La Aroma de Cuba is an old Cuban brand name, believed to have been a favorite of Sir Winston Churchill. Ashton Distributors created a Honduran version of the brand in 2003, made by La Flor de Copan, and last summer it added the Edición Especial variation, which it contracted out to the hottest name in the cigar business, Jose “Pepin” Garcia. Pepin’s La Aroma de Cuba is the best yet, made with his trademark Nicaraguan filler and binder tobaccos, and covered in something relatively new for him, Ecuadoran leaf. The belicoso-shaped No. 5 is a wonderful smoke, brimming with spice, coffee and cocoa notes. Ashton is becoming a major client for Garcia. This is the second major cigar brand he has made for the Philadelphia-based company, a follow-up to his San Cristobal—one size of which took the No. 12 slot in our 2007 ranking.

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