In July of this year, AGANORSA began shipping the AGANORSA Leaf Arsenio. The Arsenio is a cigar named after Arsenio Ramos. Ramos was a longtime blender for Casa Fernandez, now AGANORSA Leaf. Before that, Arsenio worked 40yrs in Cubatabaco. Terence Reilly, Vice President of Aganorsa Leaf, credits Arsenio for much of Aganorsa’s signature flavor and aroma. Arsenio has had a few Casa Fernandez cigar lines with his name on them; however, this is Aganorsa Leaf’s tribute cigar to Arsenio Ramos.
OVERVIEW
VITOLA: Toro
SIZE: 6″ x 52
ORIGIN: Nicaragua
FACTORY: Aganorsa
WRAPPER: Nicaraguan Corojo
BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER: Nicaraguan
STRENGTH: Medium – Full
SOURCE:
Small Batch Cigar
ENVIRONMENT
WHERE:
Studio/Lounge
WHEN:
August 3 @2pm
DRINKS:
Bottled Water
WEATHER:
70° & 70%RH
HOW MANY CIGARS SMOKED:
3
PRODUCTION
RELEASE TYPE Limited
ORIGINALLY RELEASE DATE July 2024
TOTAL PRODUCTION
Typical Box Size: Boxes of 15
Production Totals: [2,000 boxes of Toro & Robusto. 1,500 boxes of Corona
VITOLA BREAKDOWN
o Toro (6″ x 52)
o Robusto (5-1/4″ x 54)
o Corona (6″ x 44)
BAND DESIGN
The band is blue and gold. It’s gorgeous in ita simplicity. The back of the band features what appears to be Arsenio Ramos’ signature and the Aganorsa Leaf logo. The front of the ban pays tribute to Arsenio Ramos by having a profile of the man with a cigar in his mouth.
PRE-LIGHT OBSERVATIONS
CONSTRUCTION
The Arsenio is expertly triple capped. The shade of the Corojo wrapper is somewhere between caramel and milk chocolate, with maybe a hint of red. The Corojo wrapper has some tooth to it, but is smooth to the touch. A few veins are visible but overall, the Arsenio is a beautiful looking cigar.
AROMA
Subtle notes of wood and barnyard come off the Arsenio wrapper. The foot has notes of sweet tobacco, fig, and barnyard.
COLD DRAW
The cold draw reminds of freshly cut grass and barnyard. There is a subtle spice that seems to linger a bit. Maybe like cinnamon raisin bread? The draw, for its part, is fantastic. It has just the right amount of resistance on each cigar smoked for this review.
SMOKING EXPERIENCE
LIGHT & DRAW
Cut: Le Petit by Les Fines Lames
Fire: The Bar Single Flame Torch Lighter by Peter James
The initial light is spicier than expected. Notes of caramel, baking spices, red pepper, and cayenne come through. Big blasts of black pepper and baking spices on the retrohale. A sweetness lingers on my palate. A bright fruity note comes through…it reminds me of cherry.
SMOKE
The smoke is so satisfying. It’s creamy and coats my palate with each draw.
FIRST THIRD
>> Caramel, Salted Nuts, Fruit, Black Pepper
The Arsenio gets your attention immediately. It begins with notes of wood, caramel, baking spices, leather, with hints of red pepper and a fruity sweetness. Black pepper rules the retrohale. The pepper notes gently claw at the back of my throat. Sweet cream and honey notes join the complexity of flavors. Wood is the dominant flavor but the others play in the background, adding depth to the experience. Salted nuts and fruit are easy to pick out now. The burn line is a bit wavy, but self corrects with each puff. The ash is almost white and compact, with a few loose pieces here and there. The Arsenio has become a very smooth smoke. Creamy, salty, a little sweet, woodsy, with just the right amount of pepper. The ash begins to lose some of its cohesion, so I gently deposit the ash in the tray.
SECOND THIRD
>> Coffee, Baking Spices, Cherry Wood, White Pepper
The middle third begins with the caramel note deepening to a rich coffee note. Baking spices and charred wood join in. The retrohale softens to a white pepper. Walnuts and fruit add their voices to the chorus. Sweetness lingers on my palate. The smoke is still very creamy. The bright fruit note deepens, reminding of cherry wood. There is a slight vegetal note coming through now. The Arsenio is complex and nuanced, so far. Medium to medium+ bodied and full of flavor. The ash has a few flakes to it, but my shirt remains ash free. The burn is less than razor sharp, but not concerning. Coffee, leather, baking spices, nuts, and white pepper. Quality dark chocolate lingers on my palate.
FINAL THIRD
>> Espresso Baking Spices, Mushroom, Black Pepper
Espresso, funky mushroom, caramel, wood, and baking spices kick off the final third. Black pepper returns to the retrohale. The bright fruit note also returns, cutting through the rich earthy notes. There is a musty note of mushroom that is playing well with a note of cream. The smoke remains creamy, but these flavor notes are much more pronounced than before. Full bodied and full flavor are now on display. The Arsenio has certainly ramped up for this final third. The burn is still less than razor sharp, but no matter. There are a few tiny flakes spattered about the ashtray and my shirt. But the ash is still mostly compact. Salted nuts, espresso, and caramel dominate this final third. Red pepper flake tingles my tongue. The caramel sweetness morphs into an almost milk chocolate sweetness.
RATING & FINAL THOUGHTS
FLAVOR PROGRESSION
I’m trying my best to remember the last time a cigar truly impressed me with its flavor progression. The Arsenio does just that. The flavors melt into one another and are very balanced: never too bitter, too savory, or too sweet. The Arsenio strikes the right chord with each draw. Notes of caramel, wood, fruit, and pepper seem to effortlessly transform into rich notes of coffee, mushroom, charred wood, and baking spices. The Arsenio will not get boring.
BURN EXPERIENCE
My experience with the burn on the Arsenio is a bit dubious. The burn was always less than sharps. At times, it was downright crooked. Now, to its credit, the Arsenio always corrected itself. I did not pick up the lighter after each cigar was initially lit. So, there’s that. I seem to be saying this often but…does the burn of the cigar really affect my experience? I guess it does since I notice it.
RATING BREAKDOWN
0.76 / 0.80 … Craft & Aesthetic
0.48 / 0.50 … Pre-Light Characteristics
0.50 / 0.50 … Lighting Process
7.04 / 7.70 … Smoking Experience
0.47 / 0.50 … Personal Enjoyment
COMPLIMENTS & CRITIQUES
- From box to band to wrapper, the Arsenio has a gorgeous presentation.
- The flavor profile is wonderfully complex and nuanced.
- The burn was less than straight on each cigar smoked for this review.
ARSENIO WOULD BE PROUD.
I never had an opportunity to talk with Arsenio Ramos. Sadly, he passed in September of 2018…the same year I began my cigar journey. AGANORSA Leaf was on my radar at that time though. Largely because I had an interview/cut & light with Terence Reilly. It was that interview that prompted me to pursue the podcast and subsequently led to this website and these reviews…but I digress. The Arsenio hits all the right notes for me: salty, fruity, savory, peppery and all without being too “in your face.” It is a very smooth smoke that won’t leave you bored. It is complex and nuanced enough for aficionados and enthusiasts, and smooth enough to be approachable. AGANORSA Leaf pays tribute to a titan with one hell of a cigar named in his honor.
