la flor dominicana

I remember when Litto Gomez first came onto the cigar scene as the man who brought powerful Dominican smokes into the mainstream world of cigars. His bucking the trend of more mild to medium bodied Dominican cigars helped to usher in a new taste for these full spicy smokes.  Not just a trend setter but a cigar creator, the story goes while biting on a cigar driving to his factory the head was flattened and he realized the taste yielded more concentrated flavor. He quickly had a roller create a cigar with a flat head and thus the “Chisel” was born. The Air Bender Chisel gets its namesake as homage to martial arts movies where the speed of the characters seemingly bends the air. The combination of the chisel head and the blend certainly hits you. Enjoy!

Blend Specifics

• Cigar Reviewed: La Flor Dominicana Air Bender Chisel
• Wrapper: Habano
• Binder: Dominican Republic
• Filler: Dominican Republic
• Size: 6 ½” x 54

Appearance and Construction

The wrapper is gorgeous and expertly rolled. Firm to the touch and full of tobacco. I have never seen a poorly rolled cigar out of La Flor no matter what size vitola. The bands on the classic LFD logo is elegant gold, black and red. A lovely sheen covers the cigar and despite being a less than ordinary shape it has such a classic look.

Flavor and Smoke Characteristics

The Air Bender Chisel from the outset hits you with intense notes of wood and pencil lead. A decent amount of smoke is evident and the retrohale delivers more of the same. Some tanginess is left on the finish which is not too pleasing. At this point some vegetal notes are detected along with a bit of spice.

Midway cedar develops along with an intensifying of strength. The start of this cigar began in the medium bodied range however the flavors are building and the smoke is progressing. Lots of coffee and savory characteristics are on the finish which is quite satisfying. The burn is razor sharp and demonstrates the high quality craftsmanship of the cigar. The pencil lead returns as well as previous flavors of cedar and spice.

The last third delivers a weighty mouthfeel of wood and spice. The tangy finish returns which is a bit displeasing on the palate. The cedar along with nicotine rounds out the cigars profile. The Air Bender finishes in the full bodied range with a woody and earthy ending.

Conclusion

Litto once again creates and innovates with interesting and unique sizes and blends. I enjoyed the start of this cigar and its fuller bodied development. My only issue with the Air Bender Chisel was with the tangy finish as it progressed. I was a fan of the flavor profile, but it could have used more balance in its progression. I tend to prefer smokes that are rounded and complex and although this cigar had complexities I felt it could’ve been more nuanced. I would recommend giving this cigar a shot as Litto is a craftsman and the flavors are certainly evident throughout.