At the 2017 IPCPR Trade Show, Cornelius & Anthony Cigars unveiled two new cigars that essentially would round out the company’s portfolio. One cigar was the Cornelius & Anthony Aerial – which became Cornelius & Anthony’s first Connecticut Shade cigar. The second cigar was Cornelius & Anthony Señor Esugars – the company’s first Maduro offering. With Señor Esugars, it is a project described as a “passion project” by company owner Steven Bailey. Bailey had been wanting to deliver a San Andres Maduro blend to market and he worked closely with Hector Alfonso and the La Zona factory in order to bring the final product to market. In terms of the name, Señor Esugars translates to “Mr. Sugars” and it is a nickname Bailey had given to his dog Oscar. Today we take a closer look at the Cornelius & Anthony Señor Esugars in the Robusto size.

Cornelius & Anthony is the premium cigar division of Bailey’s Virginia-based tobacco company, S & M Brands. The Bailey family has been growing tobacco for over 150 years. The Cornelius & Anthony name is derived from Cornelius Bailey, Steven Bailey’s great-great-grandfather and the first member of the Bailey family to farm tobacco. It is also derived from Steven Bailey’s middle name, which is Anthony. Five of the six of the company’s lines come out of the La Zona factory. The one exception is the Cornelius line – which is being produced in the United States at the El Titan de Bronze factory in Little Havana.

Without further ado, let’s break down the Cornelius & Anthony Señor Esugars Robusto and see what this cigar brings to the table.

Blend Profile

In addition to the San Andres wrapper,  Señor Esugar features a binder from the United States and an all-Nicaraguan filler. Details of the U.S. binder have not been disclosed. Both Señor Esugars and the Aerial use a U.S. tobacco leaf for the binder.

Wrapper: San Andres Mexican
Binder: United States
Filler: Nicaraguan
Country of Origin: Nicaragua (La Zona)

Vitolas Available

The Cornelius & Anthony Señor Esugars is available in four sizes. Each size is available in 20-count boxes.

Corona Gorda: 5 1/2 x 46
Robusto: 5 x 50
Toro: 6 x 50
Gordo: 6 x 60

Appearance

The San Andres wrapper of the Cornelius & Anthony Señor Esugars Robusto was quite dark, as it had a roasted espresso bean color. Upon closer examination, some subtle mottling could be seen on the surface. There was a light amount of oil on the wrapper. The dark color of the wrapper did a good job at hiding the wrapper seams. While not as rugged as other San Andres Maduro wrappers, there still were some visible veins.

There are two bands to the Cornelius & Anthony Señor Esugars. The primary band is the same one found across other Cornelius & Anthony lines. The band is gray in color with white trim. Prominently displayed on the front of the band is the large white and gold interlocking “CA” logo. Above the logo are two gray ribbon designs trimmed in gold. One ribbon has the text “CORNELIUS” and the other has the text “& ANTHONY” – both in gold font. Below the “CA” logo is the text “EST 1866” in small, gold font. There are also some gold adornments on the front of the band. On both the left and right side of the band are a series of white, gold, and gray stripe patterns.

The secondary band sits just below the primary one. It is black with white pinstripes near the top and bottom. In between the pinstripes is the text “SEÑOR ESUGARS” in white font.

Preparation for the Cigar Experience

I commenced my smoking experience with the Cornelius & Anthony Señor Esugars Robusto by placing a straight cut to remove the cap. After clipping the cap, I moved on to the pre-light draw ritual. The cold draw delivered a mix of coffee and leather notes as well as a slight cedar component. Overal,l I considered this to be a satisfactory pre-light experience. At this point, I was ready to light up the Señor Esugars Robusto and see what the smoking experience would have in store.

Flavor Profile

The Cornelius & Anthony Señor Esugars Robusto started out with a mix of sweet mocha, cedar, black pepper, and mineral notes. The mocha notes were a combination of coffee and chocolate components joined at the hip and it was the chocolate component which provided the sweetness. It didn’t take long for the sweet mocha notes to become the primary component. Meanwhile, there was a combination of black pepper and cedar on the retro-hale.

Later in the first third, some dried fruit notes emerged. By the second third, I found the dried fruit occasionally popped into the forefront with the mocha notes. I found the younger the cigar, the more prominent this dried fruit was (the samples here have been stored for about 90 days). Meanwhile, the cedar and pepper notes remained secondary while the mineral component was more distant and would eventually dissipate.

By the last third, I found the mocha note split into separate coffee and chocolate components. The coffee notes remained primary with some occasional earthy notes mixed in. Meanwhile, the cedar and pepper remained close secondary notes. The chocolate and dried fruit were more distant, but still provided some sweetness. This is the way the Cornelius Anthony Señor Esugars Robusto came to a close. The resulting nub was cool in temperature and slightly soft to the touch.

Burn and Draw

Burn-wise, the  Señor Esugars Robusto maintained a straight burn path from start to finish. The burn line had some jaggedness, and at times it did warrant a few extra touch-ups. The resulting ash had a light gray color. This was an ash that was definitely on the firmer side. The burn rate and burn temperature were ideal throughout the smoking experience.

The draw to the Señor Esugars Robusto was a little more open than I prefer. I was surprised by this because I found this cigar had a decent pack of tobacco to the roll. Despite the openness, there were no other adverse effects. The cigar maintained an ideal burn rate and ideal burn temperature. Most importantly, it was easy to derive flavor from this cigar.

Strength and Body 

In terms of strength and body, I found the Cornelius & Anthony Señor Esugars Robusto to start out medium to full. Both attributes slightly increased in intensity, but neither got out of medium to full territory. I found that the strength and body balanced each other nicely throughout the cigar experience with neither attribute overshadowing the other.

Final Thoughts

If there’s one thing I tend to harp on when it comes to San Andres wrapped cigars is that I find that wrapper can be pungent and/or overpowering. While I realize many people enjoy a San Andres wrapped cigar, I think when a San Andres wrapper allows the other tobaccos to be highlighted, it’s a better cigar. Typically, I’ve found that when these other tobaccos are allowed to be showcased, it tends to result in a more dialed-back smoke. What I loved about the Cornelius & Anthony Señor Esugars Robusto is that it wasn’t pungent, it clearly showcased the other tobaccos, and it still had enough kick to keep me satisfied. While it didn’t undergo radical flavor transitions, there were still plenty of flavor nuances to keep me interested. The Señor Esugars Robusto is a cigar I’d recommend for an experienced cigar enthusiast, but it’s also a nice one for a novice to “graduate” to something in the medium plus range. As for myself, this is a cigar I’d smoke again and buy multiples for my humidor.

Summary

Key Flavors: Mocha, Dried Fruit, Cedar, Pepper, Mineral
Burn: Excellent
Draw: Very Good
Complexity: Medium
Strength: Medium to Full
Body: Medium to Full
Finish: Good

Rating

Value: Buy Multiples
Score: 91

References

News: Cornelius & Anthony to Launch Señor Esugars at 2017 IPCPR Trade Show
Price: $9.75
Source: Cornelius & Anthony
Brand Reference: Cornelius & Anthony

Photo Credits: Cigar Coop