danthebugman
BoM Nov '10
Size: 5 x 52
Wrapper: Nicaraguan
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Price: $7.00
Intro: Casa Fernandez is a company that flies under the radar quite a bit, but the make some pretty good cigars and it shouldn't be a surprise because they supply leaf for the likes of Illusione. Aganorsa isn't a particular type of tobacco, it's an acronym for Agricola Nortena S.A. which is the tobacco production part of Casa Fernandez. I've been keen on trying his one for a while, but just haven't found the right day. Today was that day.
Prelight: This cigar sports an oily brown wrapper with a reddish hue to it. The seams are tight and the cap neatly done. Features a double band and isn't flashy nor too simple, tasteful is the word that comes to mind. Slightly sweet, kinda spicey tobacco aroma coming off the wrapper. Felt a little loose when pinched, but it's box pressed and in my experience they seem to feel a little softer than a typical cigar. Severed the cap with my Palio and the draw was a little loose, but again this has been my experience with box pressed cigars. Cold draw had a slightly sweet, rich tobacco flavor. Was a little windy so I opened the shed, flipped the top on the Ronson, and went to work...
First Third: Initially there was a deep woody flavor and some spice. The wood exited the scene after about an inch leaving a graham cracker-like sweetness with some spice under a rich tobacco flavor. The burn was mostly straight, but didn't require any touch ups. Ash was a dark gray and while it looked a little fragile, held strong for about an inch at a time.
Second Third: Going into the second third the sweetness kicked it up a little, becoming more of a dark caramel. There were some hints of chocolate and a charred flavor here and there. The burn needed a few blasts from the Ronson here and there, but nothing major. The ash seemed a little less stable than before and crumbled into the ashtray instead of falling gracefully.
Last Third: Going into the last third the flavors became muttled a little, but were none-the-less delicious. Kind of a musty wood with some spice and a chocolate note thrown in for good measure every now and again. The burn in this last third was spot on.
Final Thoughts: Overall a pretty nice smoke. Didn't blow me away, but definitely a solid cigar. Expected a bit more pepper from it given the country of origin, but expectations were made to be broken right? I'd probably baulk at buying a box just because there's already quite a few cigars that I'm keen to get more of, but definitely something to keep on hand for when the mood strikes.
Dan
