I spent the day at Little Taste of Cuba in Princeton, NJ which is a a shop owned by Jorge from Tobacconist University. In there humidor they had a cigar that I have been dying to try for the longest, the La Flor Dominicana Air Bender Lancero. I smoked one today earlier in the shop and made a few notes and now I am lighting up the second one to get my review for the day up. I had another cigar lined up but the day but I really wanted to review this one, so here we are.

Cigar: La Flor Dominicana
Size: 7.5 x 38 (Lancero)
Wrapper: Ecuador ian Habano
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic
Strength: Full
Facebook: La Flor Dominicana
Twitter: @LFDAndrew

La Flor Dominicana Air Bender Lancero

Appearance and Construction: Like the other vitolas in the Air Bender the oils are easily visible off of the Ecuadorian Habano wrapper. However in the size the abundance og veins are more noticeable which takes something away from the beauty of this stick. Luckily I have never really found veins to be an issue when smoking so I wonder why we tend to put so much into them. I guess it is aesthetics just like bad acne or scars can cause a person to judge another. There are a few soft spots in the first half of the cigar and it looks a little lumpy as well. I wouldn’t call it tooth, it just looks a little bit weird and you can see it in the picture above. The cap of the cigar has a nice little pigtail and the foot seems to be well packed.

Flavor & Notes: The draw of the La Flor Dominicana Air Bender Lancero is a delightful experience with an abundance of molasses note which I love so much while the foot of the cigar serves up some more of the spice with some spice. Once the cigar is lit up the initial note is leathery. As we continue into the first third the cigar serves up notes of wood, leather and a sweet molasses. As we approach the second third of the cigar the spice begins to kick it up a notch and the cedar is joined by coffee notes with a sweet molasses hanging around in the background. The final third of the cigar is one big mind fuck of the sense with notes of strong spices and a sweetness as well. It is the classic play of good vs evil as the cigar produces a nice leathery finish.

Smoking Characteristics: Whats to say about a lancero that hasn’t been said before. White ash that is very weak and falls off ever 1/2 inch or so. The draw is perfect and it never once required a re-light which was a nice thing. The cigar produced an ample amount smoke with a cedar like aroma with a touch of sweetness to the nose as well.

Conclusion: I am a total fan boy of the lancero, but for me this cigar seemed less refined then the other sizes the Air Bender comes in. Perhaps I built the cigar up so much in my mind, but the stick just did not do it for me when compared to the Maestro (5.5 x 52). I thought perhaps when I smoked my first of two in the AM it was just me, but at the end of the day it was a duplicate feeling from the earlier cigar. Don’t get me wrong it isn’t a bad stick, just give me one of the other sizes first. And that my friends, is something I do not say too often.

Rating: 89
Price: $10.30 in NJ

Disclaimer: As always the typo’s and spelling mistakes have been left in this review for your amusement and to annoy my good friend Gary Arzt.

The criteria to make out list is simple, it had to be released in 2010. There won’t be any cigars on here like a Diamond Crown Maximus. Also the top 15 list doesn’t always match up with our ratings because there are many other intangibles that come into play when naming cigar of the year. Remember, these are just my opinion and we ask you to smoke a cigar yourself before coming to a conclusion on a cigar. Thanks for reading and we will see you in 2011.

15) Old School Original – This is probably a cigar you have never heard of, and to be honest if I didn’t live local to the brand it wouldn’t make my list. While the Old School Original has been around for a number of years it recently got re-blended from Tabacalera Tropical. The cigar is distributed via Tobacco Plaza on Long Island and if things work out and the stars align one day this cigar could benefit from some major distribution. The B is reminiscent of the old Brooklyn Dodgers as are the sizes which are Pee Wee (5 x 54), Campy (6 x 54/Torpedo), Gil (6 x 54), and The Duke (6 x 60).

14) La Palina, The Pasha - This cigar would of score a little higher for me if it wasn’t for the price which makes it hard to reach for on a consistent basis. Made at the Greycliff factory in the Bahamas, the notes of the cigar are perfect for me. At the time of the review I referred to this stick as a desert island cigar and I still feel the same way about that today. I under stand that Bill Paley the owner of the La Palina brand has begun work on a new cigar that will be more affordable to the majority of cigar smokers.

