La Aurora – Cigars

La Aurora Cigars: A History Ready to Light

It is the oldest cigar factory in the Dominican Republic—at least according to its own claim. What’s certain is that cigars have been rolled at La Aurora in Santiago de los Caballeros since 1903. To this day, the company remains owned by the founding family, León Jimenes, now in its fifth generation. Over the years, many Cuban émigrés have worked at La Aurora as tobacco farmers or torcedores.

In its 120-year history, the Dominican company has been impressively prolific. The current portfolio includes an almost overwhelming number of different series. Let's shed some light on it!

Principes & Imperiales: Affordable Longfillers from La Aurora

The Principes Claro are mild longfillers offered at an almost unbeatable price. As always with La Aurora, they use top-quality raw tobaccos. The Principes Maduro, with their darker, longer-fermented wrapper, are naturally more intense. In autumn 2022, the line was expanded with a cigar from Nicaragua.

The Imperiales are just slightly more expensive, but they impress with longer-aged tobaccos that offer a more full-bodied taste. The Classico line is mild and aromatic, while the Maduro variants are noticeably spicier.

Exceptional Formats

For an exceptional smoking experience, look no further than the Preferidos 1903. These premium cigars pay tribute to La Aurora’s founding year. After a three-year aging process, the tobaccos are further matured for six months in oak barrels. Only six torcedores at the factory are skilled enough to roll this special format.

La Aurora: 120 Years of Dominican Cigar Craftsmanship

The Preferidos 1903 line was introduced to mark La Aurora’s 100th anniversary. Celebrating is a cherished tradition in the Caribbean, and even unconventional milestones are often used as a reason to launch special editions. One such example is the La Aurora 107 Ecuador, released in 2010 to commemorate the company’s 107th anniversary. It strikes the perfect balance between tradition and modernity.

Also bearing the number 107, though much newer, is the 107 Nicaragua. This Nicaraguan puro marks the beginning of the Tobaccos of the World Collection, which is set to include series from the USA and Ecuador, among others. The tradition of anniversary cigars continues with the 115 Anniversary, another masterfully blended cigar.

Anniversary Cigars and More

La Aurora’s sense of history is evident not only when it comes to celebrating its own brand. The 1495 Series features strong cigars that recall the year Columbus discovered Hispaniola. He built a fort, which later became the city of Santiago de los Caballeros—La Aurora’s hometown.

Some series are marked by years that indicate when the wrapper was first used by La Aurora. For instance, the Cameroon 1903 features a Cameroon seed wrapper grown in Ecuador. Similarly, the Corojo 1962, Connecticut 1987, and Maduro 1985 follow the same concept. The latter, however, does not use a traditional maduro wrapper but instead features Brazilian Arapiraca, known for its typical sweet taste.

Exotic Delights: ADN Dominican and Limited Editions

A true rarity is the ADN Dominican. Here, the tobacco is wrapped in palm leaves and pressed with ropes after fermentation. This traditional Dominican method of pipe tobacco production creates a sweet, earthy, and intensely aromatic smoke.

Finally, there are the Limited Editions, where all limited products are gathered—and, of course, the León Jimenes, an excellent rum that pairs perfectly with a La Aurora cigar. Enjoy!