Today's Cigar

Discuss today’s cigar – La Aroma de Cuba Corona Minor 5-Pack

Ok, first, our son (Andrew Daniel) was born Saturday 29Mar2008… so I’m tired and on “diaper duty”. Read this review with that in mind, especially if you’re wondering what alien language I’m using…
La Aroma de Cuba is a GREAT stick, especially if you’re looking for a shorter smoke (20-30 minutes). For those who are rating- watchers, top25cigar.com ranks this guy as an 8.53 (pretty high for their rankings), and as 6th overall for this size, with only the natural and maduro Padron 1964 anni’s over it (and cubans, not legal in the states).
Personally, I like the blend from 3 years ago, as it was more complex and had a cinnamon-like flavor and aroma to the exhale/ finish. Not that these are horrible now – quite to the contrary, actually, as they boom out copious amounts of brakish marshy terracotta with peat-bog essences… (ok, someone’s been reading the thesaurus…)
Right… so they have tons of earthy flavors, if you could take the smell of fresh- tilled garden/ earth, fresh after a cool rain, and make that a flavor – there ya’ go. Touch of anise in the initial draw, some savory spices as well, but mostly a rich earth flavor and aroma. USED to be (~3 years ago) that they changed subtly from foot to head – complex, if you will, and certainly not a linear/ one-flavor-throughout stick. Again, that is how it USED to be. Now, it has GOT to be a new blend, I can’t get that cinnamon flavor worth a darned, and the flavor is the same throughout. Still, not a bad stick in any way, shape, or form… just not what they used to be… In the larger vitolas, sure, being one flavor throughout/ linear is a bad thing. But for this size – a 30 minute smoke – you have a hard time getting bored with this stick, and it seems to just work. Doesn’t need time to develop, as it starts the intense flavors right from lighting up.
Decent stick, in my opinion. Just my 2 cents worth – find out if you agree :)
-ZugbugPete

first, mazel tov on the birth (any word on 42’s baby?)and I hope you were there as a participant, what it feels like to see that miracle of the human condition is indescribable.
OK, that was a spectacularly written review. I have not had a La Aroma for a couple of years but thought they were very good for pretty short money too(Ashton product by the way). never had this size at all, have seen the rave reviews, just can’t seem to find one…but due to your very coherent write-up about a possible new blend, I think I’ll hunt for a single before getting a fiver. Fairly available for $3.50 each (BUT requires a box of 25 to get that price)so 42 has a fair deal today, even with shipping.
Thanks ZBP,
Frank

congrats on the new addition, amigo. good luck in the years to come!

First and formost CONGRATULATIONS ZugbugPete having a kid is a great reason to buy a GREAT box of cigars cause soon most of that cigar money will be going to formula and diapers but its worth every penny every second, man when you see yourself in that kids eyes its the greatest ever.
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Now to business. LOL, I tend to think people know what I am saying sometimes when I forget to clarify myself. That post had nothing to do with the Cuesta Reys offered yesterday (I should have said that from the start) I am indeed familiar with Cuesta Rey but the post was about an entirely different cigar. It is a line called “Nub” and it is distributed by Oliva. After knowing this my post might make more sense if you read it again here is a link to the cigar I am talking about I do not like to post other retailers on another retailers site so I will post a snippet from another site.
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“Nub Cigars are a new concept by the Oliva Cigar Company. By producing short sticks with extremely large ring gauges, the theory is you can maximize the “sweet spot,” so no Nub is longer than four inches and the ring gauges are all between 56-66. They hit shelves nationwide this month.”
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This is why I said it is possibly a Gimmick cigar but since its distributed by Oliva (A Distributor that releases cigars I like) so I am willing to give it a try. Search online about “nub Cigars” I posted that thinking everyone already knew of this cigar but indeed I was wrong, a case of me believing other people know what I am thinking.
This new line was released on April 1st and can be had from most major online retailers right now but I think due to the large amount of press it received for a new cigar release it may be hard to get next month. It is an odd thing I believe since this cigar was “invented” not by a cigar blender or master or even someone of Cuban descent (not saying only Cubans can make cigars) he is a former spirit Sales Rep that recently got into cigar sales.
According to him (sorry I don’t know his name) using a vitola with a Very large Ring Gage that is no longer than 4in you can achieve a cigar that tastes like the “sweet spot” of your cigar the whole time. (the “sweet spot” refers to the point in witch the cigar develops its full and best flavor during the smoke) Although these are short cigars due to the girth the 3in vitolas are supposed to smoke like a robusto and the 4in vitolas are supposed to smoke like a Churchill to a presidente.
Also he claims that in each version of these cigars which come in 3 wrappers Connecticut, Cameroon, and Habana, with all Nicaraguan long filer, he has developed a vitola that is supposed to be perfect for that blend.
Since this is such a Wild claim in my opinion I would like to try one personally. I always believed the sweet spot develops from smoking. (the heat and smoke passing through the cigar) The average price fore these online is about $4.20 a stick and boxes of 24 can be had for $86-$140.
Which is not that bad and personally I LOVE NICARAGUAN PURO’s and these are close, the wrapper is the only thing not Nicaraguan and I think the Habano wrappers could have been grown in Nicaragua. Ill leave the rest of the research up to you if this post catches your attention.
My previous post was just to ask if 42 could possibly offer this cigar some time is all. So after this very convoluted post trying to explain myself (kinda defeats the purpose) I want to find out if this is a Gimmick or the best thing since sliced bread.
I might just end up going for a box later in the month as if I like them I wont have to make another purchase and if I don’t I bet I can find friends who are intrigued by the idea and ant to give it a try. Thanks for reading my page long post.
BTW my favorite Cuesta Rey are there sungrown series one of my fav wrappers although thats a list of like 3 or 4, LoL.

now it makes sense.
No, for real.
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I also saw the new nub offering. Though I have liked the Oliva S quite a bit, I have encountered nothing but wrapper issues with virtually all the Olivas I’ve ever had and it is aggravating. might be enough to keep me away from the nub.
Frank

I couldn’t rest without figuring out yesterday’s secret message from Beatnik. The dude knows tobacco but when writing ignores societal conventions others fall pray to, like punctuation eg.
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Turns out that if you change one lousy letter in his opening phrase, the rest makes PERFECT sense.
He typed “now that nub it out…” and meant to type “now that nub IS out…”
It all falls into place after that. Nub is the new Oliva product, and it just came out! Man, I could sure use a drink and a cigar. Maybe the Opus gets burned tonight.
I only looked back out of respect to the man’s track record.
Frank

Well, we’re always on the lookout to add new cigars to our offerings. With new releases we usually either get really great, or really terrible deals. It depends upon how the manufacturers and our suppliers work it.
And no – no word yet on my baby. Should be any day now though.