Pre-light Experience

There is a lot going on visually with the Aganorsa Leaf Casa Fernandez Aniversario Cuban 109 Maduro as there is a parchment paper like wrap that goes from the band down and covers the foot and has the company logo on it in gold. The band is the traditional Anniversario design in white with silver text and artwork. The cigar itself has a milk chocolate brown wrapper with some visible and slightly raised veins. The seams are easily visible as they are slightly raised as well. The head is a 109 style with the caps lifting a bit and the foot is covered with excess wrapper folded over. The aroma from the wrapper is cocoa, damp earth and wood while the covered foot brings the same, along with some added pepper. The pre-light draw brings a slightly sweet and spicy cedar.

Pre-light Experience

The Aganorsa Leaf Casa Fernandez Aniversario Cuban 109 Maduro is toothy and coarse in texture. It sports medium to large veins throughout and it has a solid maduro coloring. Nice dark chocolate color. I like the soft press that comes with the cigar. With that, the cigar has an aroma of rich earth, cocoa, leather, coffee and tobacco.

Pre-light Experience

The Aganorsa Leaf Casa Fernandez Aniversario Cuban 109 Maduro has a large embossed paper wrap with gold Aganorsa Leaf that covers roughly 80% of the cigar. Removing the wrap reveals a dark chocolate color wrapper along with a closed foot. The aromas from the cigar are a mossy sweetness with light, aged wood. Since the foot is closed, I wasn’t able to pick out anything distinct from the foot.

Pre-light Experience

Pulling off the sleeve, the Aganorsa Leaf Casa Fernandez Aniversario Cuban 109 Maduro, true to the name, has a maduro wrapper shade. Veins are well pressed, seams tight, bunch and roll even and the unique flattened torpedo head is well wrapped. Aromas from the wrapper tell cedar, dry barnyard and hay. Aromas from the foot gives a punch of white pepper spice and barnyard. Cold draw reveals cedar and hay.

First Third

The cigar begins with an even mix of wood, earth and black pepper. At a half inch in, the black pepper moves slightly behind the other components. The retrohale is a mix of wood, black pepper and light mustiness. At an inch and a quarter, the black pepper moves a bit further back and the overall profile is becoming a bit dry. At an inch and a half, some light mustiness joins the profile. The strength in this third was right at medium.

First Third

The first third has a nice start and it is delivering some raisin, tobacco, dry cocoa and red pepper spice qualities. I am getting some cedar and oak following that, and there is a soft finish of currants. It is medium-full in strength and body, and it is a nice start to the cigar.

First Third

The cigar opens with sweet toasted wood, and delayed spices coming through on the post draw. Baking spices and mild cocoa join the retrohale after a few puffs. The spices intensify to medium, almost medium-full as the first third settles in. There is a toasted character underlying the flavor medley. By the 20 minute mark, the toasted character has fallen to a background note, replaced by a molasses sweetness. I didn’t note notice any other flavor changes through the remainder of the first third.

First Third

Starting off with the initial draw, there’s a no doubt sharp and harshness to the profile. Charred wood is front and center with trailing seeded red pepper spice lodged in the rear palate. There’s a small amount of cocoa to the profile, but I have to dig a bit far to find that. Retrohaling gives increased red pepper spice, but the best part of it is the harshness isn’t tasted at all. Strength is medium-full, body medium.

Second Third

As the second third begins, the wood and earth remain even up front while the pepper and mustiness are in the background. The retrohale is now a mix of wood, earth, mustiness and faint black pepper. As the third comes to a close, the wood gains a slight char and remains even with the earth while the pepper and mustiness are in the background. The profile is fairly dry at this point. The strength remains at medium.

Second Third

The second third shows a lot of the same flavors from the first third and I am picking up some cocoa, leather, raisins and earth. It is not as rich in this third, dryer overall, but still solid. Like before, the cigar is smoking at a medium-full level for strength and body.

Second Third

Sweet baking spices and graham cracker make up the retrohale going into the second third. Mild wood joins on the post draw. There is no further evolution for the remainder of the second third.

Second Third

The second third tapers back the abundance of sharpness and harshness. Although still there, I get more of the cocoa notes. The finish is less offensive, as the red pepper spice is no longer heavy on the rear palate. Strength and body is unchanged at medium plus and medium, respectively.

