In 1903 an 18-year-old boy named Eduardo León Jimenes started a Cigar company in the Dominican Republic. What he had was a will to work hard. Today after more than a century, the brand has spanned into different continents and became a globally recognized cigar brand. “La Aurora” means “the dawn.”
The journey to success began from a Santiago de los Caballeros factory, and it was not an easy walk. They consistently thrived with improvement and innovation. The late forties and the early fifties were not in favor of the company. The cigar industry faced difficulties from the government. But by 1957, major restructuring happened with the introduction of modern machinery and technology for production. The sixties were optimistic with increasing export and expansion of production capacity. From there, it was consistent growth.
In 1986 the company started diversification by acquiring the beer brand ‘Presidente’ by acquiring Cerveceria Nacional Dominicana. And further diversified into banking and publishing in 2000, and León Jimenes Group became one of the prominent business groups in the Dominican Republic.
La Aurora released many award-winning cigars during this time. In 2011 the La Aurora Brand separated from the parent group and became an individual entity again. Now the brand La Aurora has more than one thousand employees and has grown into sixty-four markets.
La Aurora 107
La Aurora launched 107 in 2010, blending quality tobacco wrappers from Nicaragua. Filler is from Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, and Peru, and the binder is from various regions of the Dominican Republic. They have multiple vitola in the 107 cigar line. They are Belicoso, Salomón, Gran 107, Lancero, Toro, Corona, Robusto, Sumo Short Robusto, Zeppelin and 15 Minute Break.
The Belicoso was in the CA list of top-rated cigars with a score of 91 points. The review says, “ A notably oily torpedo with strong, brawny notes of leather and cedar tempered by sweet hints of cinnamon raisin bread that continue on to the finish.”
La Aurora 1903 Preferidos
1903 Edition Preferidos has three variation lines Parejo, Figurado Tubo, Hors D’Age Limited Edition.
Parejo has five variations in production Connecticut, Maduro, Ecuador, Cameroon, and broadleaf, uniquely blending tobaccos from various places like the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Brazil, Nicaragua, Peru, Cameroon, and the USA.
The figurado tubo has seven variations: Double barrel-aged, Diamond, Emerald, Sapphire, Platinum Gold, and Ruby. Except for double barrel-aged other cigars are mild to medium-bodied and also blend various tobaccos.
Hors D'Age is a limited edition gran toro. Blend of Dominican, Nicaraguan and Columbian fillers bind and wrapped in Ecuadorian tobacco. It is a well-balanced cigar with notes of spice and nuts.
Cigars in the Preferidos series were regularly listed on Cigaraficianado’s top-rated cigar list and have won many accolades like the cigar of the year.