Zen & the Art of the Cigar

La Flor Dominicana is a brand that has really gained in popularity over the last few years.  It is the child of Litto Gomez and Ines Lorenzo-Gomez who have poured the hearts into creating one of the most diverse brands out there.  I love the brand as there is a cigar for every mood.  From the mild to the very full-bodied the Gomez’ have put together quite an amazing portfolio.

Below is an excerpt from an article on the two from Cigar Aficionado:

La Flor Dominicana burst on the scene in the middle of the 1990s cigar boom. Known first as Los Libertadores, the brand was met with the same skepticism that most of the other new brands encountered, both in the marketplace and among industry old-timers. But something changed very quickly.

The attitudes of the owners, the husband-and-wife team of Litto Gomez and Ines Lorenzo-Gomez, were clear from the start: they wanted to learn about the business and about cigars. Instead of copying the behavior of some of the newcomers, which might charitably be called arrogant, Gomez and Lorenzo-Gomez buckled down, spending time with some of the wisest people in the cigar business. They moved carefully, growing slowly and methodically as they acquired more expertise, better tobacco inventories and, finally, their own factory.

Recently the brand has undergone a face lift.  The name on the bands has been shortened to LFD with a darker red background.  Below is a list of the regular lines, special sizes and limited editions from Litto and Ines.

La Flor Dominicana Premium Line – This is the flagship of the LFD brand, appearing in 1994.  The Premium Line added the tag “Premium Line” a few years back.  Prior to that it was just the regular line.

• LFD Premium Line – available in 5 sizes with a Connecticut Shade wrapper.  This is the mildest in the in the brand.

• LFD Premium Line Gran Maduro – available in 3 sizes with a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper.  Don’t let this cigar fool you, it’s got some punch!

• LFD Premium Line Gran Maduro Cabinet – unbanded in 3 sizes with a first priming Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper.

La Flor Dominicana Reserva Especial – this is probably my favorite line in the brand, it’s perfect for every occasion and the El Jocko’s are amazing.

• LFD Reserva Especial – available in 4 sizes with an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper.

• LFD Reserva Especial Culebra – all three cigars feature a Ecuadorian Sumatran wrapper.
• LFD Reserva Especial Culebra Maduro – one natural and 2 maduro wrapped cigars.
• LFD Reserva Espeicial Culebra Gordo – all three cigars in this larger culebra have a Cameroon wrapper.
• LFD Reserva Especial Culebra Lanceros - super hard to find, this features a weave of a Natural, Oscuro and Cameroon lancero!
• LFD Reserva Especial El Jocko – available  in either Ecuadorian Connecticut or Connecticut Broadleaf.  One of my favorite smokes.  These always deliver!

• LFD Reserva Especial Billy Club – an exclusive cigar for Jack Schwartz Importers this is the big brother to the El Jocko available in a Broadleaf wrapper.

La Flor Dominicana Air Bender – a salute to kung fu movies, Litto’s latest creation is strong, balanced and air-bendy!

• LFD Air Bender – available in 4 sizes with an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper.

La Flor Dominicana Cameroon Cabinet – Debuted in 2007.  Another one of my faves.  If you love Cameroons, you have to try this cigar!

• LFD Cameroon Cabinet – available in 4 sizes with a Cameroon Ligero wrapper.  The spiciest Cammie on the market.

La Flor Dominicana Habano – a weird line in different sizes featuring Litto’s new obsession – the Ecuadorian Habano wrapper.

• LFD Double Press – a heavily box-pressed cigar with an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper.

• LFD Perfecto Habano – once the mystery cigar in the Perfecto sampler, you can now buy this any ole time with a, you guessed it, Habano wrapper.

La Flor Dominicana Ligero – debuting in 2001, this line really began the swing for stronger LFD cigars.

• LFD Ligero – available in 4 sizes with an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper.

• LFD Ligero Cabinet Oscuro – debuting in 2007, these strong cigars are available in 4 sizes with an Ecuadorian Sumatra Oscuro wrapper.

• LFD Ligero Mysterio – these amazing cigars appeared in 2006 and have Oscuro tips surrounding an Ecuadorian Sumatran wrapper.

• LFD Ligero Mysterio Oscuro – this variant of the Mysterio has Ecuadorian Sumatran tips surrounding an Oscuro wrapper in 2007.

• LFD Liger0 Carajos – these tiny firecrackers appeared in 2008 and are available in a neat box of six with an Ecuadorian Sumatra Oscuro wrapper.

La Flor Dominicana Double Ligero – in 2003, these powerhouses changed the what it meant to call a cigar “strong”.  Smoke these on a full stomach!

• LFD Double Ligero – these very very full bodied cigars are available in 7 sizes with an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper.

