Mi Amour

The genius that is Pepin Garcia shines again in his latest offering for Ashton Cigars, in the newest edition of La Aroma de Cuba called "Mi Amour." There truly is something special about Garcia's cigars, from the blend to the construction, and nearly without exception, he continues to make rich cigars which can compete against any other on the market.

I had the opportunity to sample the belicoso size earlier this week, compliments of Dan at Cigars on Sixth in Denver. A brief note on Dan; when I had my cigar shop, he was my number one competitor. Geographically, we were relatively close to one another, and we "shared" a number of customers over the years. Yet with that relationship, Dan and I have always maintained some levels of friendship, and since I closed my shop, he has been nothing but gracious. So Dan, I thank you for the sample, and for being a gentleman in the face of an otherwise sad event for me.

The La Aroma de Cuba line has evolved steadily over the years, starting out as a rich, more affordable offering from Ashton. The quality was always there, but in the beginning, it seemed to lack some depth. A few years later, Ashton approached the Golden "Boy" of the cigar world, Don Pepin Garcia, to make a new blend for their La Aroma series. Garcia was gaining notoriety quickly, making the widely popular Tatuaje cigar for Pete Johnson, as well as his own limited number of offerings. The newly blended La Aroma de Cuba, at that time, elevated the line to a new level, where it was no longer relegated to a quality cigar for bargain hunters, but a legitimate contender within the premium cigar world. The new line for Ashton did so well in fact, that Ashton asked Pepin to blend an entirely new line for them, the even more popular San Cristobal. Pepin has since come out with other variations of the La Aroma line, including the EE blend, and now the boldest and most flavorful in the line, Mi Amour.









Mi Amour embodies everything that is good about a rich Nicaraguan cigar. The creamy yet full flavored smoke, the velvety smooth draw, the hints of dark chocolate and cherry (on my palate, anyway). This newest blend bends the line between medium and full bodied, while filling the mouth with nothing but full flavored joy. The burn was perfect, drawing smoothly and straight, producing a perfect blue grey ash.









Over the years, and even more now, I have gained a true appreciation for Pepin Garcia's cigars. Given the choice, with price being of no concern, I can honestly say I would reach for the complexity of Pepin over that of Padron. What I find even more amazing (though I really shouldn't), is that Pepin's own blends and those now for Ashton, are surpassing those he blends for other manufacturers. This includes those blended for Pete Johnson and United Tobacco (601 and Cubao - now made by Rocky Patel (and I'm not certain about who's blending). The size of Ashton compared to Tatuaje and EO Brands alone signifies what I can only imagine as a huge cash infusion to Pepin's operation. Pete Johnson may have put Pepin on the map, but mark my words, Ashton will slowly take all of that magical Don Pepin mystique away from Tatuaje, and put it firmly in their corner.