La Aurora Releasing Strongest Cigar Yet: Untamed
La Aurora has let the lion out of the cage, figuratively speaking. Appropriately dubbed Untamed by La Aurora, the new cigar brand will debut at this summer's IPCPR trade show, and it's the most full-bodied line within La Aurora's portfolio.
"We started the blend a year ago," said Jason Holly, a product developer for La Aurora. "It's on the high side of medium bodied, or the low side of full, depending on what kind of smoker you are. But it's still the strongest blend that La Aurora produces."
The new smokes are boxed in edgy packaging quite unorthodox for La Aurora, the oldest operating cigar company in the Dominican Republic. The box, which has a distressed finish, depicts a modern sketch of a lion as well as claw marks and contemporary lettering styles.
Each cigar is fitted with a bold, golden lion band as well as a foot band that reads "untamed." The image of a lion appears on nearly all of La Aurora's products as a representation of the León family and also Guillermo León, who owns the brands and the factory in which they are made.
"Untamed goes out of La Aurora's comfort zone in both blend and packaging," Holly said. "La Aurora has always been a traditional type of cigar company."
The blend draws its strength from a dark, near-black Connecticut broadleaf wrapper, Dominican binder and a filler that consist of three different types of Dominican tobacco. There is a Nicaraguan component in the filler as well.
Untamed comes in five sizes, Robusto at 5 inches by 50 ring, Belicoso, 6 1/4 by 52, Toro, 5 1/2 by 54, Corona Gorda, 6 by 47 and Gran, 7 by 60. They're set to retail from $7.50 to $11.00.
According to Holly, about 150,000 Untamed cigars have already been produced and are sitting in La Aurora's aging room. The brand will be introduced at the trade show in July but won't ship until August. It's distributed by Miami Cigar & Co.
For a rating of Untamed by La Aurora, see an upcoming issue of Cigar Insider.
