#09 La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor Belicoso

La Aroma de Cuba is one of Ashton’s over-achievers. Made in Nicaragua by the Garcia family, the cigar is not only consistently excellent, it delivers tremendous value, offering a smoking experience that goes well above its suggested retail price. Ashton introduced the La Aroma de Cuba brand in 2003. Back then, it was made in Honduras. In 2009, Ashton Distributors turned production over to the Garcias and launched Mi Amor the following year, which was the brand’s first line extension. Mi Amor was new territory for Ashton, as it represented the first time the company sold a cigar with a Mexican wrapper. The rest of the tobacco is Nicaraguan and grown by the Garcias on their many farms throughout the country’s fertile regions. Like all La Aromas, Mi Amor is produced at the Garcias’ My Father Cigars factory, and rolled with two binders—one of the factory’s Cubanesque styles of construction. The blend is quite robust, but the Belicoso’s tapered head makes the smoke a bit more concentrated, bringing the cigar’s character into sharper focus. It’s a rich smoke of malted chocolate and mixed nuts, leaving sweet and savory impressions that envelop the palate and resonate on the long finish.