La Nox by La Flor Dominicana
BRAND / CO: La Flor Dominicana
CIGAR: La Nox
VITOLA: Toro - 6.5" x 50
STRENGTH: Full
WRAPPER: Brazilian, Maduro
BINDER: Mexico (San Andrés)
FILLER: Dominican Republic (La Canela Pelo de Oro, Piloto)
ORIGIN: Dominican Republic, Tabacalera La Flor S.A.
APPEARANCE & CONSTRUCTION: Good
Another dripper though I'm curious if it'll stain my hand like the Reserva Especial did. I say dripper because La Nox is a super dark chocolate brown that's just shining with heavy oil and still shows heavy mottling and sporadic spots of large tooth. It has several visible thinner veins but the seams are tight and the triple cap is clean and evenly applied. It has good firmness and the wrapper itself feels thick and crunchy. If you didn't know that La Nox meant "the night," the colors and imagery on the band should get the point across.
DRAW & BURN: Good / Great
The draw has a little extra resistance but is still quite good. The burn starts nicely and settles into a dead even char line quickly. The ash is a light to medium gray with tight and even striations and a nice spread of oil crystals mixed in. The ash holds through the first third before falling. The burn line occasionally develops some waves, but it's even from side to side. No touch-ups, no corrections, just a great burn.
FLAVOR PROFILE: Excellent
Initial flavors are earth and musty barnyard with some dark fruit sweetness and cocoa. There's a light almond taste and that light floral-like aromatic quality I associate with Brazilian wrappers. Hints of black licorice and coffee swirl in with light woodiness and bits of salt. It's creamy, it's sweet, it's salty, it's bitter, it's savory, I might even be getting a little bit of sour. It's off to an awesome start.
With the second third, some pepper finally appears. It's mild, but adding a nice little punch of heat to liven things up. The earth, barnyard and licorice flavors still drive with cocoa, raisin sweet and charred cedar supporting. Chill, this is a very chill blend. There's a charred smokiness with this cigar that I find a bit more unique. Sometimes that turns into strong BBQ type flavors, but with the black licorice bitterness, it's an interesting but still delightful combination that's a bringing a slight but not quite full-on hickory vibe. We're missing the spice but not the smoke.
The complexity of flavors and the balance they're striking is fantastic. Everybody is playing nice, holding hands and singing kumbaya. Nobody licked the palm of their hand first or picked their nose. It's all carrying through the final third for a grand finish.
OVERALL EXPERIENCE: Excellent
This is a cigar that's been out for a decade now and has been reviewed by basically everybody to rave reviews. Add me to the list as a +1 for that party. Fantastic smoke.
Purchase Singles or by the Box HERE
Reviewed by Sean McCloskey of The Collective