The first I had heard about La Aroma de Cuba was when a friend told me he had stumbled upon them in the local tobacconist shop last Spring. The next thing I know they are listed in the Cigar Aficionado top 10! Well, this I had to try. I picked up 5 of the Edicion Especial #5's and could barely give them a week in the humidor to tuck in and see what all the fuss was about.
The cigar has a nice medium brown wrapper that is a bit on the veiny side and has a nice sheen of oil. The smell is compost and hay but nothing that would put you off. The pre-light draw was on the light side and it remained so throughout the smoke. There was still adequate smoke to appreciate some of the subtle nuances but the only bad thing I can say about the construction is that it could have been tighter.
The first few puffs were a little rough but that quickly gave way to a deep earth that was on the full side of medium bodied. By 1" in it had picked up some hardwood notes and a hint of toasted nuts. I know a lot of people seem to call this a cedary cigar but I think if you can distinguish the flavors it is more of a hard oak with nutty overtones. At the 1/3 mark the solid earthy core had come back with a vengeance and a mild spice seemed to linger on the tongue. The final 1/3 mellowed a bit with some tobacco and coffee beans. The aroma was quite nice because it was subtle woods with a bit of sweetness, almost like maple.
I really didn't know how complex this cigar was until I reviewed my notes afterward. I can see it being a little overpowering for anyone not looking to pick through the flavors or a novice smoker. It is really a great smoke for a quiet evening at the end of the week. Kind of clears the mind.
Wrapper: Sun Grown Ecuadorian
Filler: Nic
Binder: Nic
Rating: 92
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