Aganorsa Leaf Supreme Leaf Gran Robusto

Today, we review the Aganorsa Leaf Supreme Leaf in the Gran Robusto line. The Gran Robusto size is a 5 x 56 box-pressed offering offered as an exclusive cigar to Wooden Indian in Havertown, Pennsylvania. This cigar was created to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Wooden Indian. For many years, Aganorsa Leaf has been recognized for its exceptional tobaccos, and Supreme Leaf pays tribute to that legacy. Supreme Leaf is produced in small batches, with each batch available in a different size. The cigar is known for its bold and vibrant color scheme on both its band and box. Each released batch features a unique vitola and comes in a different size.

At the beginning of 2022, Aganorsa Leaf would release the fifth batch of its Aganorsa Leaf Supreme Leaf series. Over the years, Aganorsa Leaf (previously known as Casa Fernandez Cigars) has garnered a reputation for the ”leaf” (a.k.a. tobacco) it grows to be some of the best produced in the world. The Aganorsa Leaf Supreme Leaf pays homage to that reputation. Packaging-wise, the Supreme Leaf stands out because of its bold and vibrant color scheme on both its band and box. Each of the batches that have been released has been a single vitola and has been reached in a different size. Aganorsa Leaf released a 5 x 54 box-pressed Robusto for the fifth batch. It’s not the first Robusto released, as the original series was a slightly smaller 5 x 52 box-pressed Robusto. Today, we turn our attention to the 5 x 54 Robusto.

SPECIFICATIONS

The Aganorsa Leaf Supreme Leaf comprises 100% Nicaraguan tobacco from the Aganorsa farms. The blend is described as Corojo ’99 dominant. Production is handled at the company’s TABSA factory in Estelí, Nicaragua. The Gran Robusto comes in ten-count boxes, and an allocation of 500 boxes was produced.

Wrapper: Aganorsa (Nicaragua)
Binder: Aganorsa (Nicaragua)
Filler: Aganorsa (Nicaragua)
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Factory: Agricola Ganadera Norteña S.A.
Gran Robusto: 5 x 56

PERFORMANCE

The Supreme Leaf Gran Robusto opened up with notes of natural tobacco, orange rind, earth, wood, and black pepper. The natural tobacco notes went primary and the retro-hale delivered a combination of black pepper and earth. Later in the first third, the orange rind subsided. There was an increase in both the pepper and earth notes. Both notes closed in on the natural tobacco. Later, a bitter component emerged with the natural tobacco in the second third. The final third saw the bitterness increase. When the cigar experience of the Supreme Leaf Gran Robusto came to a close, the cigar had a soft and slightly lukewarm nub.

Throughout the smoking experience, the Supreme Leaf Gran Robusto delivered medium strength. The flavors started out medium-bodied but progressed to medium to full in the second third. The body maintained the edge over the strength. The draw had touches of resistance, making it ideal for my book. The burn was higher maintenance than preferred. The Supreme Leaf Gran Robusto saw the burn path meander several times and was also prone to some tunneling.

OVERALL ASSESSMENT

Final Thoughts

One thing I have noticed about the Aganorsa Leaf Supreme Leaf blend is that it performs better in some sizes than others. I was a fan of the original 5 x 52 size and that cigar placed on the 2021 Cigar of the Year Countdown. However, size matters. The 5 x 56 Gran Robusto size started out nice, then the flavors became ordinary, and then some bitterness threw off the balance. The burn didn’t help the score, either. In the end, while the Gran Robusto had its moments early on, I’d probably defer to another size of the Supreme Leaf. With the Aganorsa Leaf Supreme Leaf Gran Robusto, I might recommend you see if you can try a sample first.

Summary

Key Flavors: Natural Tobacco, Orange Rind, Earth, Wood, and Black Pepper
Burn: Very Good
Draw: Excellent
Complexity: Medium
Strength; Medium
Body: Medium (1st Half), Medium to Full (2nd Half)
Finish: Very Good