AGANORSA Leaf Aniversario Maduro Gran Robusto

This year marks the third consecutive year that AGANORSA Leaf has released an Aniversario Maduro, but the company decided to make a change to the release that would seem to answer the requests of its fans: make it a regular production line.

“The Aniversario Maduro blend was a massive hit the last two years and there was great demand for this cigar to return to the market,” said Terence Reilly, vp of sales and marketing for AGANORSA Leaf, in a press release “Between the gorgeous presentation and the quality of the blend, we feel Aniversario Maduro will become one of our best sellers now that it will be consistently available. We encourage our retail partners to make sure to stop by our booth at PCA to ensure you have access to this amazing cigar”.

As for the blend, it remains the same, a Nicaraguan puro that uses a shade-grown maduro wrapper. But also changing for the 2022 release is the packaging, or at least the colors. Instead of white being the primary color, it is now black, a change made to help differentiate it from the AGANORSA Leaf Aniversario Corojo, which uses white bands. The change is part of a larger ongoing update to the company’s packaging, which began in 2018 with the changing the name of the company from Casa Fernandez to AGNAORSA Leaf and has continued into this year.

• Casa Fernández Aniversario Cuba 109 Maduro (6 1/4 x 54) — August 2020 — 250 Boxes of 10 Cigars (2,500 Total Cigars)
• AGANORSA Leaf Aniversario Maduro Short Churchill (5 3/8 x 48) — November 2021 — 1,000 Boxes of 10 Cigars (10,000 Total Cigars)
• AGANORSA Leaf Aniversario Maduro Toro (6 x 54)  — November 2021— 1,500 Boxes of 10 Cigars (15,000 Total Cigars)
• AGANORSA Leaf Aniversario Maduro Perfecto (6 1/4 x 52) — December 2021 — 500 Boxes of 10 Cigars (5,000 Total Cigars)*
• AGANORSA Leaf Aniversario Maduro Gran Robusto (5 x 54) — August 2022 — Regular Production
• AGANORSA Leaf Aniversario Maduro Toro (6 1/4 x 52) — August 2022 — Regular Production
• AGANORSA Leaf Aniversario Maduro Gran Toro (6 x 58) — August 2022 — Regular Production

*Not pictured.

The AGANORSA Leaf Aniversario Maduro began shipping in August to retailers that ordered the cigar at the 2022 PCA Convention & Trade Show, while retailers that did not attend the show will be able to order the cigar in December.

• Cigar Reviewed: AGANORSA Leaf Aniversario Maduro Gran Robusto
• Country of Origin: Nicaragua
• Factory: Agricola Ganadera Norteña S.A.
• Wrapper: Nicaragua (Shade Grown Maduro)
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Nicaragua
• Length: 5 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 54
• Vitola: Gran Robusto
• MSRP: $13.50 (Box of 10, $135)
• Release Date: August 2022
• Number of Cigars Released: Regular Production
• Number of Cigars Smoked For Review: 3

When I saw that I was reviewing a gran robusto vitola, for some reason my mind went to some long, beefy cigar, and as such I overlooked it among the cigars I’m scheduled to review. On a second pass, I found it, and let’s just say I was relieved that it wasn’t as much cigar as I initially thought. In fact, with its size and the amount of decoration on it, there’s not a lot of the cigar visible. Portions of the upper half peak out behind the primary band, while the upper three-quarters of an inch around the head is completely exposed. Even covered up, the dark color scheme of the bands works well with what I can see of the wrapper, while the off-white covering of the foot provides some visual contrast. Closer inspection reveals a well-rolled cigar from top to bottom. Where there are issues is with the heads of the cigars, some nitpicking revealing some interesting cuts to create the head, with one cigar’s head not just not laying completely flat, but actively sticking up and creating a tent effect. The cigar has a bit of give to it, not too different from what I find with box-pressed cigars in that it is reminiscent of a firm pillow. There is a denser core here, and I go back-and-forth in my mind as to whether these are box-pressed which it is, just not at sharply as others. The foot has a mild aroma that makes me think of chocolate chips or chocolate syrup, though more precisely something that has one of those things as a leading component. It’s not quite a mocha or chocolate chip cookie, and in one cigar it is so light as to be a light drizzle on some vanilla ice cream. After that, there is some light, dry earth along with dry tobacco and then something contributing a bit of floral fragrance to the finish. Only one cigar has an appreciable level of pepper. The cold draw has a near-ideal airflow, and with it comes a bit more of that mystery chocolate flavor, though it quickly moves past it to a similar yet lighter version of the menu that was featured in the aroma, with the earth and tobacco now complemented by some lumber.

