Cigar Review: La Aurora Preferido Ecuador #1 Perfecto

Initial Thoughts:

Bought cigars are great. Gift cigars are even better. And today's cigar, the La Aurora Preferido Ecuador #1 Perfecto was just such a gift, and I got it for my birthday in 2020.

As soon as I pulled the La Aurora Ecuador out of the cellophane, I was greeted with a strong aroma of earth and (maybe) fertilizer.

However, before cutting and lighting the cigar and upon closer examination, I noticed some areas of concern. Around the smoking end, some of the wrapper leaf was bunched up instead of smooth. There was also a fairly thick stem running right through the cap, which was also not entirely glued down.

On the cold draw, the flavors were very woodsy. After lighting the La Aurora Preferido Ecuador #1 Perfecto, I didn't immediately love the flavors, but I know La Aurora can make great sticks, so I'm open-minded.

CigarScore:

cigarscore 5 cigar rating

Brand: La Aurora
Line: Ecuador
Size: 6 x 58
Cut: Guillotine
Light: Torch
Price: $17.24

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sungrown Sumatra
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, Peru
Smoke Time: 80 minutes


About 35 minutes in, the La Aurora Preferido Ecuador #1 Perfecto was performing about as expected. While I don't love La Aurora's secret sauce, you might. And, if you do, you'll like this one. Also, the draw was good, the burn was nearly razor-sharp, and the experience was mostly enjoyable.

The flavors I got through the middle of the Preferido Ecuador were a little chemical-ish, leathery, and spice.

Final Thoughts

The La Aurora Preferido Ecuador #1 Perfecto had an almost perfect draw. It had an almost perfect burn. Overall, despite some questions at the very beginning, the construction of the cigar was excellent.

However, I didn't love the flavors. And, I think the La Aurora Ecuador is a little expensive for what you get and for the amount of time you'll get to smoke one.

That said, if you enjoy other La Aurora cigars, you're going to really enjoy the Preferido Ecuador too. And, because of the great construction and flavors that were (objectively) pretty good, the La Aurora Preferido Ecuador #1 Perfecto earns a CigarScore 5.

The CigarScore Rating System Explained

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