La Aroma de Cuba Small Batch Staff Review
A few weeks ago, La Aroma de Cuba Small Batch arrived in our warehouse like an early Christmas present. As the name implies, a limited quantity of this exclusive, rare smoke has been released to select retailers across the country. Small Batch comes in a single 6-by-52 size, and today I’m indulging in this hard-to-find gem from one of today’s hottest Cuban-legacy brands.
Renowned father-and-son cigarmakers Pepin and Jaime Garcia have been blending and producing the complete La Aroma de Cuba portfolio for nearly two decades. They’ve blended a handful of limited-production La Aroma de Cuba cigars over the years, including the recent Habano Reserve. We were pleasantly surprised to receive a second, even rarer, cigar when La Aroma de Cuba Small Batch debuted. While Habano Reserve features the same binder and filler tobaccos as the original La Aroma de Cuba, but with a different wrapper leaf, the new Small Batch is blended from a unique and proprietary recipe of five-year-old tobaccos.
An Ecuador Habano wrapper, harvested from high primings, surrounds Nicaraguan long-fillers cultivated on private Garcia family estates in Estelí, Jalapa, Namanji, and Condega. Relying on tobaccos from multiple farms lends intricate and complex flavor to Small Batch cigars. The Garcias produced only 2,000 total boxes of the 6-by-52 Small Batch, available in stunning 24-count cedar chests with a piano-gloss finish sheathed in a felt sleeve. The cigars retail for $25 apiece, making Small Batch the rarest and most expensive blend in the portfolio to date.
Gold lettering on the top of the boxes reads “100% PREMIUM AGED TOBACCOS” and “TRIPLE FERMENTATION” over the sleek, dark wood grain. La Aroma de Cuba Small Batch cigars wear formal gold and black cigar bands over the wrapper’s oily complexion with a black ribbon on the foot. An arousing bouquet of chewy, tangy, and floral aroma stimulates the nose while leathery and sweet undertones linger when I lift the lid on a new box and slip the cellophane from a fresh cigar.
One thing’s clear, Small Batch is not an ordinary La Aroma de Cuba. Every appointed detail reinforces the fact that Small Batch cigars are special. Following the Garcias’ hallmark formula, Small Batch cigars are rolled in the labor-intensive entubado method and finished with a Cuban-style triple cap at the head. After cutting the cap on a stately specimen, succulent notes of cedar, gourmet praline, roasted coffee, and spice come through in the cold draw, amplifying the cigar’s initial intrigue.
The spectacular draw comes to life with decadent but silky streams of refined smoke when I slowly toast the foot over a cedar spill. Small Batch boasts dense, mature flavor without hesitation. Tasting notes of espresso and rum barrel weave a captivating tapestry over my palate, supported by hints of cumin, red pepper, and peat as the binder, filler, and wrapper tobaccos exude a cohesive portrait that’s tough to put down between draws. Small Batch is a strong smoke that you’ll want to enjoy on a full stomach.
As I meander through the middle, Small Batch teems with a magnetic complexity of oak, nutmeg, smoked caramel, and Moroccan dates. Pepin’s signature Nicaraguan spice builds subtly, while supporting notes of espresso bean, rawhide, and dark stone fruit impart influence throughout a malty profile. Savor Small Batch slowly, and pair it with a premium Islay Scotch, like Lagavulin Distiller’s Edition, for an opulent experience. Once the band is off and I’m well into the nub, Small Batch harmonizes with a long finish of wood and spice, warranting a stellar 97-point rating in my book.
Whether you’re in the market for a few singles or a full box, add this super-premium gem to your humidor while you can get them. I guarantee La Aroma de Cuba Small Batch won’t be around for long. And it’s an easy choice if you’re shopping for a rare smoke to gift your favorite aficionado during the holiday season this year.
