JC Newman

July 20, 2019

Aganorsa Leaf Signature Selection Maduro Belicoso (6 1/4 x 52)









Video review HERE.



(Description taken from Cigar-Coop.com website.)
Aganorsa Leaf has debuted a maduro offering under its Aganorsa Leaf Signature line. While Aganorsa Leaf has done madras before, this will mark the first time it is using one one of its Agrnorsa farm corojo leaves as a maduro wrapper for one of its releases.

The Aganorsa Leaf Signature incorporates tobaccos found in the original Aganorsa Leaf signature covered by a proprietary Shade Grown Corojo Maduro Leaf. The wrapper was selected from higher primings of Corojo 99 Cuban seed grown on the Aganorsa Leaf farms in Jalapa, Nicaragua under shade. The leaf was then naturally cured for a long period of time to produce a maduro wrapper.

In a press release announcing the Aganorsa Leaf Signature Maduro, Eduardo Fernandez commented, “This has been a long dream of Aganorsa going back 20 years to grow and naturally ferment a maduro cover leaf from our best fields in Nicaragua. It is in honor of Arsenio Ramos and a testament to his guidance and knowledge that we are finally able to introduce a Cuban seed Corojo Maduro leaf under shade in Jalapa for the cigar lovers of Nicaraguan leaf.

Max Fernandez added, “You will not find a Nicaraguan Puro Maduro that tastes like this one. We take pride in curing our Aganorsa Leaf grown on our best farms to use in cigars layered in balanced flavor and complexity. We chose this Shade Grown Corojo Maduro for our Signature brand because it is a rare leaf that matches the pleasant sweetness of our filler tobaccos.”

“This wrapper is a game changer for us and will grow our already stellar reputation for creating incredible cigars that possess a signature flavor and aroma impossible to duplicate,” commented Terence Reilly, Vice President of Sales and Marketing.


Vitolas available:
Robusto (5 x 52)
Toro (6 x 52)
Corona Gorda (6 x 44)
Belicoso/109 Head (6 1/4 x 52) REVIEWED TODAY

Available in 20 count boxes. 
Pricing ranges from $9.99 to $10.99.



The cigar is a darker shade of brown but not as dark as most maduros on the market. It has a dense feel in the hand.





The test draw after cutting the belicoso cap was very good. the initial flavors at light up were not like a typical maduro. They were a citrus/cedar with hints of apple, brown sugar, cinnamon, caramel, cocoa, and a light black coffee. There was black pepper rated at 7 to 7 1/2. At the outset the lingering black pepper is very nice. 




The cigar is burning very slowly. At the first third (45 minutes) the cigar is getting more of a chocolate flavor but the high amounts of caramel and nutmeg keep it from being so chocolaty. The lead front flavor is now more of a cedar with only hints of the apple flavor. There is still a light black coffee base that is rather unnoticeable. The finish is caramel with light chocolate notes and a touch of nutmeg with a nice amount of lingering black pepper. There is not quite as much lingering black pepper as the cigar started but it's still a nice amount. The cigar is a high grade medium bodied. The cigar is quite tasty at this point. It's not your typical maduro cigar. I rated the first third at 94.




At the second third (1 hour 26 minutes) the flavors have changed a bit. There is hardly any cedar as the lead flavor and there is no apple note any longer. The cigar has much more chocolate flavor. The nutmeg and caramel notes have decreased. And, the black coffee notes have increased. The overall sweetness in the cigar has decreased. The cigar is medium to full bodied. The finish is a creamy nutmeg and chocolate with a good amount of lingering black pepper. I rated the second third at 91.




The cigar lasted an amazing 1 hour 58 minutes. The cigar continued to turn dark. It reached a very full bodied in the final third. There are a lot of chocolate and black coffee notes. There are hints of caramel and an average amount of nutmeg. There are no cedar notes any longer. At this point the cigar is an average maduro cigar. I am a huge fan of Aganorsa Leaf cigars and the original Signature Selection belicoso was my number 5 cigar of 2018. But this is a different animal. The cigar started off really good and dropped off all along the way. I rated the final third at 89.


Overall Score: 91.33

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