During a visit to Winchester, VA, I dropped into the John B. Hayes Tobacconist to enjoy a morning smoke. Lately, when I've visited this lounge, I’ve found myself lingering over the La Flor Dominicana section of the humidor cabinets. Despite the early hour, I was in the mood for something robust, so I grabbed a pair of La Flor Dominicana Ligero Cabinet Oscuro L-400s — one to enjoy on the spot, and one to take home.
The 5 ¾″ × 54 stick wears a very dark Ecuadorian Sumatra Oscuro wrapper, glistening with an oily sheen. The binder and filler are Dominican, including hearty ligero leaves grown at LFD’s La Canela farm. It had been a few years since I last smoked one of these, though it was once a favorite companion to a dark — often high-ABV — stout when visiting the now-fondly-remembered Olde Town Tobacconist Lounge at 1781 Brewing. This time, coffee was to provide accompaniment for the morning smoke.
The La Flor Dominicana Ligero Cabinet Oscuro starts off boldly, delivering a solid medium-to-full-bodied blast of flavor. Thick clouds of smoke pour forth, carrying notes of dark coffee with a touch of black pepper. As the cigar progresses, the profile deepens into an earthy, woody richness, underpinned by a subtle sweetness that keeps everything in balance. Though never harsh or excessively spicy, around the halfway point the ligero tobaccos begin to assert themselves. The strength is unmistakable — not overwhelming, and without ill effect — but certainly more noticeable in a morning smoke.
Unlike my last visit, the lounge this morning was busy and the shop keeper pulled out an extra chair to provide me a seat. After a week of the extreme cold dissuading me from smoking on the porch, the indoor smoke provided some welcome pleasure.
Cheers!
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