13) Quesada Tributo – From Matasa cigars 2010 saw the release of the Quesada Tributo which paid tribute to members of the Quesada family who have left the clan for a better place over the years. It also was a great cigar when it was first released but lately I ran into some draw issues which had their stock fall slightly over the year. A rich full bodied cigar that has us looking forward to more releases from the Quesada family.

12) La Flor Dominicana Air Bender – The Air Bender features the same wrapper of the Salomon 2009 which was one of the best cigars I ever smoked. The wrapper lived up to expectations on the Air Bender and this cigar has remained consistent over the course of the year. The cigar is full bodied but also full of flavor which rich syrupy notes that please and fulfill. Add to the fact that in NYC I can get these for under $10.00 a stick has me coming back time and time again.

11) Master by Carlos Torano – At IPCPR I got the feeling that more emphasis was being put on the Region Selection cigar, but when I got back from the trade show and got to smoke the Master I came to the conclusion this might be one of the best cigars every produced by Torano & Company. The stick is limited to Brick & Mortars only so finding them on-line will be near impossible but it is worth tracking these down. At the time I wrote, “The Master wasn’t boutique, it wasn’t trendy, it was a cigar or at least what I envision a cigar to be.” and I still feel that holds true.

10) Zino Embassy Selection 2010 – A late comer to the list I got to smoke some of the Embassy Selection 2010 earlier this month and since my first experience I managed to order a box. In fact as I type up this post I am currently smoking one. The cigar is extremely smooth and wonderfully rich at the same time. A special thank you goes out here to Danielle Hawthorne who was the Zino brand manager at Davidoff. It was because of her we connected with the brand once again over the past year. You will be missed by the community and I wish you health, wealth and happiness in 2011.

09) Tatuaje Pork Tenderloin – I was really worried about putting limited edition cigars on this list but they were that good. Part of the Butcher Block series the Pork Tenderloin was made for Gloucester Street Cigars in Massachusetts. The cigars have some of the best packaging around, a bundle wrapped in butcher paper with a the sku/cigar info being slapped on like in a butcher. Sadly a lot of Pete’s Limited Edition stuff has out shined his regular release but I am still a fan boy.

08) E.P. Carrillo Short Run – One can make an argument that any of the cigars that Ernesto Carrillo released this year is worthy of being on this list. The one that stood out the most for me was the Short Run. Ernesto was the person behind La Gloria Cubana before venturing out on his own. The result are cigars that are pleasing to today’s cigar smoker as well as the traditional smoker. The short run was a medium bodied masterpiece that never disappointed like all the sticks released to date from E.P. Carrillo.

07) Liga Privada Dirty Rat by Drew Estate – Visions of James Cagney staying, “Ooo, you dirty rat” always enter my mind when I reach for this cigar which annoys the heck out of my friends. First released amongst friends of Drew Estate as a concept cigar the stick received great reviews from those who got to smoke them. The result is a smoke that went into regular production. 5.5 x 44 with 7 different tobaccos (5 filler, binder, wrapper) make this cigar difficult to roll and hard to find.

06) La Sirena – Having known brand manager Arielle Ditkowich for some time I got to smoke these cigars as the blend was finalized and to be honest I didn’t like it one bit. I smoked it on an empty stomach, at 10am and it did nothing for me. In fact I was worried for her and the future of La Sirena. Well, it just goes to show you that a cigar needs to be smoked more then once for a decision to be made. There was a time when I was smoking 3 La Sirena sticks a day. While I still smoke the cigar on a regular basis the stick peaked too soon for me, and the result is a finish in the #6 position. This brand should be around for quite some time.

05) Avo Heritage – Another smoke introduced at the trade show in New Orleans. At the end of my visit to IPCPR I considered this cigar best in show. I got to speak with Avo brand manager Edward Simon and was happy to sit down on the couch for a while to smoke this stick while listening to some live Jazz. It was just what the doctor ordered after the insane amount of walking one does at the show. The Avo Heritage utilizes the same wrapper as the Avo LE 09 Companero.

