Handcrafted by father and son cigar makers Jose “Pepin” Garcia and Jaime Garcia, the La Aroma de Cuba Pasion is the latest to come out of the Ashton Cigar camp. With six brand new sizes to choose from, we figured this gem from the legendary cigarmakers, and company would be the perfect cigar to review next.

Making its debut at the 2021 PCA Trade Show, the Pasion from La Aroma de Cuba is a medium to full-bodied Nicaraguan puro. However, this delectable smoke includes a stunning shade-grown wrapper from the famous Namanji tobacco field in the heart of Esteli, Nicaragua.

I’m going to be very transparent with you all, I smoked this for the first time last week with my coworker on our “Long Ash Podcast” episode. Before that, I have never smoked anything from La Aroma de Cuba. I’ve had my fair share of Ashton cigars, and although La Aroma de Cuba is subsidiary to Ashton, I have never smoked anything that was in the La Aroma de Cuba line.

From what I remember, I enjoyed this smoke while on the podcast, but this was going to be a different experience due to the fact all my attention is focused on this smoke and everything about it! Being that this is a cigar brand I haven’t dove into before, I was excited to see what La Aroma de Cuba had to offer.

So, ladies and gents, without further ado, let’s get the party started!

• Country of Origin: Nicaragua
• Wrapper: Nicaragua
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Nicaragua
• Cigar Strength: Medium to Full
• Smoke Time: 70-100 minutes (depending on size)
• Sizes Available:
• La Aroma de Cuba Pasion Box Pressed Torpedo (6.12 x 54)
• La Aroma de Cuba Pasion Churchill (7 x 49)
• La Aroma de Cuba Pasion Robusto (5.50 x 50)
• La Aroma de Cuba Pasion Encanto (6 x 60)
• La Aroma de Cuba Pasion Marveloso (6 x 52)
• La Aroma de Cuba Pasion Corona Gorda (5.62 x 46)

Using a straight cut, I took a few cold draw puffs before I lit this gem with a match. Right off the bat, I got an abundance of wood and syrup on the cold draw. The pairing of wood and syrup was a combination I was extremely amped up about.

I have a serious sweet tooth, so whenever a cigar has a hint of sweetness to its flavor profile, I’m always inclined to return to smoking that specific smoke down the road.

Roughly a little over fifteen minutes into the first third and the two flavor notes I detected in the cold draw were very prominent on my palate. The syrup and wood intensified, all while I detected a hint of leather added to the mix.

The unique chewy taste I describe as leather really balanced well with the hints of syrup and wood. I was very excited to see where this flavor profile was about to take me!

As I entered the second third, the flavor notes of wood remained a key factor in the flavor profile of the Pasion. The taste of leather and syrup took a backseat, all while new and delicious notes came to the forefront.

Alongside the taste of wood were hints of chocolate and cashews. The cashew was a pleasant surprise and a note I was not expecting.

However, with the shade-grown wrapper drenched over the Pasion, I was expecting a hint of chocolate and/or cocoa. So, the appearance of the chocolate note was not a surprise, but my palate very much appreciated its arrival with each puff I took.

As I entered the final third of my smoking experience of the La Aroma de Cuba Pasion, the syrup flavor note came back in full swing and balanced out perfectly alongside the hint of chocolate and cashews.

The wood flavor note that was a prominent factor in the first two-thirds disappeared rather quickly in the final third. It was replaced with an unfamiliar spice I couldn’t quite pinpoint, but I wasn’t complaining at all.

So, at the end of the day, flavor notes that remained to the very end were syrup, wood, cashews, and chocolate. This is the type of cigar a lover of sweets (yours truly) enjoys from beginning to end.

This time around while smoking the La Aroma de Cuba Pasion, I enjoyed it at the cigar lounge next door to my office. So, while at the lounge, I enjoyed two refreshing glasses of Sprite as well as a handful of cheeses and meats that were a part of a delicious charcuterie board.

I rarely pair food alongside a cigar, but I wanted the ultimate experience while smoking one of the more prestigious cigar brands within the industry.

When you light a cigar with a match, it’s well known that you will eventually need to light it a few more times, and that was the case with this. For a moment, that took me out of it. I got a little aggravated while re-lighting this smoke.

But when it was lit, I thoroughly enjoyed every puff. Between the six sizes, a box of two ranges from $230-$280, making the MSRP of one single smoke of the Pasion anywhere between $9 and $11 per smoke.

For a cigar to land in that price range and hails from Ashton Cigars, it almost seems like a steal. A box of 25 is a boatload of cigars for you to enjoy, so the price of one box is worth the bang for your buck.

Watch our latest cigar review of the La Aroma de Cuba Pasion below, and let us know your thoughts in the comments! Hope you enjoyed our latest cigar review! Until next time, keep smoking, friends!