AGANORSA Leaf Aniversario Maduro Gran Robusto

AGANORSA Leaf

• 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
• Original Score: 91

In the span of 25 months, this blend went through two different names, two different factories, and three different packaging iterations. That is not normal. To date, there have been seven different vitolas of this blend, and we have reviewed three of them. The lowest score amongst those three reviews: 90. That is also not normal.

What was once known as the Casa Fernández Aniversario Maduro—debuting as a 2,500-cigar limited edition release made in Miami—is now known as the AGANORSA Leaf Aniversario Maduro, offered in three regular production sizes made in Nicaragua. Throughout all of it, the blend has remained a Nicaraguan puro, capped off by AGANORSA’s shade-grown maduro wrapper, a prized leaf for the company. Between the all-Nicaraguan blend, dark wrapper, black bands and AGANORSA’s reputation, no one should be punished for expecting a brash and heavy cigar, but that’s not what we found in this slightly thicker robusto vitola. It’s more medium than full, though there’s a laundry list of flavors to keep you entertained. While the journey to get to this point has been rather peculiar, at the end of the day, as long as the cigar is good, it’s difficult to complain. Given its position on this list, there’s no reason to start now. — Charlie Minato.