A cigar that's harder to find than a teenage boy looking for the g-spot. The Andalusian Bull isn't just a cigar - it's a white whale in tobacco form, the kind of smoke that transforms grown adults into obsessive creatures refreshing retailer websites at 3am like they're trying to score concert tickets to a band that broke up in 1997. When Cigar Aficionado crowned this thing #1 Cigar of the Year in 2016 with a 96-point rating, they essentially created a demand curve that would make an economics professor weep. The cigar was already scarce before that announcement because Litto Gomez, in his infinite wisdom, decided only TWO master rollers in the entire factory should be trusted to produce it. That's not a production strategy - that's performance art masquerading as supply chain management.
🔥 THE VITALS 🔥
Cigar: La Flor Dominicana Andalusian Bull
Master Blender: Litto Gomez
Size: 6 1/2" x 64 Figurado (Salomon)
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Factory: Tabacalera La Flor S.A.
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Corojo (unique priming, first time used by LFD)
Binder: Dominican (Estancia La Flor de Palma)
Filler: Dominican Criollo '98 and Pelo d'Oro
Price: $27 MSRP (Used ro be $17, just saying)
Strength: Medium to Full
Production: Limited ongoing
🚀 WE ARE LIT!
Draw: Excellent once it opens up - the figurado shape requires patience
Burn: Generally solid, occasional touch-ups needed
Smoke Output: Ceiling-clinging clouds of Dominican excellence
Ash: Dense and durable, holding impressively despite the unusual shape
The Andalusian Bull announces itself visually before you even smell it - that mahogany Ecuadorian Corojo wrapper with its reddish-clay tinge sitting beneath emerald green and gold banding that takes its colors from the Andalusian flag. The font spelling out "andalusian bull" is based on Pablo Picasso's handwriting, because apparently Gomez decided regular typography wasn't pretentious enough for a cigar this legendary. The figurado shape flares from 54 ring gauge at the tapered cap to a whopping 64 at its widest, creating a smoking experience that evolves as the geometry changes. Construction is what you'd expect from LFD's best work - these aren't mass-produced by some assembly line of indifferent rollers. Two people on earth make this cigar, and they apparently take it personally.
🎢 FLAVOR JOURNEY
FIRST THIRD: The Gate Opens
Black pepper and leather charge out immediately like the namesake beast spotting a matador in an ill-fitting sequined jacket. Cedar enters the ring within the first few puffs, providing structure to what's becoming an increasingly complex profile. The Corojo wrapper delivers a subtle sweetness that plays against the savory leather notes, creating tension that keeps you engaged rather than just passively puffing. Hickory emerges with an almost smoky, bacon-adjacent quality that makes you wonder if Gomez somehow infused this thing with the essence of a Southern barbecue pit. Chocolate and earth join the party as the first third closes, with a creamy finish that acts as a palate reset between the bolder notes. The strength is building but measured - this bull knows how to pace itself.
SECOND THIRD: The Dance Intensifies
Saffron and cumin take over the spice duties, transforming the profile into something genuinely unique - these aren't your standard cigar spices, they're the kind of flavors that make you question whether you're smoking Dominican tobacco or eating at a Michelin-starred Spanish restaurant where the tasting menu costs more than your car payment. The black pepper recedes tactically while caramel rises above the earlier chocolate notes, providing unexpected sweetness. Leather and hickory maintain their presence in the background like session musicians who know when to let the lead singer shine. Orange sweetness teases on the retrohale, adding brightness to what could otherwise become one-dimensional richness. An earthy, almost mushroom-like quality adds funk without crossing into unpleasant territory. This is where the Andalusian Bull separates itself from pretenders.
FINAL THIRD: The Triumph
The black pepper returns with renewed aggression, hitting the tongue and palate with authority that announces the final act has begun. The saffron and cumin spice blend tones down, ceding ground to a creaminess and tangy smokiness that balances the pepper's intensity. Coffee emerges on the finish, dark roast quality that adds depth without bitterness. Cedar reasserts itself while nutty undertones develop, creating layers within layers. The strength has climbed to full by now, and there's a mineral quality that produces legitimate salivation - your mouth wants more even as your brain registers that you've been smoking this thing for two hours. The figurado's tapering ring gauge concentrates flavors as you approach the nub, rewarding your commitment with intensified complexity rather than the harshness lesser cigars deliver at the end.
🏆 THE VERDICT:
A+ TIER
Flavor: A+
Construction: A-
Availability: D
Price: B+
Final Rating:
The Andalusian Bull earns its legendary status through sheer force of flavor complexity and the audacity to be this good while being this difficult to acquire.
📊 BOTTOM LINE
Litto Gomez created a cigar that has become the industry's most frustrating success story - a genuinely exceptional smoke that most enthusiasts will spend years trying to find rather than actually enjoying. The figurado shape isn't just aesthetic showmanship; it fundamentally changes how the cigar smokes, with the evolving ring gauge creating a dynamic experience that rewards the 2+ hour commitment this beast demands. At $27 MSRP the price would be reasonable if you could actually buy it at MSRP, which you can't, because the secondary market treats these things like they contain fragments of the True Cross. The A- construction rating reflects occasional burn inconsistencies that seem almost forgivable given that only two human beings are trusted to roll these things. The D availability is self-explanatory - you either know a guy who knows a guy, or you're refreshing websites like a desperate ex checking their former partner's Instagram. But when you finally get one? The Andalusian Bull delivers a complexity and evolution that justifies every frustrated search, every "out of stock" notification, every moment you spent wondering if this cigar was just hype. It's not hype. It's the real thing - assuming you can find it.
TLDR: Cigar Aficionado's 2016 #1 is harder to locate than your motivation on a Monday, but the saffron-cumin-leather-hickory complexity proves some legends actually deserve their reputation.
