La Aroma de Cuba Habano Reserve Staff Review
This fall, an exclusive new La Aroma de Cuba cigar, called Habano Reserve, began arriving at select retailers nationwide. Award-winning father-and-son cigarmakers Pepin and Jaime Garcia blend and produce this limited, annual release in a single size, a 6-by-52 Monarch, which I’m firing up for today’s review.
The La Aroma de Cuba brand is owned by the Levin family, the proprietors of Ashton and San Cristobal cigars. La Aroma de Cuba cigars are handcrafted in Estelí, Nicaragua, by the Garcia family, who also produce San Cristobal, as well as their esteemed My Father brand. Over the past twenty years, the Garcias have steadily expanded their farms and factories to accommodate the dramatic demand for the cigars they produce. Their extensive inventory of premium tobacco affords them unlimited capacity to blend several of today’s highest-rated cigars.
La Aroma de Cuba Habano Reserve is no exception. The blend is named for its wrapper leaf, an oily reddish-hued Rosado wrapper, grown in Ecuador from Cuban seeds. Underneath is a vintage recipe of Nicaraguan long-filler tobaccos harvested in Estelí, Jalapa, and Namanji. The cigars come in 25-count imperial-blue boxes with matching cigar bands, featuring the iconic La Aroma de Cuba logo. Just 3,000 boxes of Habano Reserve cigars were produced for 2025. Despite its small-batch production, Habano Reserve is an excellent value at under $10 per cigar.
When I crack open a fresh box, the top row of cigars gleams with an enticing luster. Vibrant aromas of leather, cedar, and fresh tobacco emanate from the Monarch once I unsheathe the cellophane and remove the blue ribbon on the foot. Habano Reserve reflects meticulous construction as I gently pinch the cigar and clip the cap to savor the cold draw. Creamy notes of leather and fresh tobacco mingle with tangy hints of pepper. Every leaf of tobacco is triple fermented for optimal smoothness. The cigars are rolled in entubado fashion by skilled artisans who finish each cigar with a traditional Cuban-style triple cap on the head.
The Monarch captivates the taste buds from the first puff, as I rotate my torch over the foot to achieve a nice, even burn. Pronounced tasting notes of coffee bean and espresso mingle with a toasty spice and hints of molasses. An underlying current of cedar and roasted chestnut provides salient nuances as the cigar progresses. Habano Reserve is bold yet smooth, offering incredible complexity alongside a powerful kick on the front end.
Dark and malty notes of pepper, molasses, and wood develop with unerring depth in the second half of the cigar. Steadfast hints of coffee bean round out Habano Reserve, while toasty spices linger in the background. Pair this blend with a vintage bourbon to amplify its sweeter notes, or consider an Islay Scotch, such as Lagavulin, for a robust complement of peat and smoke.
The final third of Habano Reserve evolves into a hearty profile as the nub unfolds in a commanding crescendo of espresso bean, black pepper, and rum barrel notes, culminating in a long, creamy finish. Smoky spices linger in the nose while hints of hickory, cedar, and blackened meat coat the palate in the final draws of the Monarch.
My sincere advice is to add a box of La Aroma de Cuba Habano Reserve to your humidor while this annual release is available. This enchanting rarity punches well above its weight class, considering its approachable price. I’m certain this cigar will age gracefully while you conserve your box until next year’s batch is available. Savor the quality and consistency of a new and unique blend from the prestigious La Aroma de Cuba portfolio with Habano Reserve today.