04) Guillermo Leon Signature - During my trip to the La Aurora factory I got to smoke an earlier version of the Guillermo Leon Signature and right then and there I knew the cigar was special. During his recent trip to NYC I let my good friend Guillermo know that I was ranking the 107 higher in my year end list. He of course thought the cigar that has his signature was better, but that is what makes the cigar market so special. Everyone has a different opinion on what is best.

03) Davidoff Puro D’Oro – The cigar I reviewed for acigarsmoker.com wasn’t the size of choice for this cigar. I find myself smoking the Robusto more and more and will post a review of it in the New Year. I still feel the lack of a label on the cigar other then a foot hurts the brand recognition when you are smoking this excellent cigar from Henrik Kelner and Davidoff. The cigar features the exclusive use of the Davidoff Yamasa Wrapper and is wonderfully rich and smooth with a little bit more of a kick then you would come to expect from Davidoff.

02) La Aurora 107 – The readers of acigarsmoker.com voted this Cigar of the Year when I asked for the top 5. For me, it falls into slot #2. I know a lot of people expected me to name this cigar of the year based upon my relationship with Miami Cigar Co. & La Aurora. But one thing we pride ourselves on is not letting relationships effect our views. The La Aurora 107 began the process of changing public perception of La Aurora. The cigars had an older, traditional feel to them that didn’t connect with today’s cigar smoker. Well La Aurora is back, and I hope they are here to stay.

Cigar of the Year….

01) My Father Limited Edition 2010 – These cigars were bunched by Jaime Garcia and rolled by Jose Pepin Garcia in Nicaragua and were released in September of 2010. At the time of the review I wrote the following, “Maybe it was just me, but these cigars just felt different, smoked different and even looked different then many cigars. It almost took on characteristics from Jose and Jaime Garcia and their labor of love was somehow absorbed by the tobacco. I know this, the experience of the My Father Limited Edition was different then many cigars I smoked and while I might not score it a 100, this could be the best cigar I have ever smoked, bar none. Was it worth the 300.00 for the box? Yes it was and I never would of expected to admit a cigar was worth that high of a price tag.”

One thing we can all agree on is that 2010 was a banner year for cigars despite the growing movement against our passion. We look forward to what 2011 has to offer. May 2011 be a year full of health, wealth and happiness.

So with that bit of fluff out of the way, lets get into the Air Bender Chisel which has become one of the most popular lines for the company.The Chisel version is the first new Chisel since 2004 when La Flor Dominicana introduced this interesting size.

Cigar: La Flor Dominicana
Size: 6.50 x 54 (Chisel)
Wrapper: Ecuador (Habano)
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic
Strength: Full
Facebook: La Flor Dominicana
Twitter: @LFDAndrew

La Flor Dominicana Air Bender Chisel

Appearance and Construction: I remember when the first Chisel came out and how it got a WTF?!? from many people. There were debates on how to cut it and what have you. Some say a hole punch, and some say to clip it but I think Rush Limbaugh got it right, just pinch it. For me that works best.  The Habano wrapper from Ecuador has a nice oily sheen to it, and of course some veins to it. There is one ugly one an the cigar I am using as my final smoke for review (I’ve smoked about a box so far) and the cigar has a really hefty weight to it. There are no soft spots present, the foot is well packed and very clean looking.

Flavor & Notes: The one thing I am really in love with is the pre light draw on the Air Bender series. The cold draw offers up a really nice spice that reminds me of molasses with a hint of hickory notes and it is very tasty to say the least. The foot of the cigar has a similar note to the nose with some sweetness present as well. The first third of the cigar has a nice sweetness to it with some nuts present as well. The cigar is simple but tasty at this point. When the second third of the cigar is breached the sweetness becomes a nicely defined caramel, with a touch of mocha and coffee. It’s almost like a caramel mocha latte in a cigar *chuckle*.  The final third of the cigar becomes stronger then the first two thirds with notes pretty much the same as the 2nd third making this a very enjoyable smoke.

