La Aroma de Cuba Corona Review
Summary
My bottom line after smoking these for a week: This La Aroma de Cuba is a total no-brainer. It’s one of those sticks I’d just as easily give to my buddy Nolan, who’s just starting out, as I would to my uncle, who’s been smoking for 30 years.
It’s packed with flavor, and frankly, for what you get, the price is almost a steal.
Characteristics
Seriously, this is a stick that belongs in every humidor, whether you’re new to the game or a seasoned aficionado. Grab a strong, black coffee, and you’ve got a perfect hour-plus of relaxation ahead of you.
Origin, Blend, and Vitolas
It’s got a wild history, starting in Cuba. It was even supposedly Winston Churchill’s go-to brand back in the day.
It’s not just me saying it’s good; Cigar Aficionado gave it a 93-point rating and called it the ‘#1 Cigar Industry Best Buy in the World’.
Under the hood, you’re getting a potent mix of Nicaraguan long-fillers, all bundled up in a dark, oily Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper. This whole blend is the masterpiece of the legendary Don José “Pepin” Garcia over at My Father Cigars.
And you’re not locked into one size. They offer these in Belicoso, Churchill, Corona, Double Corona, Gordo, Robusto, and Toro vitolas. For this particular test drive, we stuck with the Corona vitola of these great cigars.
On the market
You can snag these as a single stick, in packs of 5, boxes of 25, or as single cigars.
Appearance
The band is just classic, old-school cool. You see that intricate, colorful label, and you instantly know what it is. The rich gold and reds on the band just pop against that dark, almost shimmering Colorado Maduro wrapper. And I’ve always loved that little red ribbon at the foot. It’s a classy touch, like a little bow on a gift.
The wrapper itself is beautiful. It’s smooth, with almost no big, ropey veins to speak of.
Pre-Light Draw, Aroma, Taste
Before lighting, I got a real nice, dusty dark chocolate and barnyard scent off the foot. The cold draw was pure cocoa and a bit of earth. I just used a standard v-cut, which is my go-to for a Corona. The draw was money. Just that perfect, slight bit of pull-back you want.
First Third
Right out of the gate, it’s a flavor bomb. I got hit with rich cocoa, a little bit of that earthiness, and a surprisingly bright note, almost like orange zest. Pushing the smoke through the nose, I got a nice, balanced mix of black pepper and a sweet, mocha-like flavor.
It was funny, I was smoking with my friend Maren. She said the chocolate was the main thing she tasted, but for me, that spicy pepper was definitely leading the charge on the retrohale.
Second Third
As I got into the sweet spot, the flavors just got deeper. The cocoa and earthiness were still the backbone, but now a nice black coffee flavor and a hint of licorice or anise showed up. This is where you can really tell Pepin Garcia’s hands were all over this. The balance is just incredible; nothing is fighting for attention.
That peppery kick on the retrohale picked up for me here, but it wasn’t that harsh, burn-your-sinuses kind of pepper. It was just right. It’s like that perfect 3 PM espresso—it wakes up your palate and makes you sit up a little straighter.
Final Third
Coming down to the nub, that core earth and cocoa profile held strong. That anise note from the middle third really stepped forward, while the citrus I tasted earlier was pretty much gone. On the retrohale, it was all spice and chocolate right to the end. We all agreed on that—a fantastic finish.
Ash
This thing held an ash like a champ. It was stacking dimes, man. Just solid, silvery-gray layers that didn’t want to let go.
Burn
The burn was fantastic. You can feel how well-packed and dense this cigar is, which just makes it burn slow and steady. I smoked three of these for the review, and I never had to reach for my lighter once. The burn line was razor-sharp almost the whole way.
Smoke
It’s not a smoke machine, but it puts out these really rich, aromatic clouds of smoke. When you retrohale, you definitely get that Pepin-style spice tingle in your nose.
What Drink and Food Pairs Well with the La Aroma de Cuba
Hands down, this is a perfect partner for a morning coffee, especially a dark roast or an Americano. If you’re smoking in the evening, I’d grab a good bourbon, a nice aged rum, or even a sweeter single malt Scotch. Anything with some complementary sweet and fruity notes would be killer.
Cigar Smoked for This Review and Tasting Methodology
To really get a feel for this stick, our team smoked a total of nine of the Corona, 5.5×44s. We each smoked one a day for three days. To keep things honest, we all stuck to plain sparkling water. We didn’t want a drink messing with the cigar’s true flavors.
Final Verdict
The La Aroma de Cuba is just a phenomenal cigar. It’s another knockout blend from Don José “Pepin” Garcia that’s bursting with flavor.
For the money, you absolutely cannot beat the quality you’re getting. It’s a home run.
