In the summer of 2017, at the industry’s annual IPCPR trade show, La Flor Dominicana was predictably the hot topic; as the company had, only months prior, earned the prestigious designation as Cigar Aficionado’s No. 1 Cigar of the Year for 2016 (awarded to LFD’s Andalusian Bull cigar). As could be expected, La Flor did not disappoint, introducing a followup (of sorts) in the form of La Volcada.

As with LFD La Nox and Andalusian Bull—the prior two cigars in LFD’s unofficial series—La Volcada features a similar look/feel, is rolled in a singular vitola, and was crafted, in part, by Tony Gomez, son of LFD co-owner Litto Gomez. In addition, the cigars follow the nomenclature from 2016’s Andalusian Bull release (where the cigars were named for Litto Gomez’s birthplace and the Spanish city’s heritage of bullfighting), this time drawing inspiration from Gomez’s family home of Uruguay and the country’s musical claim to fame—the tango.

As we wrote at the time of the cigar’s introduction:

Uruguay is often credited with the invention of the tango dance and La Volcada (translating to “the dip”) is a step in the dance. The La Volcada “dip” is illustrated on the cigar’s band.

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LFD La Volcada Breakdown

  • Wrapper: Mexican San Andrés
  • Binder: Ecuadorian Corojo
  • Filler: Dominican Republic
  • Factory: Tabacalera La Flor S.A. (Dominican Republic)
  • Production: Small Batch
  • Vitola: 7″ × 48 (Churchill)
  • Price: $12.00 (MSRP)

The look and naming strategy is not the only similarity between La Volcada and its predecessors. At the time of the cigar’s debut, LFD described the profile as “the La Nox on steroids.” This is not simply a coincidence, as the blend borrows its wrapper from La Nox’s Mexican binder leaf (or, at least, a similar selection). Adding to the parallelism of the project, La Volcada uses the Ecuadorian Corojo wrapper leaf of the Andalusian Bull, incorporated into La Volcada’s binder. The blend is finalized by Dominican tobaccos harvested from LFD’s own farms in La Canela.

Appearance

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As mentioned, the cigars appear very similar to the prior two major releases from LFD, showing heavy inks, vibrant colors, and silhouette-style artwork. The bands are somewhat abstract—the imagery of two dancers performing the La Volcada “dip” may go completely unnoticed if it is not directly pointed out. That being said, the thick and textured paper bands feel high quality and aid in the overall appearance.

The cigar is quite dark and the wrapper could potentially be labelled oscuro. There is a subtle oily sheen across the leaf, with a dark-roasted coffee bean being the closest comparison. An assortment of thin veins web their way across the surface; having visible, yet well-placed seams from head to toe. Applying pressure, the cigar feels solid, showing what looks to be a medium-to-firm bunch. The finishing touch is the cigar’s bun/pigtail cap, which is thick and applied nicely. It’s a substantial, weighty vitola that gives the impression of a long-lasting experience to follow.

La Volcada’s San Andrés wrapper shows a strong cedar aroma, backed by notes of musk. On the foot, there is a surprisingly complex aroma of black cherry cola, mountainous pine, and Belgian funk (as you’d expect from a saison or Trappist-style ale). The pre-light draw is on the firm side, bringing more notes of black cherry, joined by hickory, raw tobacco, and horse blanket (yet another descriptor borrowed from the Belgian beer scene).

Smoking Experience

Dull pepper is the first sensation when lighting, like uncracked black peppercorn on the tongue. The smoke is somewhat light, airy, and papery, with enjoyable flavors and less-than-ideal burning brush characteristics taking turns throughout most of the cigar’s first inch.

The cigar is roughly medium in strength, flavor, and body, being somewhat generic, though showing glimpses of its potential intermittently. Through a medium-firm draw (7/10), La Volcada shows a medium-light smoke output, being somewhat thin and wispy in texture. A wavy, sometimes canoeing burn brings flakey stacks of ash, typically lasting from one to one and a half inches. Most of my samples needed touchups or relights as the ash fell; luckily, this also seemed to kick the cigar into gear.

La Flor Dominicana La Volcada review

Moving past the one-inch mark, the cigar suddenly becomes much more intense. Dark and fruity syrup is the first noticeable upgrade, joining the suddenly-diminishing spices. This combination lasts long on the finish through the cigar’s retrohale, combining to create a sort of spiced Christmas pudding effect. As the spices smooth out, other nuances are given a chance to shine, such as SweeTarts candy. When this dissipates, it is replaced by Baileys Irish Cream (emphasis on the cream), complete with a bubbly, alcohol-like buzz in the retrohale. The cigar’s midsection really proves to be its strong point, as additional flavors of hickory, anise, and beef jerky round out the steady progression of this portion.

The cigar begins to strengthen passing the halfway mark, ramping up to medium/full strength (eventually finishing at full), full flavor, and medium/full body. Unfortunately, the smoke often dwindles in this region and relights/touchups are required once more. Aside from near-harsh and charcoal-like notes, the final moments are of charred oak and dark toast.

La Flor Dominicana La Volcada cigar smomking

Would I Smoke This Cigar Again?

Yes, perhaps on a once-per-month basis. I’ll admit, I’m not usually the biggest fan of LFD’s smoking profiles, but La Volcada’s strong midsection, complete with its dark and fruity syrup-like flavors, helped to sway me. This is a nighttime smoke that I’d recommend enjoying right after a nice steak dinner.

Additional Info:

  • Cigar Dojo used different reviewers for each cigar in LFD’s unofficial series, including La Nox, Andalusian Bull, and La Volcada.
  • Personally, I would rank La Volcada as the best of the three (La Volcada > Andalusian Bull > La Nox).
  • Cigars were intended for an October 2017 launch but were delayed until spring 2018.
  • Three cigars were smoked for review (from multiple sources), with all sharing the theme of slow starts and strong midsections.

Profile
  • Flavor: Full-Minus
  • Strength: Medium / Full
  • Body: Medium / Full
Core Flavors
  • Peppercorn
  • Stone Fruit Syrup
  • Hickory
  • Charred Oak
  • Anise
Tips
  • Smoke Time: 2 hours, 5 minutes
  • Pairing Recommendation: Zinfandel wine, Disaronno liqueur, cola, old fashioned cocktail
  • Purchase Recommendation: 5 – 10 cigars

La Flor Dominicana La Volcada cigar nubbed

La Volcada
La Nox earned La Flor Dominicana a fair amount of buzz in 2015, and the company has done a solid job maintaining it in years following, including the all-important designation as Cigar Aficionado's No. 1 Cigar of the Year for 2016 (with Andalusian Bull). Now, La Volcada continues in the same vein, using tobacco ingredients from both of the prior two releases. The cigars start slow, ramping up around the one-inch segment with deep, fruity, syrup-like sensations that last much longer than anticipated. This leads to an extremely satisfying midsection, with enough complexities to warrant multiple smoking sessions of discovery. Unfortunately, the finale is not quite as impressive, but certainly not bad, per se. In my experiences, La Volcada is one of LFD's best in recent memory.
Appearance96%
Burn/Construction85%
Draw88%
Flavor94%
Complexity90%
Price/Value90%
Pros
  • Deep, long-lasting flavor
  • Balance of strength and flavor
Cons
  • Slow Start
  • Relights/touchups
91%Dark Fruit Syrup
  • Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust
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