Sippin' with Stogies
October 2021
Aroma de Cuba Pasión
Origin Country: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Nicaraguan shade-grown
Binder and Filler: Nicaraguan
Vitola: Corona Gorda, 5 5/8 x 46
Price: $9.50
What makes it special:
The Pasión isn’t only a new addition to the Aroma de Cuba line, it’s a collaboration between Ashton and father--son cigar legends José “Pepin” Garcia and Jaime Garcia of the My Father brand of cigars. The Pasión was actually trademarked in 2016, but as Sathya Levin of Ashton Distributors said, “We wanted to wait until the shade--grown wrapper from Namanji was ready. We’ve been developing the blend with Pepin and Jaime [Garcia], and tinkering with the details for the last few years. It’s a special wrapper and a special blend—we’re very excited.” It’s a cigar with a never--before produced wrapper, grown exclusively on a 300--acre Garcia family farm in Namanji, which boasts a unique microclimate less than an hour’s drive east of Estelí.
How is a cigar with so many exquisite attributes at such an approachable price point? A lot went into this collaboration, from the cigar masters who produced the Pasión to the patience and persistence of several years to ensure perfection. Every leaf harvested for the wrapper, binder, and filler has gone through a painstaking triple--fermentation. I do love a cigar with a special wrapper, so my expectations are high… Sathya Levin of Ashton also said about the cigar, “It’s all about the wrapper… We’ve had the trademark for Pasión registered since 2016, but we didn’t want to use it on just any cigar.”
Visual / Pre-light Draw
The Pasión is constructed flawlessly with a lustrous, smooth wrapper. It’s a warm, chocolate brown and feels silky to the touch with a tangible oiliness. There’s no lack of pre--light introduction – the entire cigar exudes woodiness and nuttiness before lighting. From the smooth, perfect wrapper to the aroma, the cigar is enticing long before the match is struck.
First Third
The Pasión comes out swinging with flavor, as that woodiness and nuttiness become clear – cedar, maple, and cashew. It’s an intriguing mix, blended perfectly for a smooth draw and a rich but delicious smoke. The retrohale is smooth and even has a hint of sweetness to it! The influence of Ashton is clear in the first third, which is a very good sign of what’s to come.
Second Third
The ash is solid and actually took some gentle force to press off. The burn is perfect and hasn’t required a touch--up yet. The palate of the Pasión has bloomed a bit and now features notes of leather and a slight spice kick, rounded out by notes of dark agave syrup or even molasses. The woodiness and nuttiness are still there, and the cigar’s flavors have become more complex. A retrohale from the second third has more of a kick than one from the first.
Final Third
Definitely stronger in its final third, the Pasión is richer and bolder than when it began. I can taste some of the spice I would expect from a Don Pepin Garcia Cuban Classic, but this cigar is distinct in every other way. It’s as if the nuttiness, woodiness, and leather remain in center stage, but they’ve grown deeper with the peppery kick in the background. In its final third, I can taste the influence of My Father more than I can that of Ashton. While I don’t believe a cigar exists that can’t be paired with a morning coffee or espresso, I will say that this is a perfect cigar to follow a rich, heavy meal. This cigar has been a flavor adventure that exceeded my expectations!
The Pairing:
The pairing was a happy accident, Clyde May’s Straight Bourbon Whiskey. The nose presented vanilla and toffee, which was a nice complement to the nuttiness of the Pasión. Honey dominates the palate, but the notes of baking spices and leather beneath again pair perfectly with the cigar’s notes of leather and dark agave or molasses. At 46% ABV it’s a surprisingly smooth sipper overall, with a long, complex finish that carries some cinnamon of the palate into pepper on the finish, once more complementing the strength of the cigar’s final third.
