Welcome back! Today we have two new reviews on the menu. First up is the La Aurora Escogidos, which will be followed up by a past NBA star's first attempt in the cigar game, the John Starks' Dominican Legends Torpedo.

La Aurora Escogidos

La Aurora cigars have been around since 1903. Their cigars are handmade in Santiago, Dominican Republic at the La Aurora Cigar Factory, which is the oldest such facility in the Caribbean nation. The Escogidos line was released in 2005 by Jose Blanco, Aurora's Sales Director. The line was initially intended to be given out to the factory's visitors as sort of a welcoming gift. That all changed in 2007, however, when the Escogidos line's distribution was increased, and the cigar would also become available at many of La Aurora's special events and shows. In case you were wondering, Escogidos translated to English means “the chosen ones”. With a name like that, you have to figure the cigar must be special, so let's find out if it lives up to its lofty moniker.

The La Aurora Escogidos measures 5x50 in its Robusto size. It also comes in just one other size, the Belicoso. The composition of the Escogidos is said to be that of a Dominican puro made up of aged tobacco. It has a Dominican filler and a Dominican binder. Finishing off the cigar is an African Cameroon wrapper. This is not one of the stronger sticks you will find, and it fits into the medium-bodied category.

The look of the Escogidos is pretty standard. It does have a nice reddish color thanks to its Cameroon wrapper. Under the light you can see some oiliness on its surface. Some large veins are also visible but the cigar looks smooth for the most part. The band near the head adds a nice aesthetic touch. Its red, gold, and beige colors accent some old style font that shows the Aurora Escogidos name. A quick feel of the cigar tells you that it is very well packed, as it's extremely firm with little give at all. Putting my nose up to it I get some spiciness, and the cold taste is that of chocolate.

Once in action, the Escogidos is somewhat of a mixed bag in the burn department that gears more towards disappointment. The draw is not bad, and some nice solid ash is produced. The burn is uneven, though, and it requires occasional touch-ups. The worst part about the burn is the fact that the cigar has a tendency to die out, so you need to keep a lighter handy to re-light it, which can get annoying after awhile.