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Cigar Sasquatch Review of the La Flor Dominicana Chisel (6×54)

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See the full original review here.

The strength of a honey bee is not in the sting but in the wing.

Bees appear to be aerodynamically incapable of flight. But they don’t let that bother them. They overcome gravity, not just with furious flapping of their undersized wings, but with a tiny, nearly imperceptible flourish at the peak of each wing stroke that shifts the balance of air pressure just enough to send them airborne.

There’s a lot of talk about the distinction between strength and power. Power comes from position or influence, strength comes from effort and sacrifice, from willpower and drive. Of course, such platitudes are the stuff of motivational posters and army recruitment videos. But there’s a reason for that. There is strength in might, but also in tenderness. There’s strength in passion and in subtlety. And there’s strength in control. A car’s power comes from the engine, but where would we be without brakes?

The La Flor Dominicana Chisel (6×54) exemplifies strength in cigars, with power and control. There’s no doubt, this is an intense cigar, but there’s more there than just power. There are subtlety and nuance, and the acknowledgement that power is not enough.

The Chisel features LFD’s signature all-ligero blend, with Dominican fillers and binder, and a dark oily Ecuadorian wrapper. I selected the dark natural, but it’s also available in a maduro. The most notable initial feature of the Chisel is its shape. It’s, well, a chisel, tapering to a half-inch wide point designed for a pleasant embouchure.

There is some debate about the proper way to open the Chisel, whether to cut a notch across the “blade” or to use a punch to open a hole in the flat “face” near the end. Don’t do either of these. The Chisel can be opened by simply pinching the head of the cigar parallel to the axis of tip, creating a perfect slit opening. If you’re worried about the wrapper splitting or some other problem, don’t. It works perfectly every time. The draw from the pinch is open and light, with no cracking or splitting. The head can also be moistened, softening the capa, and further simplifying the procedure.

The initial flavors are of intense dark tobacco, with heavy roasted earth and leather, and a hint of tangy bourbon. Pace yourself: you can feel a nicotine tingle from the heady ligeros. The burn wanders persistently, and requires regular maintenance, producing a gray ash which is flat and generally not well-formed.

Within the second inch, the flavors developed a thick layer of dark caramelized wood, with an extraordinary deep, rich character which continues to darken and intensify throughout the long slow burn. The finish is long and oaky.

I rate this cigar 8.6. It’s a unique figurado, with intensity and depth, strength and flavor. It loses points for persistent burn issues, which might improve with slightly drier aging.
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Comments

  1. ashauler's Avatar
    How many of each cigar do you smoke to produce a review?
  2. CigarSasquatch's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by ashauler
    How many of each cigar do you smoke to produce a review?
    Depends. Sometimes just a single, if it's a specialty cigar, or something I pick up on a whim or in a sampler. But many times I'm writing based on multiple smokes over long periods of time.
  3. ashauler's Avatar
    O.K. so for this particular cigar, how many?
  4. CigarSasquatch's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by ashauler
    O.K. so for this particular cigar, how many?
    I've had 3 of these over maybe a year or so from 3 different B+Ms. I enjoy the smoke, but like I said in the blog I've has some persistent burn issues with them. Probably ought to get a 5-pack and park them at like 65% for a while, and see if that helps. I'm curious if anyone else has had a similar experience with them.
  5. ashauler's Avatar
    I've smoked through a couple of boxes of these. My humi's are at 60-65%. I don't have burn issues with them, or, for that matter, just about any other stick. Outside of obviously poor construction (over/under filled), it has been my experience that burn problems are more related to storage conditions than anything else. Higher RH and thicker wrappers are not a good marriage imho.
  6. CigarSasquatch's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by ashauler
    I've smoked through a couple of boxes of these. My humi's are at 60-65%. I don't have burn issues with them, or, for that matter, just about any other stick. Outside of obviously poor construction (over/under filled), it has been my experience that burn problems are more related to storage conditions than anything else. Higher RH and thicker wrappers are not a good marriage imho.
    You're absolutely right. Burn issues can usually be attributed to improper storage or poor construction. LFD is legendary for it's construction, which is why I indicated in my review that the issues I had may have had more to do with storage. A lot of B+Ms (at least in my area) keep their humis at 70% because (IMHO) the popular misconception that 70% is perfect. I'm with you. My target is 65%, and like I said, a month or 2 in drier storage might help, but I also believe that I ought to be able to take a cigar home from a B+M and not have to battle with the burn.
  7. ashauler's Avatar
    Out of the 4 b/m's in my city, there is only one that I can pick a cigar from their humi, walk to the lounge and lite it up with no burn/draw issues. I believe most b/m's keep the Rh on the upper side due to the frequent door openings of their walk-ins.

    70% is better for long-term aging imho.
  8. badwhale's Avatar
    What about cello? On or off?
  9. ashauler's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by badwhale
    What about cello? On or off?
    2 words for you whale.
  10. badwhale's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by ashauler
    2 words for you whale.
    Cello on?