Framing the farm. The yellow steel beams and sign on the farm in Jacagua let visitors know exactly who this plot of land belongs to.
If there is a quintessential Dominican cigar, it comes from La Aurora, the country’s oldest maker of premium cigars. The company has been around since 1903 and the family-owned business is helmed by Guillermo León, a fifth-generation owner of the operation. But La Aurora wasn’t just handed down to him. For many years, La Aurora was part of a larger corporate umbrella (Grupo León), and in 2011, the corporation decided to divest the cigarmaking operation. Before it could officially go up for sale, Guillermo purchased La Aurora from his family and assumed ownership.
Some very interesting things have been happening at La Aurora in the last few years. Firstly, it brought distribution in-house (it was formerly distributed by Miami Cigar & Co.); put the 100 Años brand back into production, an anniversary cigar made totally of Dominican tobacco; and the company launched a series called Family Creed, (the Robusto size is one of our Top 25 cigars of 2025). During the ProCigar Festival, we visited La Aurora's farm in Jacagua before strolling the factory, which was expanded just before the pandemic. The Jacagua farm is partially dedicated to wrapper and binder, while the rest grows filler. It’s important to note that this particular farm is what helps to define the character of La Aurora’s cigars, as most of the company’s main brands have some of this tobacco in the blend. We were pleased to see that La Aurora’s operation is as picturesque as it is efficient.
A warm welcome. Company owner Guillermo León introduces himself and the company to the ProCigar tour. He’s joined onstage by CEO Ed McKenna, his daughters, Michelle León and Daniela León Franco, and Iturbides Zaldivar, sales and marketing director for Latin America and the Caribbean.
Approaching the farm. The tour heads to the wrapper portion of the farm where tobacco is grown under mesh tents to filter the sun’s strong rays. About four to five acres are dedicated to growing wrapper.
Leaves under shade. Here, a plot of Habano ’92 tobacco is being cultivated for wrapper. Whatever doesn’t make wrapper grade will be used for binder. The leaves of this Habano ’92 varietal are quite large. They were planted in December and still have another month before harvest.
In the greenhouse. These seedlings of Corojo ’99 will soon be transplanted to the filler section of the farm.
Cultivating Corojo. This is the much larger filler section of the Jacagua farm, a section that determines the characteristics of La Aurora, as this tobacco is found in most of La Aurora’s cigars. The company used to subsidize the farm but eventually purchased the land, which produces Piloto Cubano tobacco as well. These plants are about 46 days old and will be harvested soon.
Lessons in leaf. Agronomic engineer Atanacio Garcia (left) accompanies master blender Manuel Inoa while they give a hands-on seminar on blending tobacco types in a curing barn.
An expanded gallery. In 2019 La Aurora made its rolling significantly larger. In this room, 240 rollers working in pairs produce around 13 million cigars per year, including 100 Años, Family Creed and the 120th Anniversary.
Preferidos in the making. The company’s signature Preferidos is a classic, double-tapered perfecto shape. Like all cigars, they spend some time in molds before getting their wrappers. You can see the shaggy ends have yet to be trimmed.
The finished product. These Preferidos now have their wrappers. The perfectos come in a variety of wrapper types and altogether, Preferidos are La Aurora’s best-selling cigar.
Bunching the blend. Rollers work in pairs, and this buncher assembles the tobacco before putting it in the Lieberman device on his table. It will then be placed in a mold.
Leaning lanceros. It may not be a best-selling size, but these long, thin lanceros are beautifully made with oily wrappers and pigtail caps.
