Pre-light Experience

Aaron: The wrapper on the soft rectangle pressed La Aroma de Cuba Noblesse Regency is medium brown, with some raised veins and some fine tooth. The seams are smooth and the caps well applied. There are two bands, both in a pastel purple and gold color combination. The primary carries the brand name and a portrait of a woman with the secondary denoting the line. The aroma from the wrapper is dark, rich earth and cedar, while the foot brings stewed fruit with light amounts of earth and cedar. The pre-light draw brings cedar, floral notes and a light spiciness, and the spiciness is also lightly present on my lips.
Seth: The La Aroma de Cuba Noblesse Regency is a nice-looking cigar. Finished with a lovely press, the cigar sports a beautiful wrapper that is nearly oscuro in coloring. Small to medium sized veins are present throughout with some tooth. The bands really pop off the wrapper, and the cigar has aromas of rich earth, cocoa, coffee, spices, wood and leather.
John: The La Aroma de Cuba Noblesse Regency came in cellophane and had a UPC sticker with the cigar info which tore when opened. For artisanal complications, the cigar has a typically firm box press shape. There are two bands present with the La Aroma de Cuba primary band in a light purple background and a secondary Noblesse band in a similar style. I weighed the cigar at 15.8 grams and measured the humidity at 62.8% with the HumidiMeter Pro. Aromas from the wrapper included wood, mild barnyard and earth. Out of the foot, some faint raisin was present with tobacco and earth underneath.

La Aroma de Cuba Noblesse Regency

First Third

Aaron: The cigar begins with earth and toasted cedar, along with some light black pepper. At a half inch in, the earth has a slight lead over the toasted cedar and the black pepper has picked up a bit. The retrohale is earth, toasted cedar and mild black pepper. As the third comes to a close, the earth remains a bit ahead of the toasted cedar, while the black pepper is just behind the middle of the profile. The strength was slightly above medium.
Seth: The Noblesse Regency begins with dry earth, toast and dark chocolate notes. I am picking up some espresso qualities, and it has some spice and minerals on the finish. The cigar is medium-full in strength and body.
John: The first third opens with sweet wood and lingering wood to carry the post draw. After a few puffs, earth joins the post draw as well. As the first third continues to develop, light plus strength spices come into the finish. On the retrohale, I’m getting creamy spices, a sweet wood center and earth and spices combining through the finish. Some walnut shells are detectable at the end of the draw as it finally settles in. The post draw earth moves to the front of the retrohale as the cigar continues. A short time later, leather joins the finish.

La Aroma de Cuba Noblesse Regency

Second Third

Aaron: As the second third begins, the earth increases the lead over the toasted cedar a bit. The retrohale remains earth, toasted cedar and mild black pepper. At an inch and a quarter, the toasted cedar closes the gap to the earth so it’s not as far ahead. As the third comes to a close, the earth is just ahead of the toasted cedar while the black pepper remains just behind the middle of the profile. The strength remains slightly above medium.
Seth: The second third is a continuation of the first. Lots of chocolate, earth and toast notes. Some espresso with minerals and strong spices on the finish. Still medium-full in terms of strength and body.
John: Creamy earth starts the retrohale off in the second third with the earth finishing and building to medium strength on the post draw. As the second third settles in, some dark espresso is in the center of the profile and combines with earth into the finish. Sweet wood and tobacco join the center of the retrohale as the second third progresses. Some astringent wood is detectable moving towards the halfway point, reaching medium strength at times. In the bottom half, medium minus strength spices move in as the astringent wood falls to light plus.

La Aroma de Cuba Noblesse Regency

Final Third

Aaron: As the final third begins, the earth and toasted cedar both pick up a bit in fullness. At a half inch in, the black pepper increases a bit. The retrohale remains earth, toasted cedar and mild black pepper. As the cigar wraps up, the earth is just ahead of the toasted cedar with the black pepper right in the middle of the profile. The strength remained slightly above medium.
Seth: The final third is a little bit harsher than the second. More mineral qualities are present with the spice. Chocolate, dry earth and tobacco present as well. Medium-full in strength and body.
John: Creamy spices start the second third with medium strength earth following and joining with wood for a light plus finish. The earth is detectable through the entire post draw. The earth pushes up to medium-full strength on the finish and the post draw as the cigar continues. Acrid notes come into the post draw as the cigar reaches the halfway point and stay for the remainder of the third.

La Aroma de Cuba Noblesse Regency

Burn

Aaron: The burn was slightly wavy at times, but never need any intervention. The ash held on through each third.
Seth: The burn was great from start to finish.
John: The burn had some minor waviness to start, which self corrected. The burn continued straight in the second third, eventually becoming uneven. The burn self corrected and stayed fairly consistent in the last third.

La Aroma de Cuba Noblesse Regency

Draw

Aaron: The draw was perfect, with just the right amount of resistance that I prefer.
Seth: The draw was perfect from beginning to end.
John: The draw had some resistance to it, roughly 2-1/2 to 3 notches into the resistant spectrum, requiring me to work a bit for the draw and earning a good score.

Overall

Aaron: The cigar began with earth and toasted cedar, along with some light black pepper. The second third saw the earth increase it’s lead over the toasted cedar and the final third saw the black pepper move to the middle of the profile. The La Aroma de Cuba Noblesse Regency had an average flavor profile throughout. It was quite linear, with just the slightest of changes to the fullness of the three flavor components. This is a pretty paint by numbers Mexican San Andres offering and not at all exciting. If you like an earth forward blend, give this a try, but with the flavor experience, and high price point, it’s not something I see myself returning to.
Seth: I did not care for the La Aroma de Cuba Noblesse Regency, and it has been some time since La Aroma de Cuba has really hit home. It’s a shame, because it was a great blend. I am not sure why they switched to maduro with this cigar, but I guess you can say it did nothing good or bad to the line. This was a lacking maduro and Mexican offering. Any time I smoke La Aroma de Cuba, or really Ashton, I think how long it has been since the first San Cristobal was released.
John: The La Aroma de Cuba Noblesse Regency had a promising start in the first third but fell in balance with the second third never really finding its footing. The last third started out average but became unbalanced and acrid as it continued. The burn was wavy at times but had no issues, with the draw having some resistance to it. I think if the first third flavor had continued into the second third, this would be a very different cigar, but with the step down there and the miss in the last third, this isn’t something I would see myself returning to. Total smoking time was 2 hours and 11 minutes.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.65

Cost/Point

$3.36

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

5.65

Cost/Point

$3.36

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

5.45

Cost/Point

$3.49

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: La Aroma de Cuba Noblesse Regency