La Aroma de Cuba: My first review

[eyesack]

Cigar: La Aroma De Cuba Monarch (6x50)
Price: 5 pack from Cigar Bid for 15 bucks.
Pre-Light:
Just aesthetically this cigar is great to look at. The band is reminiscent of old Cuban band art (I wouldn't know I'm from the newer generation). The wrapper is somewhat veiny, but nothing too bad. The cigar's body feels a bit squishy, maybe somewhat loosely packed compared to what I've been smoking. Not sure how that will effect the burn... Pre-light draw is very loose.

Time to start 'er up.
Ok so the cigar is producing lots of great tasting smoke. It's very mellow and pleasant; tastes like a mixture of hay and honey with hints of cream. I'm starting to like this, but feel like there will be burn issues with this stick.

First third:
I'm right about the burn issues. It developed a nasty unevenness that did not take well to a touchup. I'll let the cigar rest a bit and see what happens. The ash is not very dense and doesn't seem to want to hold on very long. Not impressed with the construction of this cigar so far. But the taste and aroma make up for it. The hay taste when exhaled through the nose has taken on kind of an oaky smell with a definite creamyness left on the palate.


Halfway through:
Still having some burn issues. Seems to me the wrapper needs to settle down for a few more weeks maybe and become more evenly humidified. The draw has tightened up finally to the point where it feels like I'm actually smoking something. I like a little resistence. The cigar now tastes sweet like vanilla! I'm really happy the burn rate has slowed down, this is a cigar I'd like to smoke for a while but seems this one won't be providing that experience this time.


Final third: Tried purging with a lighter. Wasn't sure how to do it, usually I just gently blow a mouthful of air through the foot, but for some reason I held a lighter up to the end of it and it produced a flame jet. I guess some of the oils and tar built up in the nub ignited and gave me a little light show! lol!
Anyway, the ash is stiffer and has turned a lighter grey, and the hay flavor has turned into a bitter earthy flavor that I know is because of the nub. I'm going to resist the temptation to let it go out for review sake. Actually more towards the nub it kind of tastes like toasted wood and dried fig but without the sweetness... Scratch that. Tastes like raisins. Not quite as fruity as my Exile nubs, but kind of pleasant.



Ok. Rating time. I'm not good with numbers so I'll rate this with descriptors.
The construction quality was disappointing. The taste was golden and pleasing. The overall time spent smoking was about 50 minutes, much shorter from what I had expected from this stick. However the light, creamy notes of this cigar and the 'toasted-raisin' nub were really neat! Overall I think that if you can find a good deal on these, they're worth a try. This cigar was a good learning experience for my palate. I'm used to spicier, cedary cigars like the La Vieja Habana coronas with corojo wrappers or Fuente 8-5-8's. I really hope that the next one of these guys that I smoke will not have the burn anomolies that I experienced with this one. Definitely a lighter cigar that I could see myself enjoying earlier in the day out on the deck with a book or something like that. The aroma and taste were the highlight of this smoke. Probably not something I'd pull the trigger on a box for.

[Rubix^3]

thanks for the review.
I have only had the Edicion Especial which is a totally different cigar--but I've been wanting to try these too before they change. Don Pepin Garcia, the man who blends the EE, is slated to make the regular line of LADC, I think later this year.

[Herf N Turf]

I love these and am trying to horde them before Pepin screws them up. I've smoked the EE and disliked it tremendously.

Thanks for the review.

[Rodeo]

Nice job for a 1st review! Thanks

[eyesack]

Hey thanks guys! I appreciate the support! BTW, what are the EE's and all that y'all are talkin about? Pepin is changing the blend for these cigars?

[P_Roberts]

Thanks for the review. I picked up the same 5er from cbid. I haven't tried any yet but I had one out of the humidor and my cutter was intimidating it last night when I changed my mind and went with something I knew I would liked. After reading this review that cigar will not live to see next weekend.

[MrRogers]

Originally Posted by Herf N Turf

I love these and am trying to horde them before Pepin screws them up. I've smoked the EE and disliked it tremendously.

Thanks for the review.

+1 Amen. No way these sticks can be improved. The EE gives you less flavor for more money.

I'm in hoarding mode as well. I burn maybe 1-2 daily and am going to have to let up a little once these are phased out.

MrR

[Nickerson]

Great review for a first review.

Thanks.

[ca21455]

Thanks for the nice review. I like this smoke and have not had the burn issues you experienced but have not purchased any in about a year so maybe the current batch has some issues.

[eyesack]

Yeah, I don't really know about the burn issue; the more I think about it, the more I'm starting to think that they needed to acclimate a little longer in the humi. I just smoked a Tierra Del Sol stick and I've gotta say... Not as much a fan of maduro-wrapped cigars as I am of lighter sticks. I think I'll try them again this winter, but I really did like the taste of these La Aroma de Cubas. Maybe when/if I grab another humidoor or need more room in my current 50-stick setup I'll pull the trigger for a box. Taste-wise I really did enjoy this cigar. I'll give em another few days and try another! Thanks again for the support guys!

[Rodeo]

For those hoarding these sticks, they're up on Joe's Jumbayla now $29.99 for a 10 pack