Match M48 closed the 48-match group stage with two cigars searching for their first Group H victory. Rocky Patel Year of the Horse and La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor both entered at 0-2 after losses to Davidoff and Plasencia. The advancement places were settled, but third place and a tournament win remained at stake.
Both were medium-full, Nicaraguan-made cigars with Mexican San Andrés wrappers. Rocky Patel's 7 x 48 box-pressed Churchill combined a Nicaraguan binder with Honduran and Nicaraguan filler; Mi Amor's 5 1/2 x 54 Belicoso used Nicaraguan binder and filler.
Their public Ashology scorecards were level: six 4.5 scores apiece and identical Premium totals of 27.0/30. CigarOfTheYear.com's official Group H record nevertheless awards M48 to Rocky Patel. Under the published standards, scores document performance while complete evaluation and head-to-head competition determine the result.
Matchup at a Glance
| Category | Rocky Patel Year of the Horse | La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Rocky Patel | La Aroma de Cuba by Ashton |
| Origin | Nicaragua | Nicaragua |
| Wrapper | Mexican San Andrés | Mexican San Andrés |
| Binder | Nicaraguan | Nicaraguan |
| Filler | Honduran and Nicaraguan | Nicaraguan |
| Factory | TAVICUSA, Estelí, Nicaragua | My Father Cigars S.A., Estelí, Nicaragua |
| Vitola | Box-Pressed Churchill, 7 x 48 | Belicoso, 5 1/2 x 54 |
| Strength | Medium-Full | Medium-Full |
| Ashology score | 27.0/30 - Premium | 27.0/30 - Premium |
| M48 result | Winner - official head-to-head decision | Loss |
Rocky Patel began with cedar, cocoa, dried fruit and spice. Toasted cedar and pepper introduced cocoa and rich earth before espresso, leather, raisin sweetness and baking spice created a fuller center. Coffee, oak and pepper strengthened the final third as the fruit sweetness gradually faded.
Mi Amor opened with cocoa, cedar, coffee and mild pepper. Dark cocoa, earth and measured spice shaped the first third. Espresso, roasted nuts and light sweetness made the middle creamier before coffee and charred oak grew stronger with pepper held in the background.
Both cigars occupied similar territory through cocoa, cedar, earth, espresso, coffee, wood and pepper. Rocky Patel added more dried-fruit and baking-spice contrast, while Mi Amor stayed darker and smoother through roasted nuts, cream and charred oak. The profiles were different, but their published performance remained equal.
Where the Matchup Was Decided
Construction, draw, burn, flavor complexity, balance and finish all tied 4.5 to 4.5. Neither cigar owns a published category advantage, and the 27.0 to 27.0 total cannot explain the official winner by arithmetic alone.
Rocky Patel won the official matchup; all six published categories tied.
The competition's Editorial Standards state that scores help document performance, while advancement and results are determined through the complete evaluation process and head-to-head competition. They also allow an additional sample when a matchup is too close to determine fairly, although the M48 record does not state that an additional sample was required here.
The public record does not name a seventh category or publish a separate tiebreak subtotal. M48 should therefore be reported as an official head-to-head decision—not as a point-margin win or a category victory that the published scorecards do not show.
Official Result: Rocky Patel Year of the Horse Wins Match M48
Rocky Patel Year of the Horse defeated La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor after their Ashology scorecards finished level at 27.0/30. The official victory moved Rocky Patel to 1-2 and placed it third in Group H.
La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor completed the group at 0-3 and placed fourth. It did not advance, but six Outstanding 4.5 scores confirmed a consistent Premium performance against one of the competition's strongest four-cigar fields.
Davidoff Year of the Horse Limited Edition 2026 won Modern Luxury at 3-0, and Plasencia Alma Fuerte Eduardo I advanced second at 2-1. Rocky Patel and Mi Amor were eliminated, closing Group H and the entire group stage.
Final Ashology Verdict
Mi Amor delivered an even scorecard and a satisfying dark progression through cocoa, cedar, earth, espresso, nuts, cream, coffee, charred oak and pepper. Its 0-3 record should not obscure that every evaluated category earned an Outstanding mark.
Rocky Patel matched every one of those marks while presenting a more fruit-and-spice-driven expression of San Andrés tobacco. The official head-to-head decision supplied its lone group victory. M48 is the clearest reminder in the group stage that an Ashology total documents the evaluation, while the competition record determines the winner.
Tasting notes reflect the cigars and vitolas evaluated during the 2026 competition. Flavor, strength and burn performance may vary based on storage, age, vitola and individual palate. Tobacco products are intended only for adults of legal smoking age.