This Brazilian-wrapped torpedo from the Dominican Republic's oldest cigar maker packs serious flavor in its 5.5"x42 frame. At $10.80 per stick ($194.40/18ct box), the Preferidos Ruby Maduro showcases La Aurora's signature "triple blend" recipe - Dominican Piloto Cubano binder hugging Brazilian Mata Fina and Cameroon tobaccos, all swaddled in that oily Arapiraca maduro wrapper that leaves fingertips shiny.
The cold draw tastes like licking a molasses-coated cedar plank. Initial puffs deliver black coffee bitterness tempered by raisin sweetness, with smoke output moderate but dense. Watch the burn line - this maduro wrapper tends to canoe if rushed.
At the 30-minute mark, the Dominican fillers shift gears. Now dominant are baking spices - cinnamon stick and nutmeg - with roasted almond undertones. The ash holds firm for 1.5" increments, revealing tight combustion from skilled bunching.
The last third introduces earthy tones: damp forest floor and unsweetened cocoa. Nicotine strength creeps up to medium-full, though never harsh. Most smokers stop at the 1" mark when tar accumulation begins affecting flavor purity.
Rolled in Santiago's La Aurora factory since 1903, these coronas use Brazilian Arapiraca leaf dark-fermented for 18+ months. The filler blend combines Dominican Piloto Cubano (spice), Brazilian Mata Fina (earth), and Cameroon (sweetness) - a "New World puro" marrying three continents in one smoke.
