Aganorsa Leaf Arsenio is named after Arsenio Ramos the former master blender at the Nicaragua based company who passed away in 2018 at the age of 83.
It’s the first time Aganorsa has released a cigar with his name, though when the company was known as Casa Fernández there was a line called, Casa Fernandez Arsenio which has long been discontinued.
Arsenio Ramos was born in Cuba in 1934 where we worked for decades in the Cuban tobacco industry where he served as the head of processing for Cubatabaco where he specialized in fermentation. He would eventually leave Cuba and in 2000 he would work with Aganorsa until his passing.
According to Eduardo Fernandez, “Arsenio was a giant of the Cuban Tobacco Industry. He was a self-taught man of humble means, a true craftsman. He was a great human being who was instrumental in creating the singular flavor that distinguishes the richness of Aganorsa’s leaf, taking us back to the traditions of a true Habano of old. This blend was his favorite and a tribute to his lifetime of work.”
Cigar Review: Aganorsa Leaf Arsenio Robusto
Size: 5.25 x 54 (Robusto)
Wrapper: Nicaragua Corojo ’99 (Jalapa)
Binder: Dual Nicaragua Criollo ’98 (Esteli)
Fillers: Nicaragua (Condega & Jalapa)
Factory: Aganorsa
Release Date: July 2024
Release Type: Limited Release (2,000 boxes in 2024)
Box Count: 20
The Cigar: Featuring colors of blue and gold, the cigar has a paper sheath that extends from the band to the foot. Speaking of the band it features a gold embossed image of the late Arsenio Ramos. The sheath covers the wrapper and this might be by design as every cigar I’ve smoked to day (20+) has had an imperfection or bruising of the wrapper. Additionally the wrappers have a few notable veins which detract from the otherwise oily appearance. In the hand the cigar is firm with no voids of tobacco, a well packed foot and an above average weight.
The Taste: The cold draw has a bit of a medicinal taste and of lacquer. I’ve noticed this on the majority of cigars I smoked and I’ve wondered if the boxes were wet when the cigars went in. Thankfully I haven’t experienced this outside the cold draw. The foot of the cigar has a subtle raisin sweetness alongside earth.
As we smoke the first third of the Aganorsa Leaf Arsenio it starts out pepper aggressive before puling back relatively quickly. Once it does notes of sourdough bread, wood and pecans begin to emerge with a buttery rich finish. The retrohale adds some sweetness in the form of raisins with a touch of jalapeño spice.
Moving into the second third the cigar which started out medium-full settles into medium in perceived strength. There is a lot going on with notes of sourdough bread, raisin, a touch of rye and mocha. As crowded as that seems they are blend together perfectly with a rich buttery finish. The retrohale continues to see a touch of jalapeño and warm chocolate.
Moving into the final third notes of rye spice become dominant with is equally matched by cedar. There is some continued rye and a slightly floral component that appears the first time which is intensified on the retrohale where is it joined by black pepper.
Conclusion: This was the hardest cigar I ever reviewed. Not because it was tough to gauge the flavors or performance. It was because I constantly was getting lost within the cigar. It was incredibly smooth and balanced that I just melted in my chair, poured some bourbon, decompressed and left the laptop untouched only to realize I wrote down zero notes.
In the last year I felt at times if Aganorsa was having growing pains. With a lot of people heading north to cross over into the United States it felts as if construction was becoming an issue. It wasn’t just me as a discord server I was a part of had people making the same unsolicited observations. This release sees none of those issues and is an absolute must smoke, much purchase box.
Score: 95
Price: $15.99 (Before any local or state taxes)
Site sponsor Small Batch Cigar has them available here -=> https://www.smallbatchcigar.com/aganorsa-leaf-arsenio
