Today, we review the La Flor Dominicana Suave Grand Maduro No 5 (Toro size). Back in 1994, when Litto and Ines Gomez entered the cigar business, they introduced a Dominican cigar with a Connecticut Shade wrapper called Premium. That line would eventually be renamed Suave, a core line in the LFD portfolio. The Suave line would also be extended to include a Maduro line.
In 2025, La Flor Dominicana decided to revamp the Suave line, which would feature two completely new blends. The first blend is a Natural offering with an Ecuadorian Corojo wrapper, while the second is a Maduro featuring a San Andres wrapper. When the new Suave line was announced, founder Litto Gomez explained that they asked themselves a crucial question: if they could go back to day one with all the knowledge they have now, what would that cigar look like? The response to that question guided the transformation of the Suave line.
Before getting into the assessment of this cigar, it is worth noting that the “Maduro” name is actually a part of the vitola name “Grand Maduro No 5” rather than being something along the lines of “Suave Maduro No 5.”
Without further ado, let’s break down the La Flor Dominicana Suave Grand Maduro No 5 and see what this cigar brings to the table.
SPECIFICATIONS
Blend and Origin
The San Andres wrapped Suave blend features a Jalapa binder and all Dominican fillers. Production comes from La Flor Dominicana’s factory in the Dominican Republic.
- Wrapper: San Andres Maduro
- Binder: Nicaraguan Jalapa
- Filler: Dominican
- Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
- Factory: Tabacalera La Flor
Vitolas Available
The Suave Maduro blend is available in two sizes. Both of these sizes are box-pressed. Each comes in 20-count boxes.
- Grand Maduro No 5: 52 x 6 1/4
- Grand Maduro No 6: 54 x 5 3/4 (Torpedo)
Appearance (*)
The San Andres Maduro wrapper of the Suave Grand Maduro No 5 has a dark roast coffee/espresso bean color. There was a slight amount of oil on the surface. In addition, there was also a heavy amount of mottling on this wrapper. Some thin veins were visible on the surface. Despite the wrapper’s dark color, there were several prominent seams. As for the box-press, it had a slight Cuban press (some rounding).
PERFORMANCE
Pre-Light Draw (*)
Before lighting the Suave Grand Maduro No 5, a straight cut was used to remove the cap. Once the cap was removed, it was time to commence with the pre-light draw. The cold draw produced a bold coffee note. There was also a slight prune-like note that added a touch of sweetness to the pre-light draw. Overall, I found this to be a satisfactory pre-light draw experience. At this point, it was time to toast up the footer of the Suave Grand Maduro No 5 and move into the smoking phase of this cigar.
Tasting Notes
The Suave Grand Maduro No 5 opened with notes of coffee, black licorice, black pepper, cedar, and a hint of chocolate. Sometimes I get a fusion of coffee and chocolate notes on cigars that I refer to as “mocha,” but not in this case, the coffee and chocolate notes remained separate. Early on, the coffee and the licorice notes emerged in the forefront. The licorice had a slight bitter note. Meanwhile, the pepper, cedar, and chocolate settled in the background. There was also an additional layer of black pepper on the retro.
The second third of the Suave Grand Maduro No 5 saw the coffee notes take over as the primary note. The licorice receded into the background. During this third, the cedar and pepper notes slowly increase in intensity. Meanwhile, the chocolate and licorice notes slowly increased in intensity.
The final third saw the coffee notes remain grounded in the forefront. Meanwhile, the pepper notes were the second most prominent. Things were rounded out by the chocolate and licorice notes, which were in the more distant background. This is the way the Suave Grand Maduro No 5 came to a close. The resulting nub was soft and cool to the touch.
Burn
While the Suave Grand Maduro No 5 had a straight burn path and burn line, it required multiple touchups to maintain them. The touchups did the trick, but more were required than I prefer. The resulting ash was silver-gray. This was definitely on the looser side for an ash. There was some flaking and minor flowering of the ash as well. Meanwhile, the burn rate and burn temperature both maintained ideal levels.
Draw
The draw to the Suave Grand Maduro No 5 scored nicely. One of the samples I smoked had the right amount of resistance. The other two were more on the open side. The open draws were not loose, and it resulted in no adverse experiences.
Strength and Body
Overall, I found the Suave Grand Maduro No 5 to deliver a medium-strength, medium-bodied smoking experience from start to finish. Both the strength and body were on the low end of medium. There wasn’t much increase in intensity along the way. Both the strength and body balanced each other nicely.
BANDING AND PACKAGING NOTES (*)
I’ve heard some mixed reviews about the new Suave box, but I am a fan. First up, I love the paper wrap boxes. Second, I love the red and gold colors on the box. Finally, I love the story that is told on the box itself. The band is also beautiful – gold font on a red background. I love the horse silhouette on the band. Overall, a home run for me, packaging-wise.
OVERALL ASSESSMENT
Final Thoughts
One thing I really like about the Grand Maduro No 5 is that it is a great example of a more dialed-back Maduro. It has just enough boldness to creep into the low end of the medium territory. It’s not a smooth Maduro, but that’s not something I often see from a San Andres blend. What I can say is this is an enjoyable and approachable cigar for just about anyone. The best part about this release is that it is a regular production line. The price point of just under $12.00 is perfect for this. I would recommend this cigar for any cigar enthusiast. As for myself, I would buy and smoke this cigar again. Coming in at 90 points, this cigar reaches the Cigar Coop Standard of Excellence plateau.
Summary
- Key Flavors: Coffee, Licorice, Cedar, Chocolate, Pepper
- Burn: Very Good
- Draw: Very Good
- Complexity: Medium
- Strength: Medium
- Body: Medium
- Finish: Very Good
Rating
Value: Buy One
Score: 90
Cigar Coop Standard of Excellence
References
(*) Indicates this is not factored into the score or value rating
Photo Credits: Cigar Coop
