Pre-light Experience

The majority of the Aganorsa Leaf Signature Series Robusto is covered pre-light as there are two bands that are white, gray and gold. The first band has the company name while the secondary strip band denotes the line. Just below the second band is a gold foil sleeve that runs the length of the cigar and folds over the foot. After sliding the sleeve off, the medium brown wrapper with a network of fine, slightly raised veins is revealed. The seams are smooth and hardly visible while the head is finished off with a well applied triple cap. The aroma from the wrapper is leather, hay and a faint white pepper while the foot brings wood, hay and a bit more white pepper. The pre-light draw is a match with the aroma from the wrapper except for more white pepper and a decent spiciness on my lips and tongue.

First Third

The cigar begins with a combination of cedar and a general wood note along with some cinnamon and a slight cream. At a quarter inch in, a slight citrus joins the profile. At a half inch in, the cinnamon becomes very light and there is a dull black pepper on the very long finish. At an inch in, the cream picks up a bit as the combination of a general wood note and cedar remain up front. The retrohale is a bit black pepper forward with some citrus and cedar mixed behind it. As the third comes to a close, the cedar takes over the general wood note as the cream and citrus note are slightly behind. The cinnamon has dropped out but the long dull black pepper finish remains. The strength in this third was slightly below medium.

Second Third

As the second third begins, the cream drops out while the cedar remains up front. The citrus is in the background as the black pepper joins it and is not just on the finish. At a half inch in, the cedar has morphed to oak as the black pepper has taken over the citrus note and a slight cream has returned to the profile. The retrohale has black pepper up front with the oak slightly behind. At an inch in, a slight char joins the oak. The retrohale has the slightly charred oak just a bit ahead of the black pepper. The strength in this third remained at slightly below medium.

Final Third

As the final third begins, the cigar heats up a bit, bringing a brightness to the oak while a slight amount of cream and black pepper remain. At a quarter inch in, the heat has subsided and the oak goes back to the slightly charred profile. At three quarters of an inch in, the heat builds up again and the oak is now more of a pine while the other flavors are masked. As the cigar comes to a close, the heat mellows out while the pine note remains, but a fair amount of cream is now present. The retrohale carries the same profile. The strength in this third bumped up to medium.

Burn

The burn line was slightly wavy the whole way. The ash held on through each third.

Draw

The draw was slightly tighter than I prefer but didn’t cause any issues with the smoking experience.

Overall

The first third started off well with some general wood and cedar along with some cinnamon, cream and black pepper. The second third was focused around oak while the final third heated up and moved to a pine note. Strength only built up to medium and the construction was pretty good. Overall, the Aganorsa Leaf Signature Series Robusto was an average experience as the cigar dropped in enjoyment as it went along. I was hoping for something a bit more special from this line but it didn’t materialize. I’m not sure I’d return to this cigar as there are better offerings at the price point. For those that are fans of Aganorsa tobacco, it’s worth a try to see what your thoughts are.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.50

Cost/Point

$1.78

Scoring System

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