They say a tiger can’t change its stripes. While La Aurora’s signature icon may be a lion, they’re also proving that saying false. Or maybe it’s really their mane they’re changing? I dunno. You get the point.
The latest release, the La Aurora Family Creed Series: Fuerte Sol, proves they understand the highs and lows of the cigar industry — from one extreme to another. I mean, you’d expect that to be the case with over a century in the industry, but stranger things have happened.
Just what the hell am I talking about? Pull up a chair, grab a drink or a snack, light one up and let’s get talking.
As you likely know, if you’re here, I have a history with La Aurora. I had the unique opportunity to visit the Dominican Republic and tour the facilities and tobacco fields. But even before that, I was familiar with the brand and have long supported Dominican tobacco, something that’s not common in the industry.
There are a lot of people that don’t like Dominican cigars or tobacco, for whatever reason. Either they think it’s too mild, especially when compared to Nicaraguan-sourced cigars, or they don’t like the flavor profile and quality of the cigars. For me, La Aurora has always been a standout and its most recent offerings are no exception. From the 107 to the delicious 120th anniversary, La Aurora’s cigars are a staple in my humidor.
I tend to smoke stronger cigars
But let’s not forget, I’m also a big fan of Aganorsa. I love Nicaraguan-grown tobaccos and I usually smoke stronger, full-bodied cigars. That’s a significant contrast to most Dominican cigars, even those from EP Carrillo (now Casa Carrillo). I might work some Dominican-sourced offerings in there, but they’re hardly the only types of cigars I smoke. And if I’m being real, I have to be in the mood for something mellower, I’d usually grab AJ, Aganorsa, or bolder, spicier blends out of my humidor.
The point I’m trying to make here is that I smoke a wide variety of cigars from various brands and regions, and I’m not just a one-trick pony. And although I have a storied history with the brand, I’m not above calling out some bullshit — from any brand. I’m talking about those marketing gimmicks where they promise something special or unique and it’s a Fugazi.
Let me be clear, La Aurora’s Fuerte Sol has none of that behind it. Intrinsically, it’s unique compared to the brand’s current portfolio, and takes things in an entirely new direction, legitimately.
Fuerte Sol tasting with Manuel Ynoa and the La Aurora team
Source: Briley Kenney / The BS Lounge
Alongside a few big names in the media camp, I sat down on a virtual call with some other enthusiasts, the La Aurora team and the brand’s master blender, Manual Ynoa — the man responsible for most of its cigar creations.
I had done this before with the launch of the 120th Anniversary, which is delicious, by the way. This time, we were tasting both the Fuerte Sol and the new E. Leon Jimenes 110 Anniversario dominican rum (about $100 for 750ml). The idea was to test out the pairings between the two and see how the flavor profiles and experience complement one another.
These virtual tastings with La Aurora are always a treat. It’s not just about pushing their new cigars or products, but they walk you through the development process, the brains behind the operation, and much more.
What happens during a virtual tasting?
You get a backstage view of everything going on at the company, and there’s a lot going on for sure. But also, it’s a chance for Ynoa and the rest of the team to interact with people who have an affinity for the brand and its cigars. We all get the unique opportunity to share our experiences, thoughts, and sort-of a mini review. The goal for La Aurora there is to collect valuable feedback for future iterations.
Guided, we lit up the Fuerte Sol and tried a pouring of the rum. We discussed the flavors, what’s in each product, what the initial goals were for the La Aurora team, and what they were trying to achieve with them, and then we had a candid round of questions and feedback.
What struck me the most was the experience of the Fuerte Sol. Don’t get me wrong, the rum is excellent. It’s a dark, sweet pairing that would go smoothly with almost anything cigar wise, but it particularly brings out the darker notes of the Fuerte Sol.
Why the La Aurora Family Creed Fuerte Sol is “different”
Source: Briley Kenney / The BS Lounge
Source: Briley Kenney / The BS Lounge
Even before you light it up, if you just peek at the description, you’ll know right away the brand has gone in a slightly different direction here. The Fuerte Sol wrapper is a delightfully brown Mexican San Andrés leaf, but the fillers are mixed with Dominican, Nicaraguan, and Pennsylvania tobaccos. This is not a Dominican puro, and it’s quite a bit stronger for it.
It’s bolder than La Aurora’s usual portfolio. Don’t get me wrong, the 120th is delicious, the 107 and Maduro variety tend to be medium to full-bodied, and the ADN and Hors D’age are also stand-outs. But the Fuerte Sol is a spicy, peppery delight.
It’s medium to full-bodied with flavors like dried fruit and raisins, lots of leather, baking spices, pepper, and even notes of rum or liqueur. Where before I might smoke a La Aurora cigar at the beginning of my session, the Fuerte Sol, I’d be happy to smoke in the middle or even at the end, depending on what I chose as my lineup.
It’s an excellent merger of Dominican DNA and Nicaraguan and mixed tobaccos that put the brand on par with some of its competitors, at least in the bolder space. It also fills a gap in the La Aurora portfolio for someone that likes their cigars stronger and more fulfilling.
On the call, it was also made clear that some of the La Aurora crew felt this might be too much of a bold move in a different direction — a big departure — and there was a question whether cigar audiences would like the change or not. Personally, I think they hit it out of the ballpark and I’m excited to see where this goes from here.
It took over 70 tries to find the right blend
Source: Briley Kenney / Techigar
This wasn’t an overnight success. Ynoa and the team shared that they tested and blew through over 70 different blends before settling on the one used in the Fuerte Sol. It’s a quick glimpse behind the curtain, so to speak, at what it takes to find an exceptional crafting. We often don’t see that from the consumer side. We just see a single cigar blend launched and we might take it for granted, heaping it with praise or otherwise. But usually, there’s a lot of work done to get to that point, including hundreds if not thousands of burned, tasted, and smoked cigar potentials.
While they have nothing concrete to announce yet, La Aurora did toy with the idea of releasing some of those other blends the team was fond of during testing. They also made it clear the Family Creed series will continue, so there will be more releases in that product line.
For now, I just think it’s inspiring this tiger is changing its stripes. I, for one, am excited to see the entire industry moving in new, semi-experimental directions. It’s great to see my guys — La Aurora — one of the brands leading that pack.
The La Aurora Family Creed Fuerte Sol is already out in Robusto (5 by 50) and Toro (5.8 by 54) sizes, although sold out currently at most retailers. They also have a Gran Toro (6 by 58) size releasing soon.
In Robusto size, the Fuerte Sol is about $310 for a box of 20, or $16, give or take for a single. Neptune Cigars has them for reasonable prices if you want to give them a try.
Briley has over 16 years in the publishing and content marketing business. He's been writing about cigars for nearly half that in various forms. What makes him a tour de force is he also smokes them.
Source: Briley Kenney / The BS Lounge
Source: Briley Kenney / The BS Lounge
Source: Briley Kenney / The BS Lounge
Source: Briley Kenney / The BS Lounge
Source: Briley Kenney / The BS Lounge
Source: Briley Kenney / Techigar
