La Aroma de Cuba Reserva: More Personality Than Complexity

Cigar Reviewed: La Aroma de Cuba

Smoked at: Long Beach, Mississippi

La Aroma de Cuba Reserva

This morning couldn’t have been much better. The sun was shining, there wasn’t a mosquito in sight on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and I had a hot cup of coffee in one hand and a La Aroma de Cuba Reserva in the other. I lit the cigar at 8:36 a.m. expecting a heavier maduro. Instead, I found one of the most enjoyable morning cigars I’ve smoked in quite some time.

After a straight cut, the cold draw offered natural tobacco, cocoa, and just enough pepper to leave a slight tingle. Once lit, that pepper never really became a flavor. It remained more of a sensation and quietly faded away as the cigar settled into its stride.

The draw was a little snug, but that’s not uncommon with a box-pressed cigar. Smoke production wasn’t excessive, but it was exactly what I’d expect from a properly humidified cigar. Sometimes too much smoke tells me a cigar has dried out more than I’d like.

From the beginning, this cigar was all about creaminess. Dry cocoa became the defining note, accompanied early by a mild coffee flavor that gradually faded into the background. There was no noticeable sweetness. If you’re expecting chocolate candy, you’ll be disappointed. Think unsweetened cocoa instead. Rich without being sweet.

By the second third, I realized something. This wasn’t a cigar trying to impress me with constant transitions. It wasn’t changing every few inches, and I found myself appreciating that. I like a cigar with personality. This one has it. What it doesn’t have is split personalities. It stayed true to itself from first light to the last inch. And just like with women, split personalities aren’t nearly as much fun as they sound.

The profile remained smooth, creamy, and balanced throughout the smoke. Sometimes consistency is a virtue, especially in a morning cigar. This is a great cigar for a sleepy palate.

Construction was excellent. The ash held for about an inch and a half before finally dropping as the cigar entered the final third. As it warmed, the cocoa naturally became more pronounced. It didn’t become a different cigar. It simply became a richer version of what it had been all along. Better yet, it never became harsh or bitter.

Somewhere near the end I caught an accidental retrohale. I say accidental because I wasn’t trying to analyze anything. To me, those moments are often the most honest because I’m not searching for flavor notes. They simply appear. Instead of introducing pepper, the retrohale intensified the cocoa and nudged it toward dark chocolate. Still no sweetness. Just a fuller expression of the cigar’s personality.

By the final inch, I found myself wishing I had a roach clip. That’s about as good a compliment as I can give a cigar. I smoked this one until 9:45 a.m., trying not to burn my fingertips. The nub got hot, as every cigar eventually does, but remarkably, it never became harsh. It simply kept delivering the same creamy, cocoa-forward profile right down to the end.

At around twelve dollars, this isn’t an everyday smoke for me. It’s the kind of cigar I’d happily enjoy once a week with a cup of coffee. It probably won’t be the cigar you dream about all week, but when you reach for one, I think you’ll remember why you bought it. Sometimes a cigar doesn’t need fireworks. Sometimes it just needs to quietly give you an enjoyable hour, and the Reserva does exactly that.

One last thing. You’re probably never going to get tasting notes of imported apricots and toasted brioche from me. I’m just not that refined. I’m sitting on my front porch in a T-shirt, shorts, and Hey Dudes, trying to decide whether this cigar is worth my hard-earned money. I think it is.

If you can catch these in a five-pack or on sale, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. And if you are, well…I suspect you were looking to be. Not every cigar has to knock your socks off. Some are simply meant to give you an enjoyable hour.

Bobeechee doesn’t make guarantees. I just tell you what I’d spend my own money on.

Bobeechee’s Porch Verdict

Would I buy another? Absolutely.

Would I buy a five-pack? Without hesitation.

Would I buy a box? Probably not…yet.

Would I share one with a friend? Pull up a chair. The coffee’s hot.