La Aurora Barrel Aged No.4

After a long hiatus due to a pretty severe illness I am back on the cigar wagon with a trail of smoke drifting behind me. I begin with this dark, rich offering from La Aurora. I smoked this and gave it a 90+ rating last year, I was curious to see how it would stand up against the last review. The cigar presents with a very dark oscuro wrapper, there are some prominent veins that cause me some measure of concern. An inspection shows a cigar that may be a bit too firm and I am worried about draw issues. The pre light aroma shows a strong tobacco character. The pre light draw shows rich tobacco notes and some nice earthy tones.

The cigar opens with a profile that has a strong tobacco core. There are some slightly floral notes intermingled amongst the strong waves of tobacco flavors. At the back of the palate there is an interesting blend of rich coffee flavor with some earthy undertones. The draw is a bit thin, but I am not finding too much issue with it. The burn is sharp and produces a bright white ash.

The first half of the smoke continues to show rich tobacco flavors, the floral notes have given way to a sweetness that is reminiscent of molasses. At the back of the palate coffee and earth continue to show through. The draw remains thin, but it is still not too much of an issue. The burn has become lopsided and is threatening to canoe.

The final half of the cigar maintains a core profile of rich tobacco, but I am also detecting some notes of cocoa, earth and molasses in the presentation. The depth of flavors is nice, but the profile could use more complexity. At the back of the palate strong coffee flavors dominate. The draw stays tight throughout the smoke, but does not hurt the performance that much. The burn continues to be lopsided, and I let the cigar go with an inch or so left to avoid a relight.

The finish is long and sharp showing notes of tobacco, coffee and earth.

Appearance- 87 some prominent veins hurt the score
Taste- 91 a nice profile that could use more complexity
Construction- 83 the burn and draw issues lead to this score
Strength- 88 a nice medium to full presentation
Overall- 87.25 a slightly above average experience