In early 2019, a new collaboration project was announced. AJ Fernández and José Blanco (Jochy). Dubbed the San Lotano Dominicano would become another extension of the San Lotano Line from AJ Fernández. With so many collaborations on the market, this one takes elements from both men and their respective experience in Premium Cigars. Tobaccos are a blend of leaves from Blanco and Fernández, with production happening at Blanco’s factory in Dominican Republic. Here is Matt’s evaluation of this cigar.
In addition to the Toro reviewed here, The San Lotano Dominicano is also available in a 5 x 50 Robusto, a 6.5 x 52 Box Press Torpedo, and a 6.25 x 60 Gordo.
San Lotano Dominicano Toro
MSRP: $9.00
Size: 6 x 50
Origin: Tabacalera Palma (Dominican Republic)
Wrapper: Brazil
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Nicaragua, Dominican Republic
Prologue
This cigar looks very well made and has deep, even medium brown coloration. There is a noticeable tooth to the wrapper leaf and the cigar feels a bit light for its size. I get aromas of cedar and leather from the wrapper, but sweetness and musty notes from the foot. The cold draw if more of that mustiness along with hints of spice and grass.
Act I
Right away, I have to admit I was surprised by the mellow and smooth beginning of this cigar. I was expecting pepper and heavy earthiness, but it was mostly notes like coffee, cocoa, and slight hints of earth. A few times I get some interesting vegetal notes. The overall profile has a mix of sweetness, earth, coffee, and little bits of pepper. The retrohale is interesting because I sense some leather aromas, which doesn’t seem at all to be on the palate, only in the nose.
Act II
The middle of this cigar adds an interesting new element. I am getting a savory component coming in to contrast the sweetness. It almost reminds me of soy sauce and honey. The earthy aromas are still present, as well as the coffee and some underlying peppery bite. The retrohale still has this interesting leathery aroma, along with some mild pepper and dryness.
Act III
The final section of the cigars maintains many of the core flavors from earlier, but adds a few things. There is a campfire kind of smokiness and the earthy notes really ramp up. The sweetness is muted by all of these components but it’s still there. The coffee and cocoa notes remain, but are more bitter than sweet. The retrohale is still reminding me of leather, but way more intense and spicy than before.
Epilogue
It’s a cigar that has boldness and spiciness. The first couple sections of the smoking experience are laced with a nice mix of spice, sweetness, and earthiness. The last section does get a little too bitter, but it isn’t a deal-breaker. I would just prefer it to stay smooth and balanced. The overall strength was not intense, but if you like an interesting nose to a cigar, this one will do nicely for you. It seems to me that this is a perfect addition to the San Lotano line. Does it fill a gap that maybe wasn’t really there? Maybe. But it is still a good cigar with a balanced profile.
San Lotano Dominicano Toro – How Bout That Cigar?
Rating: How Bout A Box?
Overall Score: 91
PAD: +0.0 (What is PAD?)
Flavor Summary: Coffee, Earth, Savory, Black Pepper
Strength Assessment: Medium
Source: Cigars for this review were purchased by HBT Media LLC