• LFD  Double Ligero Maduro - available in 3 sizes with a darker Ecuadorian Sumatran wrapper.
• LFD Double Ligero Oscuro – available in two sizes (the A and the Especiales) with an Ecuadorian Sumatra Oscuro wrapper.
• LFD Double Ligero Lancero – these super hard to find cigars are available in either a Ecuadorian Sumatran or Ecuadorian Sumatran Oscuro wrapper.  There is also a rarer Cameroon wrapped Lancero, and it is fantastic!

• LFD Double Ligero The Hammer – this special box=pressed toro is only available at Holt’s with an Ecuadorian Sumatran wrapper.

La Flor Dominicana Little Cigars – little cigars when you have little time!

• LFD Daiquiri - these little cigars are available in either a Ecuadorian or Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper.
• LFD Mojitos - these little cigars are available in a Cameroon wrapper.

La Flor Dominicana 2000 Series – this line featured a spicy Cameroon wrapper.  It has been discontinued.

• LFD 2000 Series – this discontinued line was available in 10 sizes with a Cameroon wrapper.

La Flor Dominicana Tubos - introduced in 2001, this used to be a separate line but is now part of the Reserva Especial line.

• LFD Tubos – available in two sizes with an Ecuadorian Sumatran wrapper.

Coronado by La Flor – a whole new line for the Gomez’.  This received a new branding due to it’s Nicaraguan wrapper, which is picked from the top most leaf of the plant.

• Coronado by La Flor – available in 5 big sizes with a Nicaraguan wrapper.

• Coronado by La Flor Lancero – this limited edition size is only available at a few stores.
• Coronado by La Flor The Hammer – this box-pressed beauty is a Holt’s exclusive.

LG Diez – just when you thought Litto couldn’t make a stronger cigar, in 2004 out came the LG Diez celebrating 10 years of cigars.

• LG Diez – the classic Diez line, available in 5 sizes, including the chisel, a Dominican puro with a super rich Dominican wrapper.

• LG Diez Vintage 2008 – Litto has changed things up a bit.  the Diez will now be introduced in Vintage lines.  The 2008 blend is  much smoother than the old Diez.

• LG Diez Vintage 2009 – Even smoother than the ’08s.  Try the Americano.
• LG Diez Maduro – super limited version with a Dominican Maduro wrapper.  Only available in the Americano size.
• LG Diez Oscuro – a limited release with a Dominican Oscuro wrapper.
• LG Diez Galego – a limited edition size (6″x60) made exclusively for the Davidoff, NY stores.

• LG Diez Small Batch No. 1 – woof!  This super-strong cigar featured all 2002 crop tobacco.

• LG Diez Small Batch No. 2 – The wrapper is Sumatra Seed grown in the Dominican Republic. Litto personally goes over the selection process and picks only the best-of-the-best tobaccos for his Small Batch cigars. The new version’s production is at 30,000 cigars coming in cabinets of 105. That means about 285 boxes available world wide. This might be one of the most stomach-turning cigars I have ever smoked!

La Flor Dominicana Limited Editions – plenty of cool LEs from Litto!

• Face-Off - one of my all time favorite concept cigars.  This was a little bet between Litto and Christian Eiroa of Camacho cigars to see if the other could make a better cigars from his competitors tobacco.  Each man was sent the other enough tobacco to make 50,000 cigars. Each mixed in a bit of his own leaf to make a new version of the others brand, resulting in a Camacho by Litto Gomez and a La Flor Dominicana by Eiroa. There will be one size, 5 3/4 inches long by 50 ring gauge.  These cigars were awesome and got even better with age.  The Camacho by Litto was way better than Christian’s La Flor.  Good luck finding one.

• LFD El Museo – a special LE charity cigar w/ an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper.  A wonderful, if not pricy cigar.

• LFD Factory Press I – these huge box-pressed cigars featured a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper.
• LFD Factory Press II – this big boy featured a natural Nicaraguan Oscuro wrapper.

• LFD Factory Press III – the most recent FP featured a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper.

• LFD Limitado I - not sure this even existed, I cannot find reference to it anywhere.
• LFD Limitado II – available in three sizes with an Ecuadorian Sumatran Oscuro wrapper.

• LFD Limitado III – this cigar was available in 2008 with a Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper.

• LFD Limitado IV – for 2009 this will feature a Nicaraguan wrapper.
• LFD Salamone - this cigar has so much potential it’s crazy.  Not very cheap but features an aged Habano-seed wrapper.

• LFD Los Perfectos Sampler – in 2008, the special release sampler hit stores and featured a special shaped perfect in the Ligero, Double Ligero and Coronado lines.  It also included 2 prototype cigars, the details of the blend are top secret.  I have smoked the prototype and its one of Litto’s best blends ever!

• OVTC 35th Anniversary Toro - made exclusively for the Old Virginia Tobacco Company’s 35th Anniversary party.
• The Cheroot – a special release, once available only from Litto himself, you can now find these at Empire Cigars in Raleigh, NC.  This tiny rustic cigar is ALL ligero.  From Litto’s farm.  Buckle up, Buttercup.