La Aroma de Cuba Noblesse Staff Review
I’m smoking an anticipated and rare cigar, La Aroma de Cuba Noblesse – an all-new blend of the original Noblesse which came out ten years ago. I’m reviewing a 6-by-52 Toro called the Coronation. Noblesse is only available in select retailers because it’s produced in limited quantities due to the rarity of the tobaccos that comprise the blend. In an era when the prices of exclusive cigars routinely surge over $50 apiece, it’s refreshing to know you can enjoy an elite smoke, like Noblesse, in the vicinity of $20.
Pepin and Jaime Garcia, the award-winning father-and-son duo behind My Father, San Cristobal, and Tatuaje, have been producing La Aroma de Cuba cigars for several years for the Levin family, the owners of the Ashton brand. Noblesse comes in four classic sizes. The cigars are packaged in 24-count boxes with a satin lavender finish that matches the ornate bands on each cigar. The Garcias blend Noblesse from an oily San Andrés Oscuro wrapper leaf and thoroughly aged Nicaraguan long-filler tobaccos harvested on family estates in Estelí, Jalapa, and Namanji.
Meaningful distinctions set Noblesse cigars apart from other premiums. Every leaf of binder, filler, and wrapper tobacco is triple fermented, ensuring the smoothest possible flavor and aroma. Additional stages of fermentation require time and labor but lead to an especially refined smoke because the tobaccos shed any unwanted impurities while they rest. The cigars are rolled according the entubado method, meaning each leaf is rolled into its own tube by the buncher before multiple tubes are assembled and finished in the wrapper leaf. This intensive process results in consistent, unobstructed airflow when you draw on the cigar. Finally, Noblesse cigars get a Cuban-style triple cap at the end, which creates a tidy covering of the wrapper leaf on the head of the cigar.
La Aroma de Cuba Noblesse cigars look impressive from head to foot when I open a fresh box. The detail that went into the boxes and bands emphasizes the quality of the cigars. The soft box-pressed Coronation I’m firing up is oily, enticing, and exhibits excellent structure. The cigar’s dark brown Oscuro wrapper is harvested in Mexico’s San Andrés region where volcanic soils contribute hearty flavor.
When I survey the cigar closely, its sweet and woody aroma is abundant and comes through clearly after clipping the cap and taking a few cold draws. After slowly toasting the foot, Noblesse commences with smooth notes of dark cocoa powder and spice. The blend unfolds with a brisk undercurrent of espresso and pepper throughout the first ten minutes while a sturdy ash gracefully develops on the foot.
Creamy and powerful notes of birch and cocoa continue with a touch of salt in the finish as Noblesse progresses. The savory character of the Coronation is ideal when you want a complex smoke to pair with a vintage single malt, like Glenfiddich 26 Year. Hints of anise and hickory mingle over the cigar’s generous foundation of espresso bean while a consistent stream of peppery aroma rouses the nose.
With fifty minutes off the clock, a big crescendo of molten chocolate, black pepper, and wood gathers after I remove the bands and patiently draw my way through the nub. Enjoy a Coronation after a satisfying steak dinner when you’ve got all night to kick back and smoke. Lots of nuances come to light when you slowly relish the long, well-heeled finish Noblesse reveals – one that’s worth 97 points in my book.
Cigar lovers who prefer well-aged Nicaraguan cigars with robust, sophisticated taste will easily appreciate La Aroma de Cuba Noblesse. Be among the first to try this new and intriguing smoke and share it with your fellow cigar lovers when you want to impress them. They’ll be back for more.
