Vitola: Robusto- 5” x 50 ring gauge
- MSRP $5.75
- Samples provided by Miami Cigar & Company
Background
Several years ago, La Aurora started the Time Capsule lines to highlight certain wrapper varietals on blends that tended to be more “modern Dominican.” They named each blend after the year La Aurora first started using the leaf, beginning with 1987 (Connecticut) and 1962 (Corojo). A year or two later 1903 (Cameroon) followed and in 2019 we have been given the 1985 (Maduro).
The La Aurora 1985 uses a Brazilian Maduro wrapper, possibly the same as what is used on the Maduro Preferido blend. The binder is Dominican and the fillers are Dominican and Nicaraguan, with the Nicaraguan leaf coming from Aganorsa Leaf.
I got to try the 1985 Maduro a few months ago when my shop’s rep handed me one. After 15 or 20 minutes of smoking it, we ended up bringing it in…and several other Time Capsule facings back. Miami Cigar and Company (the U.S. distribution for La Aurora) provided a couple review samples, the second of which I’m smoking at this time.
Site sponsor, Small Batch Cigar, does offer the La Aurora 1985 Maduro in a variety of sizes.
Prelight
The box and banding for the 1985 Maduro is pretty much the same as the other Time Capsule series releases. Very simple design on a cardboard box…colorful and attractive, but simple. Then the main band is standard La Aurora with the lion on it, while the wrapper type is noted on the secondary band. It’s a simple and effective way of keeping the price on these cigar low since they are not doing anything extravagant with the packaging.
The wrapper of the 1985 Maduro was an even shade of dark chocolate brown with a touch of oils under my fingertips and an aroma that was ripe and earthy and the slightest bit sweet. The foot of the cigar had more earth, some cedar and a little dark roast coffee.
Clipping the end, I got a very good prelight draw that had notes of earth and dark chocolate.
Flavor
I fired up the 1985 Maduro and was surprised at how full-bodied it was right off the bat. I got plenty of cocoa powder and dark roast coffee overlaying notes of leather and earth. The Dominican notes I would expect, like bread and hay, were way underneath in the mix, but still just barely there. The retrohale was leathery and peppery. The first third continued sweet and earthy, while chewy notes of bread did get more into the mix, creating an almost brownie-like flavor at times.
The second third had more of the brownie flavor with dark roast coffee as a predominate backing note, while earth and leather receded into the background. Pepper had disappeared on the nose, leaving notes of cocoa powder and espresso.
Coffee flavors dominated in the last third while the cocoa powder and chocolate notes took on a more supporting role. Pepper had a slight resurgence with a white pepper heat on the palate.
Construction
I had a great draw and solid ash throughout. The burn line was wavy at times, but nothing unusual for the Brazilian Maduro wrapper.
Value
Very good cigar at an incredible price point…phenomenal value.
Conclusions
I have enjoyed all of the previous La Aurora Time Capsule releases on a fairly regular basis as they are a collection of very fine smokes for very fair prices. The 1985 Maduro fits in very well with the others, providing a full-bodied blend full of chocolate, coffee and earthy notes in a fine blend of Dominican and Nicaraguan leaf.
By-The-Numbers
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 4/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9/10
