive.  If I recall, Danny worked with Pete on a DD for the 40th anniversary, and it was 6″x 58 torpedo, this one is a 6″ x 60 torpedo, with a beautiful Broadleaf wrapper, over Nicaraguan fillers and binder, rolled at the My Father factory. The original was based on the Fausto blend, and I’m not sure if this one is too, but it’s a pretty strong cigar!  It’s loaded with the coffee and spice that I enjoy, and it was a really great cigar. I may smoke another one today!  If you’re a fan of the Tatuaje Broadleaf, or Tatuaje cigars in general, this would be a great one to try.  Not a cheap date, but what is anymore?

 

I took a relatively early walk yesterday after doing a bee inspection with my wife, planting a tree and doing some trimming, all before 10am for some reason.  So I grabbed the Tobacco Plaza 50th Anniversary Quesada Keg.  I don’t think I ever had the original Keg, as I am not immediately drawn to things drink related, so I can’t compare.  This is another 6″ x 60, and if it’s just a size variation, it has a Dominican Corojo seed wrapper, with Dominican binder and Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers.  It’s presented in a 15 count box as opposed to a barrel. This is another cigar that I enjoyed quite a bit.  It had an interesting bready flavor, kind of a dark bread and it was on the medium bodied side. I know Danny has had a great relationship with Quesada as they make the Oceano brand in the La Sirena portfolio, another cigar I really enjoy.

 

The third and final cigar in Tobacco Plaza’s 50th anniversary series is the TP

LFD Magnum Chisel Maduro.  This cigar is listed as 6″ x 58 box pressed, but it’s really 6½”. The chisel shape is cool, and one of the only, if not THE only, shape that’s legally protected by a patent. This is has a maduro wrapper, with the Tobacco Plaza logo applied to the cigar in a lighter leaf.  LFD has made a bit of a name for themselves with these artistic embellishments, I have one from the Ybor festival with a Rooster, and one from a dinner that Tobacco Plaza hosted in 2021 with an Iced Tea glass.  They are quite neat and must take a lot of effort to produce. Someone has to make a “cookie cutter” apparatus to punch the design out of a leaf.  It’s impressive. The cigar is impressive as well, it’s a great tasting smoke. I’ve been enjoying afternoons on my porch watching TV, the last few Saturday’s it’s been an Amazon show called “Clarkson’s Farm”, with Jeremy Clarkson, formerly of the British Top Gear and Amazon’s The Grand Tour (also hysterical).  This Magnum Chisel got me through the last two episodes, set aside 2 hours for this one.  It was rich with cocoa and spice.  Another winner.  I have to get up to Great Neck some time to visit Tobacco Plaza. 

 

That’s all

I got for this week, until the next time, 

 

CigarCraig

 

 

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October 23, 2022 · 9:48 am

La Flor Dominicana Solis, Gurkha Pure Evil and Founders Roosevelt Cigars

I smoked a few PCA show samples this week, some I was looking forward to, some not so much, maybe.  The first was the La Flor Dominicana Solis, the first cigar blended by Litto Gomez, Jr., who is in his early 20’s.  This 6½ x 50 cigar is a companion, of sorts, to the La Nox line, which his older brother, Tony, created a few years ago. La Nox = night, Solis = sun, or day.  Nice idea, same size cigars that are on the opposite ends of the flavor spectrum.  The Solis has a Sungrown Habano wrapper, Sumatra Binder, and a blend of Dominican tobaccos from La Flor Dominicana’s farm.  This cigar has nice, bright flavors and a sweet spice.  Much like the La Nox, I really enjoyed this cigar, it was well balanced and a really beautiful smoke. Thanks to Jon Carney for this cigar, easily the best cigar I smoked all week, and tied with the Cuevas Sangre Nueva for the best from the PCA show, interesting that both cigars were blended by young guys. 

 

I was listening to a podcast recently, and the host made some comments that surprised me. I listen to a lot of podcasts, and it riles me up when some mis-information is spewed. This particular one is kinda low in my rotation, I listen when I run out of other stuff, mostly for this reason, there always seems to be some erroneous information passed on be the host as fact.  In this instance, the host was saying how terrible the Guy Fieri Knuckle Buster was, and how it was made by Espinosa, which used to be Torańo.  He finally realized that the Knuckle Buster was a Punch (although I think he said it was a CAO), and Guy Fieri’s cigar was the Knuckle Sandwich.  If the listener is in the know,  the host sounds foolish, if the listener doesn’t know any better, this could, potentially, damage a brand.  I find that sort of thing irritating!

 

Also irritating is the name of the

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next cigar, the Gurkha Pure Evil.  I know hat Gurkha has an “Evil” in the line, and I guess this is an extension of that, but when tobacco is in the crosshairs of the government, perhaps helping them out by calling a cigar “Pure Evil” isn’t the best idea.  I was given a handful of samples at the Gurkha booth at the PCA show, and, so far, this is the only one I’ve smoked that’s worth writing about.  Name aside, this was a very good cigar. It was a 6″ x 54 Toro and has a Habano wrapper and Nicaraguan fillers.  It starts boldly, with a strong pepper flavor, and mellows slightly throughout the smoke. Burn and draw were perfect, and it was a very satisfying cigar.  I’m sure there’s people who think it’s a cool name, however I still don’t think we need to give the people who already think tobacco is “pure evil” any ammunition. Good cigar, unfortunate name.

