La Flor Dominicana Air Bender Chisel

02-10-2011, 06:55 PM

Origin: Dominican Republic
Format: Chisel
Size: 6.5 x 54
Wrapper: Ecuador (Habano)
Filler: Dominican Republic
Binder: Dominican Republic
Price: $8.50

La Flor Dominicana owner Litto Gomez has become known as a cigar maker that eagerly bucks tradition with his nearly unbridled creativity. The Air Bender Chisel is no exception with its flattened and tapered head that never fails to remind me of my clarinet playing years in high school.

Appearance: 4/5 stars

The deep brown Ecuadorian wrapper has a nice oily sheen with a few medium sized veins. Tapering in smoothly without any visible folds or buckles, the head of the cigar looks very neat. Oil from the wrapper visibly rose to the surface and formed a very slight bead as the flame licked the foot.

Construction: 2.5/5 stars

Perhaps the most interesting attribute of this cigar is its heft. This cigar is densely packed with tobacco and has no apparent lumps; however, the draw remained slightly restricted even after enlarging the opening on the head. The tapered head concentrated the smoke as expected, but smoke production was lacking slightly.

Flavor: 3.5/5

The Air Bender Chisel has an aggressive flavor and body from the first draw. Dark roasted coffee, cocoa, and spice pierce the palate, leaving an oily and robust pepper finish that doesn’t fade. The flavors are crisp and fresh; however, the abundance of spice made the task of discovering nuance nearly impossible.

Value: 4/5

The chisel burns slowly and provides ample enjoyment to the smoker for eight dollars. As any cigar in this price point should, the Air Bender burned cool until the last few inches without turning bitter.

Overall Rating: 3.5/5 stars

The La Flor Dominicana Air Bender Chisel offers vivid and pleasantly crisp flavors along with a full body. It’s a perfect cigar for admirers of clean bold flavors that leave no guesswork for the smoker; however, the slightly labored draw and superfluous spice make this a cigar lacking depth.

Silound · 02-11-2011, 01:01 AM

Good review! Easily one of my favorite sticks when I want some kick. I do have a question: Did you punch or cut the head?

Believe it or not, it really does make a huge difference in the flavor you get out of this smoke. I didn't believe it until Litto himself showed me how to punch one at a dinner in New Orleans.

Zeuceone · 02-11-2011, 01:14 AM

Been eyeing these at the B&M, sure to try them next.

bigdix · 02-11-2011, 04:12 AM

Thanks for the review...I've been slowly but surely working my way through a box of the original Chisel and love these too for a "lighter" smoke

02-18-2011, 08:45 AM

One of CA's top 25 of 2010 (94 rating).......might have to try

02-18-2011, 01:40 PM

Definitely give it a try. I don't know if it deserved a 93, but it's certainly not bad. To answer a previous question, I smoked two of these. One was cut with a guillotine and the other was punched on both sides. The draw was similar on both (slightly tight) but the flavor had slightly different overtones. I think it may have been more of a slight roll anomaly rather than the shaped head itself.

02-10-2011, 06:55 PM	#1
Nathan King Guest Posts: n/a	La Flor Dominicana Air Bender Chisel Origin: Dominican Republic Format: Chisel Size: 6.5 x 54 Wrapper: Ecuador (Habano) Filler: Dominican Republic Binder: Dominican Republic Price: $8.50 La Flor Dominicana owner Litto Gomez has become known as a cigar maker that eagerly bucks tradition with his nearly unbridled creativity. The Air Bender Chisel is no exception with its flattened and tapered head that never fails to remind me of my clarinet playing years in high school. Appearance: 4/5 stars The deep brown Ecuadorian wrapper has a nice oily sheen with a few medium sized veins. Tapering in smoothly without any visible folds or buckles, the head of the cigar looks very neat. Oil from the wrapper visibly rose to the surface and formed a very slight bead as the flame licked the foot. Construction: 2.5/5 stars Perhaps the most interesting attribute of this cigar is its heft. This cigar is densely packed with tobacco and has no apparent lumps; however, the draw remained slightly restricted even after enlarging the opening on the head. The tapered head concentrated the smoke as expected, but smoke production was lacking slightly. Flavor: 3.5/5 The Air Bender Chisel has an aggressive flavor and body from the first draw. Dark roasted coffee, cocoa, and spice pierce the palate, leaving an oily and robust pepper finish that doesn’t fade. The flavors are crisp and fresh; however, the abundance of spice made the task of discovering nuance nearly impossible. Value: 4/5 The chisel burns slowly and provides ample enjoyment to the smoker for eight dollars. As any cigar in this price point should, the Air Bender burned cool until the last few inches without turning bitter. Overall Rating: 3.5/5 stars The La Flor Dominicana Air Bender Chisel offers vivid and pleasantly crisp flavors along with a full body. It’s a perfect cigar for admirers of clean bold flavors that leave no guesswork for the smoker; however, the slightly labored draw and superfluous spice make this a cigar lacking depth.

02-11-2011, 01:01 AM	#2
Silound ex-CS Swamp Gorilla Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Somewhere in a swamp, south of sanity Posts: 802 Trading: (15)	Re: La Flor Dominicana Air Bender Chisel Good review! Easily one of my favorite sticks when I want some kick. I do have a question: Did you punch or cut the head? Believe it or not, it really does make a huge difference in the flavor you get out of this smoke. I didn't believe it until Litto himself showed me how to punch one at a dinner in New Orleans. __________________ Back in black, and better than ever! You can't keep a good gorilla down! LSU Geaux Tigers!

02-11-2011, 01:14 AM	#3
Zeuceone You're next Join Date: Dec 2010 First Name: G Location: SoCal Posts: 1,737 Trading: (16)	Re: La Flor Dominicana Air Bender Chisel Been eyeing these at the B&M, sure to try them next.

02-11-2011, 04:12 AM	#4
bigdix Cigarmurai Join Date: Jul 2010 First Name: Dan Location: Oki Posts: 669 Trading: (1)	Re: La Flor Dominicana Air Bender Chisel Thanks for the review...I've been slowly but surely working my way through a box of the original Chisel and love these too for a "lighter" smoke __________________ There's no secret handshake. There's an IQ prerequisite, but there's no secret handshake.

02-18-2011, 08:45 AM	#5
thecatch83 Guest Posts: n/a	Re: La Flor Dominicana Air Bender Chisel One of CA's top 25 of 2010 (94 rating).......might have to try

02-18-2011, 01:40 PM	#6
Nathan King Guest Posts: n/a	Re: La Flor Dominicana Air Bender Chisel Definitely give it a try. I don't know if it deserved a 93, but it's certainly not bad. To answer a previous question, I smoked two of these. One was cut with a guillotine and the other was punched on both sides. The draw was similar on both (slightly tight) but the flavor had slightly different overtones. I think it may have been more of a slight roll anomaly rather than the shaped head itself.