Final Third

As the final third begins, the earth takes a slight lead over the lightly charred wood. The retrohale is now musty and lightly charred wood. At an inch in, the black pepper has departed. As the cigar wraps up, the profile is very dry earth up front with the charred wood right behind and mustiness in the background. The strength in this third bumped up to slightly above medium.

Final Third

The final third delivers a profile that is similar to the second third, but also showing some diminishing qualities. The earth notes are slightly harsher in this third, I am getting some ash and mineral qualities, and it is paired with some spice and cocoa. The currant and raisin quality is gone, and so are the oak notes. It is still smoking at a medium-full level for strength and body.

Final Third

A molasses-like sweetness with toasted wood define the last third. The post draw takes on an earth flavor as the last third settles in. I didn’t note any additional flavor changes through the last third.

Final Third

The final third shows more steady improvements. Although the sharpness and harshness of charred wood is still present, I now get a creamier chocolate and leather with less offensive red pepper spice. Strength and body is unchanged at medium plus and medium.

Burn

The burn line was a bit wavy at times, but never needed any attention. The ash held on inch and a half increments.

Burn

The burn was good throughout. This wrapper does not burn well in my opinion, so I don’t think you will ever get a great burn with any of their Corojo Maduro.

Burn

The burn was straight through the review, with the ash holding on up to one inch at times. I did observe that the ash had a fair amount of flakiness to it.

Burn

Burn performance was great aside from a couple mishaps: a complete re-light within the second third, and a couple touch-ups due to an uneven burn.

Draw

The draw was slightly tight through the middle of the cigar, but didn’t cause any issues with the smoking experience.

Overall

The cigar had a fairly average profile through the first two thirds where it was focused around wood, earth and black pepper. Things dropped down a bit in the final third as the profile became quite dry and the earth took a lead in the profile. I feel the profile of the Aganorsa Leaf Casa Fernandez Aniversario Cuban 109 Maduro needs something else to elevate it a bit, whether that be some sweetness or creaminess to battle the earthiness and dryness. This is a fantastically packaged cigar, but the flavor profile is a bit lacking. I don’t really see myself coming back to this one.

Draw

Draw was lovely, perfect amount of resistance throughout.

Overall

I have been disappointed with so many of the Corojo Maduro releases. I don’t think the company has found the blend that goes well with the wrapper, and I think the wrapper still needs time. It has a powerful flavor profile, the Corojo Maduro, and it seems to overwhelm the palate. Because of that, I never found that the Aganorsa Leaf Casa Fernandez Aniversario Cuban 109 Maduro really produced anything or grew into a good cigar. I know they want to make it the focus, but I would love to see how it could be used so it is not as prominent. Rough year for AGANORSA.

Draw

The draw had a minor amount of resistance to it, roughly 1-1/2 to 2 notches.

Overall

The Aganorsa Leaf Casa Fernandez Aniversario Cuban 109 Maduro was a pleasant cigar experience, with the greatest complexity coming in the first third. Given the price point and the presentation of the cigar, I was expecting at least more complexity through the second third. We’ve done a fair number of reviews coming from Aganorsa Leaf this year and nothing has really stood out or made much of an impression through 2020. I would smoke this cigar again, although I might sit on it for a few months in the faint hope that the profile improves through aging. Construction is excellent, with a generous smoking time of 2 hours and 14 minutes.

Draw

The draw was perfect, giving the ideal air flow.

Overall

MAGA: Make Aganorsa Great Again. This is, I believe, the third or fourth Aganorsa made 2020 release smoked for review. And within these reviews, there’s a consistent theme amongst them all: they are all unbalanced, sharp or harsh. The Aganorsa Leaf Casa Fernandez Aniversario Cuban 109 Maduro is no different. From the onset, the cigar sets a tone of harshness and sharpness in charred wood. Although I like the vast majority of the Aniversario series, this is one I will skip.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.15

Cost/Point

$2.54

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

5.75

Cost/Point

$2.28

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

5.95

Cost/Point

$2.20

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

5.65

Cost/Point

$2.32

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Aganorsa Leaf Casa Fernandez Aniversario Cuban 109 Maduro