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Yesterday  I smoked a Founders Cigar Co. Roosevelt robusto.  This is a very new company, dating way back to 2020!  They are veteran owned, and the theme of the line is prominent individuals in US history.  They are based in Minnesota, and I was racking my brain trying to remember who introduced me to them at the show, and the Minnesota thing connects some dots for me. I need to start writing everything down!  So this Roosevelt is the maduro in the portfolio (the Franklin is the Connecticut, the Douglas is the Habano and the Signature, with George Washington’s profile on the band, is a barber pole).  It has an Ecuador Maduro wrapper, Ecuador binder and Nicaraguan and Dominican fillers.  I dislike blend descriptions like this, the only have the country of origin of the leaf, not the varietal. I’m sure the ambiguity is a FDA, CYA thing.  I was expecting a routine maduro experience, some dark coffee and cocoa.  I was surprised by the uniqueness of the flavor, it had a savory, mouth coating flavor.  You know how licorice can be a bit cloying to the palate?  This was a little bit that way, but without the anise flavor.  I liked this cigar a lot. They seem to sell direct, and I’m not sure if they got in brick and mortar shops as a result of being at the show (why else be there?), but the cigars are good.  

 

That’s all for today, until the next time, 

 

CigarCraig

 

 

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May 30, 2021 · 11:18 am

Black Lion Luxuries Cigar of the Month Club for April

Greetings from the coldest and rainiest Memorial Day weekend in my memory, perhaps in anyone’s in my area! I wanted to re-enclose my porch yesterday and get the propane heater out again, it was that uncomfortable. I suppose we can be a little uncomfortable as we remember what this holiday is about. I recently read something that brings the times we are living in into perspective. As people lament the “tragedy” of their high school seniors missing out due to the pandemic, look back 50 years and consider that many highschool “boys” were heading to Vietnam many never to return, and those who did return weren’t received well. Something to think about as we “celebrate” this weekend. On a lighter note, I am still catching up on the Black Lion Luxuries Cigar of the Month Clu

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b offerings. This week I smoked through the April pack. Once again, Ron and James have done a great job of selecting four nice cigars at a great value. Once again, I’m not going to give a paragraph to each cigar, but I am going to hit some highlights!

 

Since I had been heavy on La Flor Domincana already this week, it seemed only right to lead with the LFD 1994 Rumba. Honestly, this may be one of my favorites in the LFD range. I love the 6½” x 52 size, and the San Andrés wrapper over the La Canela DR fillers and binder make for a really nice smoke. It’s got great flavor but isn’t so strong as to be bothersome. This was the only cigar in the pack with which I had any prior experience. I’m sure nobody remembers, but my final post of the year listed my top ten cigars I hadn’t smoked last year. The Plasencia Alma Fuerte Sixto II marks the third one I’ve managed to tick off the list so far. This is an amazing cigar, so much so that I am actually tempted to go ahead spend the $21 on another one or two to smoke it again. Let’s forget the kitsch of the hexagonal press, which is pretty cool, that’s not what I like about it, nor does the 60 ring gauge impress me, although it doesn’t bother me in the least. This is just a damned delicious cigar. Let’s do a quick look at the financial impact: the COTM is $30 (+ shipping), the LFD is a $9 cigar and the Sixto is $21, and there are still two $8+ cigars left. see where I’m going here?

 

I smoked the last two cigars yesterday, like I said, the weather is atypical for the end of May. It was rainy and in the 40s. I was bundled on my screen porch with the La Galera Connecticut Tubo listening to some Podcasts. I find my friend Kaplowitz to be entertaining. I honestly can’t remember if I’ve smoked anything from La Galera before, I know I haven’t smoked the Connecticut, maybe I’ve smoked something but I don’t think so, which is actually pretty unusual. I just don’t know where I would have gotten one. This is one of the values of a COTMC such as this, the ability to not only try cigars that you don’t have access to, but also ones you might not pick out on your own. Like the Sixto, I am hard pressed to pry my wallet open that far for a cigar myself, and in the case of this La Galera, I don’t generally buy Connecticuts for myself. But, I do smoke  them when presented with the opportunity, and this was a good one! It has flavor and body and it was well made. If I had one nit to pick it would be that when I took the band off it lifted a large piece of wrapper off w

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ith it, but that was a small annoyance, and it I listened to Zino Davidoff (who is, no doubt, rolling in his grave over the treatment done to the brand with his first name on it), I would have been done with the cigar prior to reaching that point.  Good cigar. Finally, another cigar that I hadn’t tried before, the Warped Corto, a 4½” x 46 cigar that was ideal considering the weather conditions. Had it been a warm evening I would have wanted something longer, but this worked out well. This cigar is made at the TABSA (Aganorsa) factory, and is a hot little number. It starts with a blast of pepper and is rich and satisfying. I’m quite happy I had a chance to try this little guy. The only Warped cigar I’ve smoked is the Guardian of the Farm, once again, this isn’t a brand I regularly see around here. The April pack, like March’s, was excellent! 

 

Please take a moment to check out two new advertising partners on the right side, Blackbird Cigar Co. and Ortega Cigar Co. My advertising policy has always been to only display ads for companies whose products I like, and for people I like, and these two are no different. Heck, I’ve known Eddie Ortega for ten years I think! Point is, if you see the link on my page, you can trust the company as I do, they carry my seal of approval!  Anyway, my gratitude to those who’ve served, and those who’ve lost in service to their country. Until the next time, 

 

CigarCraig

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