Litto Gomez Diez Oriental

This is going to be a little bit of a self-serving introduction, since I am the one who selected this stick for CotM. The Litto Gomez Diez is a very special stick. First off, it’s a Dominican puro, of which there are very few. On top of that, it’s a single farm vintage. That means that all the tobacco in the stick was grown on the same farm, in the same year!

Each year (since 2008) they have put the year on the band, so it’s easy to tell which vintage it is. Because of the nature of this stick, the sticks vary from year to year, so each vintage is a little different. I’ve only had the 2012, but it’s been amazing. Supposedly, these things are absolutely stunning with a few years on them, but I haven’t had the pleasure.

The one I am reviewing today is another 2012 vintage from my B&M. I love these sticks for their strength, spiciness, and amazing final third.

Statistics

CotM: November 2013



November 2013





Shape: Parejo







Chosen by: givequicheachance







Size: 4.875″ x 40







Country of Origin: Dominican Republic







Wrapper: Dominican Republic







Binder: Dominican Republic







Filler: Dominican Republic







Color: Colorado Maduro

Colorado Maduro





Strength: Full

Full





Price Paid: $6.63

$6.63





Smoke Date: 11/15/2013

11/15/2013





Age: 1 month

Accessories Used

Palio Composite cigar cutter (which was assembled on my 30th birthday!), Silver & Chrome Vector Stratos single-flame torch lighter, Handmade English walnut ashtray made by wedgewoodrings.

Pairing

The Macallan 12 yr old single malt Scotch served in a Sagaform rocking whiskey glass with a splash of water. This sherried Scotch is a perfect pairing for the LG Diez. The sweet honey and fruit notes helped to cut the spiciness of the cigar a bit, while highlighting the same sweet and fruity notes in the tobacco.

Appearance/Nose

This was a pretty stick. The Dominican wrapper was milk-chocolate brown and smooth, almost silky, with no imperfections. You can see that a lot of care went into the crafting of this cigar. The band is an distinguished red and gold band that plays with the traditional LFD band concept and makes it a little classier and a little more ornate. The nose at the foot gave me a strong almond/ceder smell that was very sweet.

Construction

No soft or hard spots could be found. The construction appeared absolutely perfect at first glance, topped off with a triple-cap. The burn was even the whole way through, which is something that I have had difficulty with on the larger ring gauges in the Diez line. It did try to burn uneven once or twice, but a few puffs corrected the burn without the need for a touch-up. The ash had white, gray and black stripes, and managed to hang on for well over an inch.

Cold Draw

The cold draw was rather tight, but had some of the same almond notes as the nose, with a spiciness that made my lips tingle.

Smoking

First third

The first puffs were incredibly spicy. So spicy, in fact, that all I could taste was capsaicin hotness, overwhelming everything else. There is a bit of ceder on the aftertaste, underneath the burn. The crazy intense spice had a strong tingly numbing effect on the lips and tongue.

The draw remained a bit too tight at first, but loosened up with a bit of gentle massage. The smoke volume was very large for such a small cigar. After about a quarter inch, the spice relaxed, and the flavors started to come out. I got notes of cinnamon, almond, raisin, and cherry, along with still quite ample red pepper spice. The retrohale was predictably spicy, with an intense burning sensation.

By the one-inch mark, the draw had opened up to a medium-smooth pull. The rich, woody and fruity flavors, mingled with cinnamon and red pepper, continued to dominate the palate. A cedars, woody note began to emerge towards the end of the first third. The spice was still quite strong, though not so strong it overwhelmed the palate.

Second third

Strong cinnamon, red pepper, and cedar dominated at the start of the middle third. I got a little over-zealous with the ash because it was holding on for so long for such a narrow cigar, and wound up with the first inch and a half in my lap. I decided to ash a little more conservatively for the remainder of this cigar.

The smoke volume steadily increased to a quite voluminous cloud with each puff. About halfway through, I began to feel the strength of this cigar kicking in. Combined with the Scotch, I developed quite a buzz.

The flavor was now strongly cedar, with cinnamon spice on the retrohale and a rich almond-raisin finish that was surprisingly short. Despite the spiciness, this cigar was very rich and smooth.

Final third

The band came off easily at the start of the final third. At this point, the rich, almond flavor began to re-emerge in full force, along with a dried cherry flavor that is common in Litto Gomez’s blends.

The spice, of course, was still present, but much subdued from where it started, and was primarily cinnamon in nature. The strength of the nicotine really came in at this point. Standing up to take photos became a bit difficult. What a wallop this little cigar packs!

The flavors at the last inch and a half were a rich combination of honey sweetness, dried fruits, nuts, cedar, and cinnamon, with a bit of coffee joining in at the end. At the nub, the flavors of cinnamon and cedar again dominated.

Notes

Draw: Medium-tight

Medium-tight





Body: Full

Full





Primary Flavors: Red pepper, cinnamon, cedar, almonds

Red pepper, cinnamon, cedar, almonds





Smoke Output: Medium-full

Medium-full





Smoke Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes

Overall

This cigar shatters stereotypes. Dominican tobacco is mild? Petit coronas can’t be powerful? You can’t make a good puro from the Dominican Republic? The Diez laughs at all of these. It’s a Dominican puro, and an absolute powerhouse, even in a petit corona vitola. The first third was a bit like smoking pepper spray with a hint of wood and raisin. While that probably sounds unpleasant, it’s actually amazing if you like a good, spicy smoke. (I’m the kind of guy who always orders 11 on the 1-10 spicy food scale though, so maybe I’m just insane.) The final third is definitely where this cigar shines the brightest. If you are still standing by that point, you are rewarded with rich, complex and unique flavors. This cigar is definitely not for the inexperienced. It is incredibly strong, even in this small vitola. But for those who can handle the nicotine kick, there are great rewards in the flavor. It’s not a perfect cigar, and that first third can be a bit overwhelming to get through, but if you like powerhouses, and you love spicy cigars, this is one to try.

Rating