Aganorsa Leaf TABSA review

There isn’t a lot of detail to be found on the tobaccos in this cigar. A Nicaraguan puro, this one I am reviewing is the “Bodhi” at 5.25″ x 50 a classic robusto. There are three other sizes, but overall this is the smallest of them. The “Dharam” is 6 x 50, the “Sunyata” is 6 x 60 (sheesh) and the Aficion is 6.5 x 48 which might be interesting.

TABSA stands for the Tabacos Valle de Jalapa S.A. factory in Estelí sold under the Casa Fernandez brand. There is also a “Connecticut” version that sports an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and fillers.

Having gone through most of a box of these now here is my review.

Unlit aroma: light mix of grass, hay, manure, barnyard

Cold draw: slightly salty, grass.

Construction: A+. Wrapper a light brown, mostly smooth, tiny veins. Great draw, smoke output, burn line. Not a densly packed cigar but even. Well made!
I should note I count a good smoke output highly as also a nice medium draw that does not vary (usually to “tighten up”) through the cigar. This stick comes through on both counts.

Flavors: light leather, barnyard, vegetal, and a little roasted nut and sweet wood. No transition, a bit more sweetness comes up from time to time. One dimensional, but what is there is sweet and almost complex except that all of the notes are very light. Sweetness fades a bit in the second half leaving more vegetal grassy, and some cedar flavors. Taste disappears entirely in the last inch. The cigar starts out light, but by the end has reached a medium strength.

If this was a $4 cigar I would say it was great! At least the equal of the new HOYO la Amistad, even a little bit sweeter. Alas it came to me for $6.40 and while the cigar’s construction merits that price, the flavors, in my opinion, do not. The cigar is not bad by any means, but there isn’t enough there for me at that price.

I tried this cigar with various rums, but they all tend to overwhelm the stick. It does pair very well with coffee however. So a good morning cigar complimented by its light-to-medium transition.

There are those in the cigar universe who want to try every Aganorsa leaf cigar that comes along. If you are one of those, put yourself down for a 5 pack or two, you will like it.