La Flor Dominicana La Nox Staff Review
I’m smoking a dark and succulent cigar from La Flor Dominicana, called La Nox, which is Latin for “The Night,” and I’m reviewing the 6.5-by-50 Toro. La Flor Dominicana brand founder Litto Gomez produces a distinguished collection of small-batch cigars at his factory in the Dominican Republic. He got into the business in the midst of the Cigar Boom of the 1990s and has steadily created a popular portfolio of boutique cigars that have scored high marks from the critics, including a ‘#1 Cigar of the Year’ title in Cigar Aficionado, in 2016, for the Andalusian Bull.
La Flor Dominicana La Nox came out in 2015 and was blended by Litto’s son, Tony Gomez, who plays a growing role in the company’s operations today. What sets La Flor Dominicana apart from other brands is the creative approach Litto takes in developing new projects. His most innovative cigar is the Double Ligero Chisel, a wedge-shaped Torpedo with a flattened head. This now-iconic shape can be found in several La Flor Dominicana blends.
La Nox is also a distinctive cigar, thanks to the blend and the packaging. La Nox comes in a round 20-count box with an image of the night sky, inspired by the artwork of Vincent van Gogh, on the bands and boxes. The moon-shaped box has a magnetic lid that slides on and off with ease. La Nox is blended from a very dark Brazilian wrapper leaf, a binder grown in San Andrés, and Dominican long-filler tobaccos cultivated on Gomez family estates. The packaging makes La Flor Dominicana cigars like La Nox stand out on retail shelves.
After selecting a succulent Toro from a new box, its Brazilian wrapper looks dark and rugged and covers the interior tobaccos with perfect consistency from head to foot when I gently pinch the cigar. La Nox reveals sweet and woody aroma straight from the box. The cold draw is dark and tangy with strong impressions of hickory, earth, and exotic spices.
Many La Flor Dominicana cigars are on the stronger side as Litto prefers blending with lots of Ligero tobacco, which comes from the upper section of the plant and possesses more nicotine. La Nox is a characteristically full-bodied La Flor Dominicana cigar. After toasting the foot of La Nox, the draw is chewy and dense. Strong notes of clove and anise mingle with a noticeable degree of pepper.
La Nox introduces a substantial profile of earthy, woody, and sweet notes throughout the first ten minutes. This cigar is especially spicy in the nose at first, but it settles into a balanced affair well before the middle. Notes of dark chocolate and clove provide a nice complement to the cigar’s underlying spice. I suggest pairing La Nox with any well-aged darker spirit, including rum, bourbon, and cognac. Each would emphasize unique nuances from the cigar.
You’ll want to sit down for this smoke. Fairly intense notes of cedar, nuts, and pepper mix well with the cigar’s earthy foundation of black licorice and cocoa. The draw is a little tight, but I attribute that to the hearty tobaccos the cigar is made from. The ash is strong and construction excellent but be prepared for a substantial experience. La Nox is powerful and what surprises me most about it is how complex it is for its strength. After fifty-five minutes, I remove the bands to savor the nub but I’m smoking a little slower before the end to prevent the cigar from becoming overwhelming. The finish is full and intense.
La Flor Dominicana La Nox is a bold but very smooth Dominican gem. Its woody aftertaste lingers for a good while too. If you’re seeking a strong artisanal cigar to explore, turn to the work of Litto Gomez and add La Nox to your next order. Just eat a big meal before you fire one up.
