As much as it has ever been, a visit from the stork is still a moment properly celebrated with a good smoke and a glass of the finest cognac. No, I’m not talking about myself, but a good friend of mine whose family has been enlarged this week. I realize that I have not been spending much time around here lately, but there’s simply no way I would let this occasion pass by without a fitting salute. Plus, let’s be honest… I’ll take any excuse I get…

… and so, out comes a La Aroma de Cuba Monarch and a little nectar I picked up at the Hennessy distillery while on a tour dubbed “Fine de Cognac”. Temperature and humidity fluctuations, due to my most recent move to another country, had left my humidor wanting, but this Aroma de Cuba proved to be a resilient little stick.

The Honduran wrapper is very oily with a pleasant sheen. Aromas of musk, leather and perhaps a little cinnamon are present on the pre-light. These notes, I found, form the core of this cigar, from beginning to end, and a solid base for its evolution as the smoke progresses.

Lighting up quickly and effortlessly with traditional matches this time (after all this is a celebration), the foot lets off a slightly spicy smoke full of the core notes with a very creamy and velvety texture. I was a little surprised at this point, expecting something generally more rustic.

About an inch in, the smoke has a nutty character, like toasted almonds with the underlying musk; a very pleasant combination indeed. By now, I can already predict a more rustic characteristic taking on perhaps around the half way mark. When I say rustic, I mean it in a very positive sense as far as cigars go. I can see that what began with subtlety and finesse will eventually end with a bang.

About half way, the smoke begins to concentrate a little. The aromas seem to come together to produce an espresso like aftertaste following a draw. The intensifying musk and leather from the core, leave behind a taste that reminds me of the old Star Bucks espresso shots I used to sip over ice, way back when they actually offered real espresso.

This profile goes right to the end, leaving a somewhat spicy finish of cedar and musk for a good while. La Aroma de Cuba is clearly not a smoke to be compared to its other cousins from the Ashton line. Its merits make it stand on its own, in a rustic and satisfying way.