La Aroma de Cuba

La Aroma de Cuba is a Cuban‑heritage brand revived and made today in Nicaragua, blended and produced by José “Pepin” Garcia and his son Jaime Garcia for Ashton Distributors.

Origins and revival

• The name dates back to the late 1800s in Cuba, where La Aroma de Cuba gained a following and was famously smoked by Winston Churchill during his 1895 visit as a young officer.

• The brand disappeared for decades until the Levin family (owners of Ashton) secured the trademark in the 1990s and officially relaunched La Aroma de Cuba in 2002, initially made in Honduras.onlinecigarshop.

Move to Pepin / My Father in Nicaragua

• After early success, Ashton moved production from Honduras to Nicaragua in the mid‑2000s, entrusting the line to Pepin Garcia following his strong results with San Cristobal.

• In 2008–2009, Pepin and Jaime fully took over blending and production at their modern factory in Estelí, using primarily Nicaraguan tobaccos grown on Garcia family estates.

Key blends and ratings

• Edición Especial (2008): Ecuadorian Cuban‑seed wrapper over vintage Nicaraguan binder/filler; earned high ratings and a Top‑10 “Cigar of the Year” spot, helping relaunch the brand’s profile.

• Original La Aroma de Cuba (reblended 2009): Reintroduced with a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper and all‑Nicaraguan core, now the 94‑rated foundation of the portfolio.

• Mi Amor (2011): San Andrés wrapper over Nicaraguan fillers, medium‑to‑full with cocoa, espresso, almond, and pepper; scored 95 points and was named #2 Cigar of the Year by Cigar Aficionado.

• Reserva (2012): Darker San Andrés Oscuro wrapper and robust Nicaraguan core, with hickory, dark chocolate, leather, and black pepper; soft‑box‑pressed Corona Gorda scored 94 points.

Style and humidor role

• House style is Cuban‑inspired Nicaraguan: medium to medium‑full body, rich but balanced, with emphasis on aroma and texture rather than brute strength.