Going in to this review, I couldn’t remember if the Tuesday Night Cigar Club had ever featured a La Flor Dominicana cigar in the past. “If only there was some way to verify that!” I thought to myself. So I submitted a request with the TNCC’s IT Department and two months later our crack team of tech nerds informed me that I could type the words “La Flor Dominicana” in the search bar on our website and it would provide me with the answer I was seeking. What a time we’re living in, am I right? It turns out that we reviewed the candela Double Claro No. 48 way back in 2017 on Episode 47.
We apparently described that smoking experience as “puffing on Frankenstein’s wang” so I think I should be given a pass for not remembering. Plus it was one of our annual Saint Patrick’s Day Drinking Extravaganza Bonanzas and we drank an entire bottle of Irish whiskey so that doesn’t help any. Nevertheless, that giant green cigar was the full extent of our documented history with the La Flor Dominicana brand. Until tonight…
THE CIGAR – SUAVE NATURAL MACEO by LA FLOR DOMINICANA
Size: 5 x 48
Wrapper: Ecuadorian corojo-seed
Filler: Mexican San Andrés
Binder: Dominican Republic
Price: $8.40 (head on over to Famous Smoke Shop where you can save $20 off $100 using promo code TNCC20)
There was a strong cedar aroma present immediately after I slipped the Suave Natural from its cello sleeve. Sniffing the foot of the cigar directly revealed a rich sweetness and a slight floral aroma as well. The light brown wrapper leaf is smooth and completely devoid of any surface oils. There are no soft spots evident. Oh how I dream to hear my physician say those exact words to me some day during my annual physical…
After a quick punch of the cap, the Suave Natural’s cold draw is a bit off-putting. There’s a vegetal harshness present that’s the polar opposite of seductive. Fortunately, none of that harshness is apparent once flame meets leaf. First impressions are of a clean, well-defined white pepper on the retrohale and a lightly roasted coffee note coming through via the draw. Soon, a graphite pencil lead sensation arises alongside the white pepper.
From a construction standpoint, the Suave Natural is extremely impressive early on with a smooth effortless draw and one of the straightest burn lines I’ve seen quite some time. The pencil lead has now overtaken the pepper as the primary note upstairs, while touches of must and faint leather have both joined the coffee flavor downstairs in equal measure.
I proactively thump the Suave Natural’s strong ash off around the fifty yard line but there’s no telling how long it would’ve clung on if I hadn’t. The mustiness that recently appeared on the draw is now found on the retrohale as well. Perhaps, on the surface at least, a combination of pepper, pencil lead, and must doesn’t sound all that appealing but it’s (thankfully) far from objectionable. Ideally, I would like one of the draw’s flavors to stand up and show some muscle here but they all remain consistently restrained. An increased, bolder coffee note or even a more pronounced leather note would both balance and complement the retro nicely.
I’d like pair the Suave Natural with a true cup of espresso and see what happens. See what comes alive and what fades away… but I’m a professional so I’ll stick with my room temperature glass of water. The draw’s flavors become even more muted and indiscernible in the cigar’s final act. As we approached the nub, the retro’s white pepper decides to take a sudden uptick in both its presence and strength. Other than this specific instance, it’s been a relatively mild ride all along.
THE NUB
TNCC Final Score = 89
The Suave Natural Maceo is not a bad cigar by any means, it’s just not a very memorable one. One specific factor that is memorable, however, is the cigar’s construction which was flawless from start to finish (it will be interesting to see how that helps the overall score). Also to the Suave’s benefit is its price point. At $8 you won’t break the bank to smoke one for yourself and see if your palate interprets things any differently from mine.
* Total Smoking Duration: 57 minutes