The AGANORSA Leaf Aniversario Maduro Gran Robusto starts with more wood in its profile than I was anticipating or would expect from an AGANORSA Leaf blend, let alone one with maduro in its name. There are some flirts with kettle chips, dry earth and a light dusting of pepper, which while not an intense combination does have a lingering finish. The first retrohales are right in the middle of the intensity scale, strengthened by black pepper and softened by creaminess. From there, the flavor shifts towards a combination that reminds me of a very dry latte, with a bit of mouth-drying happening in the process. There’s a building pepper in the retrohales that starts appearing as the section gets ready to hand things off to the second third. What I will say about this is that the prevalence of creaminess in this section seems to be an indicator of how good the cigar will be, as it is not only good on its own but serves as a binder and common thread for everything else quite well. The first third finishes just a tick over medium, while body is medium-plus and strength is mild. Combustion and construction are both very good, with a slightly uneven burn line my only complaint.

There’s a bit of fluffiness developing in the texture of the smoke as the second third starts, having me thinking of more creaminess at first—and as a default response for such changes—but the more I experience it, the less that seems applicable. More of the dry wood joins the profile, as does a bit of white pepper, while the dry latte flavor from earlier is mostly gone. One cigar takes the flavor of a slightly different direction, almost taking on a warm pastry flavor, one I really want to call an eclair with an espresso on the side, though it’s just not quite that rich or sweet. After these puffs, the flavor takes on some aspects of cocoa powder, a shift that seems a natural result of the hints of chocolate from the first third and the textural change of the second third. The smoke gets a bit more textured around the midpoint thanks to some black pepper and ever-so-slightly rocky earth. This brings about a slightly different physical sensation than the mouth-drying sensation than earlier, though they’re not too far apart. Retrohales get just a bit sharper as this section comes to a close, providing a more direct and pointed sensation rather than an overall tingle. Flavor is now medium-plus, body is medium-plus, and strength is just shy of medium. Combustion is very good, and other than an uneven burn line, construction is fantastic.

A touch of peanut flavor joins the profile as the final third gets underway as a very subtle accent note, which allows the overall profile to stick its toe into a new area of the flavor wheel. There is still a decent amount of black pepper, while the earthiness is still dry and not venturing into a heavier expression. The dry woodiness comes and goes but isn’t consistent across the samples, while the creaminess occasionally departs for a stretch of puffs, eventually returning. What is gone is the complexity and richness that the second third showed, which falls somewhere between very good and excellent looking at it in hindsight. That’s not to say that the complexity is completely gone, as the final third does a remarkably good job about keeping the flavors together and cohesive, doing so by continuing to lean on a creamy and earthy base to drive the cigar. Retrohales are still peppery and on occasion can be a bit on the hot side, but for the most part they are subdued and more of an accent. The cigar finishes on a more robust medium-plus level than it has thus far, while body is medium-plus and strength is just barely scratching medium. Construction and combustion remain excellent, and the burn line issues have resolved themselves with much assistance.

Final Notes

• I find it interesting when the cigars smoked for a review have similar construction issues, and in the case of the AGANORSA Leaf Aniversario Maduro Gran Robusto, it was the burn line becoming uneven in the second third.

• I try not to make a big deal out of every imperfection that I see on a cigar, but the way this cap looks has to be photographed. How this leaves the factory is beyond me.
• I feel like with the right angle and lighting, I could probably see a bit of filler under that raised cap.
• It was also the cap that had the most contrast to the rest of the cigar. The other two cigars that I smoked were fairly uniform in color; this one had several shades of difference, enough that it could be marketed with a different cap so as to impart a unique flavor.
• Charlie Minato covered AGANORSA Leaf’s booth at the PCA 2022 Convention & Trade Show, where the new Aniversario Maduro line was on display.
• I did not pick up any significant strength from the AGANORSA Leaf Aniversario Maduro Gran Robusto
• AGANORSA Leaf advertises on halfwheel.
• The cigars for this review were purchased by halfwheel.
• Final smoking time was two hours on average.
• Site sponsors Atlantic Cigar Co. Corona Cigar Co. and Famous Smoke Shop carry the AGANORSA Leaf Aniversario Maduro Gran Robusto.