Numerical, date-related misconceptions run rampant in the cigar industry. Not only is it confusing for the average consumer, as they attempt to ascertain what the year stamped on the band represents, but it can make note-taking a bit of a mess for those of us who dissect and assess stogies for a living.

People see the word "decade" on a cigar band or in a product description and immediately presume that the blend has been aged for ten years. When in actuality the cigar merely commemorates the 10th anniversary of the cigar manufacturer's founding, or the blend's launch date.

This is but one of many examples of how a "time stamp" on a cigar can throw someone completely off track, and in certain regards, can be counter-intuitive to both the smoker and the manufacturer.

La Aurora confronts this issue with a simple yet effective approach: Explain that shit clearly, and simply spell it out. 

Take the attractive, and extremely affordable 1903 Cameroon from La Aurora for instance. The product description clearly states that the year associated with this cigar and its blend honors that moment in history when Eduardo León Jimenes founded La Aurora Cigars. Labeled underneath the Dominican brand's "Time Capsule" subseries, this blend is a modern interpretation of one of the first cigars ever produced by Jimenes' start-up.

But while La Aurora's founding father may have made his infatuation with Cameroon tobacco from Africa the cornerstone of what would someday become a cigar empire, the itself blend has changed significantly over the past century, and it all starts with that shiny red honey wrapper. 

[Buy 5-Pack]

Unlit Impressions 

I've seen some oily-looking cigar wrappers in my day, but this Ecuador-grown Cameroon varietal that La Aurora has adopted for this smoke has to be one of the most brilliant looking. Just look at it. That near-flawless first impression is just marvelous...

Smelling almost as tantalizing as it looks, the light mahogany wrapper on this smoke is bubbling over with citrus and tree nuts, fermented loose tea leaves, and some light soil and straw. Firmly bunched and expertly rolled, the feel of this cigar when it is in hand is just as equally impressive once grasped. 

Although the binder in this blend was originally recognized as being an Ecuadorian Sumatra strain, there hasn't really been much mention of it since Halfwheel did a review of the 1903 Cameroon way the hell back in 2017. But the scent of the foot tells me that this spicy, tea-like soil bomb of a tobacco strain is indeed still stuffed inside. Toasted date-studded nut bread with a tab of salted butter on top, exotic Sumatran spices, even more citrus peel, and an intoxicating sweet nutty smell send me salivating.

Lucky for my Sumatran-addicted ass, cold draws produce almost the exact same olfactory pleasure as what was just smelled. The only difference is that there is a caramel sweetness and more of a defined walnut and pecan mixture, whereas the nose provides more of a generic nut and brown sugar smell.

Initial Smoke

Toasted oak staves and leather flirt with you for a minute or two, before giving full permission for pecan and cedar to set forth. Roasted and spicy when retrohaled, with more milk and vanilla touching the tongue at times, this medium start is both mellow and macho all at once.

1st Half   

Roasted tree nut tastes gradually add almonds for an even more milky, yet somewhat dry effect after the first twenty minutes or so. Cameroon earth and milder spiced tea tastes take hold and bounce off these tastes perfectly, producing a light and bright cigar flavor profile that only grows more irresistible as it goes.

Candied dried yuzu peel infused butter cookies are soon served with a side of Earl Grey tea, finished with a pour of vanilla almond milk and honey. Somewhere deep inside those cookies, a mixture of exotic spices from Sumatra starts to show themselves. Cinnamon first, then nutmeg, followed by cardamom and ginger all appear. 

Body, strength, flavor, and finish all reside in the medium range, with the latter leaning more toward the medium-plus portion. Retrohale away and ye' shall receive an even more impressive finish that never seems sharp. 

2nd Half 

Darker and chewier at times, things grow a bit more bold as the clock strikes the one-hour chime. Sumatran-grade spiciness and spice levels have taken over as the primary retrohale impression. Oolong tea and Earl Grey combine to build a wall of protection from this spicy assault, and with all of the tannin notes and light soil setting things straight, succeed at their task.

Composed and clean, the final third drops a steady drizzle of salted caramel on the tongue, which when mixed with those pecan, almond, and walnut notes forces you to reach for your napkin. Salivating doesn't even begin to describe this sensation. My goodness...

Still somewhere near medium-plus, and producing tastes of Nilla Wafers and some significant Spanish cedar aromatics and flavors (finally), the section just above the band could be considered this cigar's best section if it weren't for the first two-thirds being just as striking. 

Parting Puffs

Citrusy and slightly pithy, with more tannins than any other section, the last of this cigar stakes its claim with hardwood, cedar, and even stronger tea tastes. Dark walnut develops an even deeper nut flavor further down, and while the spicy and slightly sweet finish is smooth and extremely pleasing as an aromatic, the level of nicotine felt in my review cigar bordered on being overbearing. A small price to pay for something so spectacular.

Ash / Burn / Smoke / Draw

One touch-up on two cigars isn't bad at all in my book. Burning evenly and extremely slowly, the draw, ash, temperature, and combusted smoke produced from this medium smoke is just as ideal as the appearance of the unlit cigar itself. The resistance felt within the draw was particularly good, and was complimented on the other end by an equally impressive aromatic from the cone. 

Final Thoughts  

Never known for being a hub for cigar production and the actual rolling process, Ecuador has succeeded in elevating itself to the point where it is now considered as the go-to location for wrapper leaf cultivation, and this cigar is here to prove it. 

Flawless in almost every measurable assessment, the 1903 Cameroon from La Aurora gradually feeds you light and bright tastes and aromatics, while gradually increasing in strength and depth. Flavorful to the point of being labeled "ideal" even prior to first light, there is not a section of this cigar that I did not enjoy immensely. The absence of cedar until parting puffs was a bit strange, as too was the sudden spike in nicotine in my review cigar, but I somehow managed to survive. 

So while it may not be the same cigar as what was first rolled way back in 1903, this reinvented Cameroon stogie from the Dominican Republic's oldest cigar manufacturer does deliver an unforgettable, and rather lengthy smoking session. 10/10 I would smoke this stick again and again, and at just $36 a fiver it is one that I can suggest to anyone without hesitation. That elevates this blend to the top of my list as "Best Cameroon Cigar" in the Klaro portfolio, and one of the best regular production smokes that La Aurora has made to date.

Flavor, Aroma & Transitions

Depth & Complexity

Construction, Burn & Physical Appeal

Backstory & Branding

Overall Balance & Repeatability

Stogie Specs

Cigar	La Aurora "1903 Cameroon"
Wrapper	Cameroon (Ecuador)
Binder	Sumatran (Ecuador)
Filler	Nicaragua & Dominican Republic
Factory	Dominican Republic
Size	54 x 5¾" (Toro)
Strength	Medium
Pairing Drink	Earl Grey Rooibos Tea w/ Honey
Rating	4.6/5