New Cuba Superior Toro by Aganorsa Leaf

Today, we review the New Cuba Superior by Aganorsa Leaf. The New Cuba Superior is an extension of the New Cuba brand, which dates back to when Aganorsa Leaf was known as Casa Fernandez. While the original New Cuba cigars were mixed-filler bundle cigars, the New Cuba Superior extends the brand by adding a longer-filler, more premium offering. The New Cuba Superior debuted at the 2023 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show.

New Cuba Superior was meant to fill a gap in the Aganorsa Leaf portfolio – namely, an offering for novice cigar enthusiasts. When the cigar was announced, Terence Reilly, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, said, “We wanted to create a premium brand that was attractive in appearance, approachable in flavor, and affordable in price. Most of our portfolio is too intense for beginners or those who simply prefer a mild smoke. New Cuba Superior was crafted to satisfy this segment of the market.”

Let’s break down the New Cuba Superior Toro without further ado and see what this cigar brings to the table.

New Cuba Superior Toro by Aganorsa Leaf – Cigar Review

SPECIFICATIONS

Blend and Origin

The New Cuba Superior features an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper. The remainder of the tobacco is all Nicaraguan and grown on Aganorsa farms.

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut
Binder: Nicaraguan (Aganorsa Farms)
Filler: Nicaraguan (Aganorsa Farms)
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Factory: Agricola Ganadera Norteña S.A.

Vitolas Offered

The New Cuba Superior is a regular production cigar line available in four sizes, each in 25-count boxes.

Robusto: 5 x 50
Corona: 5 1/2 x 44
Toro: 6 x 50
Titan: 6 x 60

Appearance (*)

The Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper of the New Cuba Superior Toro is what I would term a darker Connecticut Shade wrapper. It is pretty much a medium shade of brown. There was a light sheen of oil on the surface of the wrapper. There were some visible wrapper seams and thin visible veins.

PERFORMANCE

Pre-Light Draw (*)

A straight cut removed the cigar cap before lighting up the New Cuba Superior Toro. Once the cap of the cigar was detached it was on to the pre-light draw phase. Once I started the pre-light draw, I was thrown for a loop – the New Cuba Superior had a sweetened cap. The sweetness was more prominent in one of the three samples smoked than in the others. The sweetened cap had a classic artificial sweetener flavor. At the same time, I did pick up some wood and tingly spice. Overall, I am not a fan of sweetened caps, but I will say that the sweetness of the two samples that had less sweetness was not overpowering. With the pre-light draw completed, it was time to toast up the footer of the New Cuba Superior Toro and move into the smoking phase.

Tasting Notes

Out of the gate, I did get a residual sweetness from the sweetened cap of the New World Superior Toro. The residual sweetness was quite prominent during the early part of the smoking experience. At the same time, vanilla, earth, and black pepper notes emerged. The vanilla note was natural and not tied to the sweetened cap. As the cigar experience progressed through the first third, the vanilla notes moved into the forefront with the residual sweetness from the cap. Meanwhile, the retro-hale delivered layers of wood and cedar.

The second third of the New World Superior Toro saw the residual sweetness remain in the forefront. The residual cap sweetness and vanilla began to decrease while the earth notes increased. Once into the second half, the earth note moved into the forefront—the vanilla, pepper, and residual cap sweetness round out the flavor profile.

The final third saw the earth notes remain grounded in the forefront. The black pepper began to increase and became the most prominent note. Some black pepper was also mixed in with the retro-hale. Meanwhile, residual cap sweetness and vanilla were present. As the smoking experience of the New World Cuba Superior Toro came to a close, the cigar finished with a soft, cool nub.

Burn

While the New World Cuba Superior Toro had a relatively straight line and could maintain a relatively straight burn path, it needed frequent touch-ups to do so. The resulting ash was firm, nearly white. As for the burn rate and burn temperature, both maintained ideal levels.

Burn of the New Cuba Superior Toro

Draw

The draw of the New Cuba Superior Toro scored nicely. There was a draw a touch of resistance to it. There was just enough resistance for my liking. At the same time, this was a low-maintenance cigar from which to derive flavor.

Strength and Body

The New Cuba Superior Toro started out mild to medium in strength and medium-bodied flavors. There wasn’t much increase in strength. The body had a nominal increase, but in the end, the New World Superior remained mild to medium in strength and medium-bodied. The body maintained a slight edge throughout the smoking experience when looking at strength versus body.

BANDING AND PACKAGING NOTES (*)

While I would say it’s an unattractive cigar, the New Cuba Superior is dressed up nicely by the packaging. The red, gold, blue, and white band is simple, but it works with this cigar. It’s a modification of the original New Cuba band with a smaller Cuban flag on the band. The wrap-style boxes always work for me, and they give this cigar more of a classic presentation.

Packaging of the New Cuba Superior (Titan size shown)

OVERALL ASSESSMENT

Final Thoughts

As I mentioned above, the sweetened cap was a bit of a surprise for me. I didn’t remember hearing about this when New Cuba Superior was announced. In the end, I don’t think the sweetened cap helped this cigar, and in many ways, it overpowered some of the other flavors early on. These other flavors were quite good and would have shined better without the sweetened cap. This isn’t a knock on Aganorsa Leaf, as I understand a milder, sweetened cap cigar is good for the novice. In the end, despite the sweetened cap, I enjoyed this cigar. This was a nice surprise. Just under $8.00, it has a nice price point. It’s a cigar I would recommend to any cigar enthusiast. As for myself, I would buy and smoke this cigar again.

Summary

Key Flavors: Sweetened Cap, Vanilla, Earth, Pepper, Wood, Cedar
Burn: Very Good
Draw: Excellent
Complexity: Medium Minus
Strength: Mild to Medium
Body: Medium
Finish: Good