La Aurora Launching Fernando León in New York City
Before La Aurora S.A.’s patriarch Fernando León Asensio passed away in 2009, he had a noncommercial cigar made for personal consumption or as a gift for friends and family.
It came in one corona size and consisted of primarily Dominican tobacco. Now his son Guillermo León, successor and owner of La Aurora in the Dominican Republic, will be releasing the cigar as a five-size line called Fernando León.
La Aurora gave a sneak peek of the brand earlier this month at the IPCPR trade show in Orlando, but it will be officially released at a dinner in New York City hosted by Cigar Inn on October 23 and 24.
There is, however, a sentimental reason for holding the launch at this particular city location. In 1997, Fernando traveled to Manhattan for an event held at Cigar Inn. That trip marked the first time he ever came to the U.S. solely for a cigar event, so Guillermo felt it was appropriate to release Fernando León at Cigar Inn as well (though the original location was farther uptown than the midtown store where the dinner is scheduled to take place).
“My father only shared the cigar with close friends and family,” said León. “It is only fitting that we release the Fernando León at Cigar Inn. Ever since that event in 1997, Cigar Inn and its customers have always been an extended part of our family.”
Fernando León consists of Dominican Corojo wrapper and binder filled with a blend of Peruvian, Dominican and Brazilian tobacco. It will come in five sizes: Corona (5 1/2 inches by 42 ring), Robusto (5 by 50), Corona Gorda, (6 by 47), Gran Toro (6 by 58) and Belicoso (6 1/4 by 52).
La Aurora is the oldest cigar company in the Dominican Republic and is owned by Guillermo León, who purchased the factory last year from his family’s corporate conglomerate Empressa León Jimenes. Fernando León and all La Aurora brands are distributed by Miami Cigar & Co.