Smoking Characteristics: Even with the pinching of the end the draw on this cigar was perfect with only the slightest resistance. The light color ash holds on very strong with no flake. The burn is a bit wavy but it never needed to be re-lit and it never needed to be touched up which is always a plus. Due to the Chisel the cigar doesn’t produce an abundance of smoke, but you can change that if you want but clipping it.

Conclusion: Smoking a chisel can be compared to two things. The first is placing a wind instrumer like a clarinet or saxophone due to the tip. The other is that of smoking a pipe for the same reason, the tip. The chisel is an interesting look and an interesting smoke, but the size does take some getting used to. Over all I would prefer the traditional sizes of the Air Bender but at the same time I wouldn’t turn away if the chisel was my only option

Rating: 92
Price: $8.00 MSRP before taxes.

Disclaimer: As always the typo’s and spelling mistakes have been left in this review for your amusement.

• La Aurora 107
• Drew Estate Dirty Rat
• EP Carrillo Short Run
• La Flor Dominicana Air Bender
• Quesada Trubuto
• NHC Seleccion Reserva

And now on to the Sunday Links

• On Smoke a JJ for JJ Day The Aspiring Gentleman took time to review the JJ Maduro.
• Smoke Signals shares his Top 10 Nominees of 2010 which inspired me to list my own.

Just one review today… and Ill be back tomorrow with information about others who decided to offer up their own donations to the American SIDS Institute…

The four sizes that this cigar will be released in are the Matatan (5 × 50), Guerrero (6.25 × 54), Maestro (5.5 × 52) and the Valiente (6.25 × 60). The price of this cigar rangers from $7.00 to $8.50 before local takes.  La Flor Dominicana calls these cigars “intense, sophisticated and powerful”.

Cigar: La Flor Dominican Air Bender
Size: 5.5 x 52 (Maestro)
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic
Strength: Full
Twitter: @LFDcigars

La Flor Dominicana Air Bender

Appearance and Construction (18/20): The picture above really doesn’t do this cigar justice as the flaws of the wrapper are not as noticeable as depicted. The wrapper is nice and oily with some thin veins that blend in with the color of the wrapper. None of them stand out on this well rolled stick with a triple cap. There are no soft spots on the shaft although the foot looks a little bit loose. The wrapper is simply stunning with red, black and gold as the primary colors.

Flavor & Notes (28/30): The pre-light offers some notes of earth and spice on both the foot and wrapper. Once this stick is lit you realize it means business. This cigar is not for the faint of heart. From the first light you are aware of the spice on the back of the throat but thankfully it dies down some rather quickly. As it mellows out cedar begins to emerge with some earth and a very subtle sweetness. As the second third is smoked the cigar becomes more medium bodied which was a nice change and allows you to adjust. There is a slight caramel with some nuts and leather notes. The final third begins to kick it up a notch as the caramel fades. The pepper and spice return full force with some leather on the finish.

Smoking Characteristics (25/25): It is nice to watch the burn line of a Habano wrapper as it begins to sweat oils which only adds to the taste of the stick. The burn was even throughout from start to finish with an incredibly thin carbon line. The light gray ash was nice and tight that held on for ages which helped keep the cigar cool. Here is a hint for some newbie cigar smokers, when you have a cigar that is a little bit harsh sometimes letting the ash stay as long as possible will cool down the cigar and limit the harshness. This isn’t always the case but it should make at least a minimal difference. The draw was ideal and it produced a voluptuous amount of smoke.

Overall (23/25): A lot of times I get on my soap box and I ramble on about cigars that are strong for the sake of being strong. La Flor Dominicana fits this bill from time to time, but I am happy to report that the Air Bender while strong offers a really tasty profile. The Air Bender will satisfy both the full and medium bodied cigar smoker with the rich flavors. One of the top cigars I have smoked this year that I will reach for again if I have the time to smoke it correctly which is slowly.

Rating: 94
Price: $153.99 a box of 25 @ Famous Smoke Shop