La Aroma de Cuba Connecticut Staff Review
You can’t have too many new cigars to smoke as we head into summer, and today I’m savoring a much-anticipated new arrival – La Aroma de Cuba Connecticut – in a scintillating 6-by-52 size called the Monarch. La Aroma de Cuba Connecticut turns a corner in the pantheon of award-winning cigars blended by world-renowned father-and-son cigar-makers Pepin and Jaime Garcia – because it’s mild. Let’s find out how it fits in your rotation of handmade premiums for 2023.
La Aroma de Cuba Connecticut is blended from premium Nicaraguan long-fillers, harvested on select Garcia family estates, sheathed in an attractive Ecuador Connecticut wrapper. The cigars are packaged in cream-and-maroon-colored boxes and bands with gold accents and the iconic La Aroma de Cuba logo. A gold ribbon adorns the foot of each cigar and underscores the silky, caramel-hued complexion of the wrapper leaf.
When I open a fresh box, the top row glistens with a consistent blond sheen. The Monarch exudes a delicious aroma of cedar, nuts, and fresh bread the second I slip the cellophane off for a closer inspection. I perceive a subtle sweetness when I spin the cigar around in my mouth a few times after clipping the cap. The cold draw indicates La Aroma de Cuba is a cigar you can smoke any time of the day. It’s not aggressive but it’s got plenty going on. A few slight veins show on the surface of its seamless wrapper, and when I fire up the foot, voluptuous streams of white smoke bathe the taste buds like a gourmet milk shake.
Traces of pepper fade through the nose while a creamy profile of cashew and coffee bean comes to life. A savory foundation of cedar displays hints of buttercream. The draw is superb, and, frankly, I’m shocked La Aroma de Cuba Connecticut is the work of Pepin and Jaime Garcia because its delicate nuances stray from the spicier, stronger cigars the duo has been recognized for in the past, including the 97-rated My Father Le Bijou 1922 and the 96-rated Flor de las Antillas.
As the Monarch develops, tantalizing notes of cashew and almond harmonize with a whisper of honey, while a series of mellow draws sustain the cigar’s luscious texture throughout the middle. La Aroma de Cuba Connecticut is a versatile blend you can pair with a craft beer on the beach or with a vintage bourbon after dinner. You could even sip champagne while you’re smoking it.
Fifty minutes have passed by the time the band is off and I’m savoring the nub of the Monarch. The cigar’s velvety texture is tremendous the entire way through. La Aroma de Cuba Connecticut possesses all the hallmarks you would expect from the best mild cigars, including mellow flavor, flawless construction, a beautiful wrapper, and a balanced finish. As an aficionado whose tastes run the gamut from milder to stronger cigars, it’s refinement that I ultimately prefer in a good smoke, and La Aroma de Cuba Connecticut earns 94 points in my book because it’s easygoing and sophisticated at the same time. I believe connoisseurs who prefer stronger cigars will also appreciate the intricate taste of La Aroma de Cuba Connecticut.
In 1895, in Cuba, Winston Churchill counted La Aroma de Cuba cigars among his favorites while stationed there during the Spanish-American War. The brand disappeared at some point over the ensuing decades. In 2002, the Levin family, founders of Ashton cigars, revived La Aroma de Cuba cigars by reintroducing the Cuban-legacy brand back into the market with an entirely new portfolio. Their decision to partner with the Garcia family to produce La Aroma de Cuba ensured its success due to the Garcias’ passion for tobacco and insistence on making cigars according to old-world Cuban traditions. Every cigar is handcrafted via the entubado method. The cigars are finished with a triple cap at the head. And every leaf of tobacco is triple fermented before it reaches a roller’s hands.
Such attention to detail has made La Aroma de Cuba an iconic Nicaraguan brand that boasts several top-rated blends, including the 95-rated Mi Amor, 94-rated Edicion Especial, 94-rated Reserva and the original 93-rated La Aroma de Cuba. The all-new La Aroma de Cuba Connecticut deserves your attention, and I recommend smoking it the second you lay eyes on one.
