La Aurora

La Aurora is the pinnacle of the Dominican Republic tobacco industry, as the oldest cigar manufacturer from the Dominican, when they succeeded so did the Dominican Republic.

In 1903, 18 year old Eduardo Leon Jimenes opened the La Aurora factory on land he inherited from his father who was a tobacco farmer and had taught him how to grow the perfect tobacco leaf. Eduardo then passed on this knowledge to his sons, most notable being Francisco Fernando who would forever change the company's future.

As the brand grew, local farmers began respecting the La Aurora name and the Leon family as a whole. It was early on in 1926 when La Aurora began using the majestic lion to represent them on the cigar band. They considered the lion to be the perfect symbol for the brand's commitment to integrity, passion for quality and its status as a leader in the Dominican tobacco industry.

As their popularity grew, La Aurora became a small part of the family's larger company - Empresa Leon Jimenes. It was during this time that the Dominican dictator, Trujillo wanted to have complete control of the country's tobacco industry, but the family stood strong and refused to give in and in 1961 Trujillo passed away leaving Empresa Leon Jimenes able to fully flourish. It was also around this time that they partnered with Phillip Morris to produce Marlboro cigarettes for the Dominican Republic.

The company kept growing which allowed Francisco to introduce his son Guillermo to the business in 1983. It was in this year that they bought the Bohemia Brewery and began producing Heineken beer and in 1986 they took over Cerveceria Nacional Dominicana who manufactures Presidente beer. This move solidified them as the leader in the Dominican beer market. 

In 1987, the founder of La Aurora himself was honoured with a brand of cigars, known as Leon Jimenes. During the cigar boom of the 1990’s, Guillermo took leadership of the cigar operation, which represented just 1% of the company’s profile at the time. It was during this time Guillermo realised he needed more skilled cigar rollers, so he opened the La Aurora school for cigar rollers to train new employees.

With the school being a success Guillermo made La Aurora the focal point of the company, giving it the dedication and care it deserved. In 1997, they started a project to grow wrapper leaves in the Dominican which beforehand was unheard of. The project proved to be an incredible success, and in 2003 La Aurora released a Dominican puro line known as 100 Años. The La Aurora 100 Años was named best Dominican cigar in the world in 2004 - Cigar aficionado has also awarded the brand with many 90+ ratings. In 2011, Guillermo decided to separate La Aurora from the rest of the Emprese Leon Jimenes portfolio in order to preserve its integrity.

La Aurora have been able to stay relevant in an ever growing market for over 100 years, there could be many reasons that they have stayed popular throughout the years - their decision to craft complex yet quality cigars opposed to focusing on a mass production operation, or it could be the never ending quest for perfection, sourcing tobacco from countries such as Nicaragua, Brazil, Ecuador and Peru to compliment their Dominican tobacco. La Aurora is perfect for any connoisseur who can appreciate their motto - “Chosen tobacco, skilled craftsmen”.

Written by Oliver Partington