Feature Story: Spotlight on Aganorsa Leaf at the 2018 IPCPR

It was a different name and a different approach for the company formally known as Casa Fernandez at this year’s IPCPR. The company unveiled its new name Aganorsa Leaf. At the same time, the company started to implement its new branding and showcased a couple of new releases.

Aganorsa is an acronym for Agricola Ganadera Norteña S.A.- the Fernandez family’s growing operation in Nicaragua that grows its signature tobacco. This tobacco is used in the company’s own brands as well as other brands. The operation has a reputation for producing some of the best Nicaraguan tobaccos in the business. Over the years, it has been used in the branding of some Casa Fernandez products. Since the company considers the tobaccos it grows as a major differentiator in the marketplace, they opted to now make it the company name. As for the Casa Fernandez line, it will still exist on many of the brands the company makes.

Prior to the IPCPR Trade Show, Aganorsa Leaf announced one new cigar line, the Aganorsa Leaf Signature and one line extension, the Casa Fernandez Aniversario Perfecto. This is a change from the past where most of the company’s releases were unveiled at the show. According to new company Senior Vice President Terence Reilly, the change was made to generate interest and excitement to get people to the booth.

Aganorsa Leaf’s new line is the Aganorsa Signature. This was a project spearheaded by Eduardo Fernandez and his son Max. The Aganorsa Leaf Signature Selection is a Nicaraguan puro utilizing the company’s signature Aganorsa farm tobaccos. The wrapper utilizes a Jalapa grown Rosado Claro Corojo ’99 wrapper. The binder and filler consist of Aganorsa grown Corojo ’99 and Criollo ’98 tobaccos from Jalapa and Estelí. The filler also utilizes a half a leaf of the rare high priming Medio Tiempo the Aganorsa farms are known for.

The Aganorsa Leaf Signature is available in four sizes presented in 25-count boxes. The sizes include a Robusto (5 x 52), Toro (6 x 52), Belicoso (6 1/4 x 52), and a Corona Gorda (6 x 44). The Belicoso will feature a Cuban style 109 cap while the Corona Gorda will have a butterfly cap. Production for 2018 is limited to 500 25-count boxes per size. This line is already shipping to retailers.

The Casa Fernandez Aniversario Perfecto is the fifth size released in the Aniversario line – and first new addition since 2015. The Aniversario Perfecto features 100% Nicaraguan tobacco grown on the Aganorsa farms. The cigar features a Corojo ’99 wrapper over binder and fillers from the Jalapa and Estelí regions. The perfecto is a 6 1/4 x 52 perfecto offering rolled at the company’s Miami, Florida factory. Production is being limited to 250 ten-count boxes. This cigar is already shipping to retailers.

The Buena Cosecha line underwent a major packaging change – aligning it with the company’s strategy around tying it into the Aganorsa Leaf name.

Buena Cosecha Corojo is Spanish for “Good Harvest Corojo”. It’s a blend of Aganorsa farm Corojo ’99 and Criollo ’98 tobaccos highlighted by a Corojo ’99 wrapper. It’s a blend produced at the company’s SABOR (Sabor Aganorsa S.A) in Jalapa. Casa Fernandez acquired this factory a little over a year ago.

The cigar is offered in three sizes: Robusto (5 x 50), Toro (6 x 50), and Torpedo (6 1/4 x 54). Each size is presented in 20-count boxes.

Two years ago, Aganorsa Leaf released the Aganorsa Leaf TABSA Connecticut, the company’s first regular Connecticut Shade offering. It now gets a slight name change with the cigar now being known as Aganorsa Leaf Connecticut. Like Buena Cosecha, the packaging for Aganorsa Leaf Connecticut also is now aligning with the overall company strategy. This is a box-pressed Connecticut Shade offering over Nicaraguan binder and filler.