Rare Leaf Reserve Maduro Belicoso

In February 2021, AGANORSA Leaf began shipping a new blend named Rare Leaf Reserve that was created to focus on Nicaraguan criollo tobaccos. The blend of the three-vitola line is made up of a wrapper grown in Jalapa covering dual criollo 98 binders taken from two different farms, as well as a filler made up of both criollo 98 and corojo 99 tobaccos.

A little more than two years later, the company released a follow-up to the Rare Leaf Reserve line featuring a noticeably different blend. Carrying the appropriate name of Rare Leaf Reserve Maduro, the newest incarnation incorporates a Mexican San Andrés wrapper that covers dual Nicaraguan binders as well as filler tobaccos grown in the Estelí and Jalapa regions of Nicaragua.

“When we launched Rare Leaf in 2021, the idea was to provide our retail partners who make the commitment to our Aganorsa Select Program with a special blend they would have exclusivity on,” said Terence Reilly, vp of sales and marketing, in a press release. “Due to the success of the original release and our Aganorsa Select retail partners’ enthusiasm for it, we are adding Rare Leaf Maduro, a truly powerful expression of Aganorsa tobacco and one I haven’t experienced before. This blend will make you sit up and pay attention while smoking or, as we say at Aganorsa, validating.”

The AGANORSA Leaf Rare Leaf Reserve Maduro debuted in three different vitolas:

• AGANORSA Leaf Rare Leaf Reserve Maduro Belicoso (6 x 52)
• AGANORSA Leaf Rare Leaf Reserve Maduro Robusto (5 1/4 x 52)
• AGANORSA Leaf Rare Leaf Reserve Maduro Toro (6 x 54)

As is the case with the original line, the Rare Leaf Reserve Maduro cigars are being rolled at the Agricola Ganadera Norteña S.A. factory, and the first shipment of boxes from the latter line was shipped exclusively to AGANORSA Leaf Select retail partners in May.

• Cigar Reviewed: Rare Leaf Reserve Maduro Belicoso
• Country of Origin: Nicaragua
• Factory: Agricola Ganadera Norteña S.A.
• Wrapper: Mexico (San Andrés)
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Nicaragua
• Length: 6 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 52
• Vitola: Belicoso
• MSRP: $14.50 (Box of 15, $217.50)
• Release Date: May 2023
• Number of Cigars Released: Regular Production
• Number of Cigars Smoked For Review: 3

While all three of the Rare Leaf Reserve Maduro Belicosos have very similar physical characteristics—including smooth-to-the-touch milk chocolate wrappers that feature plenty of oil and very few overt veins—the aromas from those wrappers have some differences. Two of the cigars smell of sweet earthiness, tobacco leaves, generic wood, barnyard, coffee beans and leather, but the final cigar smells strongly of sweet cloves and earth, followed by dark chocolate, anise, lemongrass and cedar. Scents from all three feet are more in line with one another and include a strong almond scent followed by more cedar, earth, leather tack, sourdough bread and milk chocolate sweetness. Finally, after a Dickman cut, the cold draws include creamy cedar, salted cashews, dry straw, licorice sweetness, saltine crackers, gritty earth and vanilla bean sweetness.

A combination of light spice and black pepper combined with a strong earthiness starts the Rare Leaf Reserve Maduro off after lighting the foot, but after a short time, a distinct creamy almond flavor takes over at the top of the profile. Additional notes include leather tack, cedar, brewed coffee, cocoa nibs and light lemongrass, while a combination of obvious black pepper and less obvious brown sugar sweetness is present on the retrohale. Flavor ends the first third firmly at medium, while the body and strength both hit a point just under the medium mark. In terms of construction, there are no issues whatsoever so far: the draws are excellent, there is more than ample amounts of thick, gray smoke and the burn lines avoid any problems.

The strong almond flavor easily remains at the top of the profile for all three cigars in the second third, but my second cigar features a bit of a metallic bitterness on the finish that is strong enough to affect the overall balance well past the halfway point. Secondary flavors include coffee beans, wet hay, gritty earth, cedar and lemongrass, while the amount of black pepper and brown sugar sweetness has changed very little. Flavor bumps up to medium-plus, strength ends at a point just over medium and the body is at solid medium. Construction-wise, the draws and smoke production continue down their excellent paths, and while two of the three cigars feature great burn lines, my second cigar runs into enough an issue that necessitates a couple of minor corrections with my lighter to keep on track.

The almond flavor is joined at the top by a coffee bean note during the entirety of the final third of the Rare Leaf Reserve Maduro Belicoso. That combination is followed by additional flavors of gritty earth, toasted bread, cedar, dark chocolate, leather tack and a fleeting clove note. There are some changes on the retrohale, as a lighter black pepper note makes way for a new floral sweetness that combines nicely with the rest of the profile. Flavor ends the cigar just under the full mark, body remains at solid medium and the strength increases to medium-plus. Finally, all three aspects of the construction are once again working in harmony, and I have no problems at all when it comes to the burn lines, draws or smoke production for all three cigars before I put the nubs down with an inch remaining.

Final Notes

• I also happened to review one of the original Rare Leaf Reserve cigars, and while I enjoyed this Maduro version a bit more, both are extremely good cigars. The original version does take a bit longer to hit its stride than the Maduro incarnation, while the Maduro blend featured slightly better construction overall.
• While both blends use the Robusto (5 1/4 x 52) and Toro (6 x 54) vitolas, this box-pressed 6 x 52 belicoso is not offered in the original line. Conversely, the original blend features two sizes that are not offered in the Rare Leaf Reserve Maduro.
• I am absolutely in love with the combination of the color scheme and the design that is used on the bands for this line.
• While it is not part of either Rare Leaf Reserve lines, AGANORSA Leaf had one of the most talked about releases at the 2023 PCA Convention & Trade show: the JFR Lunatic Maduro 10 x 100.
• This is a fairly slow-burning cigar for its size and ring gauge, as evidenced by the fact that the average smoking time for all three cigars was two hours and nine minutes.
• AGANORSA Leaf advertises on halfwheel.
• The cigars smoked for this review were purchased by halfwheel.
• If you would like to purchase any of the Rare Leaf Reserve Maduro Belicosos, site sponsors Atlantic Cigar Co. and Famous Smoke Shop have them for sale on its website, while Cigar Hustler and Corona Cigar Co. have the other two sizes in stock.