Wrapper: Nicaraguan ( 2006 Corojo sun-grown at Aganorsa)
Binder: Nicaraguan (Aganorsa)
Filler: Nicaraguan (Aganorsa)
Size: 5 x 52 “Robusto-Box Pressed”
Body: Medium/Full
Price: $7.50

Today we take a look at the Casa Fernandez Aganorsa Leaf Natural. I’ve reviewed the Maduro version but Andrew at SBC caught that I had left this stick out.

Strangely, the Casa Fernandez web site seems to have been jettisoned from the “internets.” I can’t find it. Which way did they go? Which way did they go?

The stick comes in three sizes: Robusto (5 x 52), Toro (6 x 54) and Torpedo (6.5 x 52).

The stick is solid with some mottling of the wrapper. No soft spots. It has a “soft” box press. Seams are tight. Lots and lots of veins. The triple cap is sloppy. The color of the wrapper varies from stick to stick.

But picking an average cigar; it is a medium brown with a slight red in it and lots of oil. It feels smooth as silk.

I clip the cap and find aromas of sweetness, toffee, spice, earthiness, powdered sugar, and cedar.
Time to light up.

For such a small stick, it feels heavy hanging from my slack jaw. Right away that sweetness moves to the forefront and I betcha a dollar it hits flavor bomb status in the first 5 minutes.

After two minutes of smoke time, an avalanche of flavors descends on the unaware Katman: Creaminess, caramel, rich earthiness, graham cracker, nuts, cedar, cocoa, coffee, fruit, and leather.

The strength begins at classic medium body.

There is so much smoke coming from this burning bush that I am having trouble chomping on it….smoke completely clouds my vision and burns my nose. So yes, I am dainty and fragile.

It’s hard not to be a CF fan. They put out such good blends. And for the most part, keep the prices reasonable. I just reviewed the Casa Fernández Aniversario Serie 2014 Ares that just came out this summer.

$12.50 everywhere except SBC….$8.10 after discount. NOW-That was a great cigar!

I man up and put the cigar back into the Chomp position. Little whimpers and cries are emitting from my giant open maw but no one is here to see it so who cares?

Jimi on the cable classic radio channel: “Foxy Lady” Had to stop to crank it my babies.

I was right. I am 5 minutes in and the Casa Fernandez Aganorsa Leaf Natural is a flavor bomb. Its greatest strengths are the caramel and the creaminess and cocoa.

The ash is a tough little bugger and wants to stay right where it is. I shall trust in the Cosmic Muffin on this one. But I shall utter blasphemy if it falls into my lap or the keyboard.

The big storm that hit the Great Plains yesterday has landed in the Midwest. Thunderstorms and the Wrath of God are happening as I write this review.

And the char line is a winner. Dead nuts perfect.

Complexity kicks in. I have gas and the dog gets up and walks away.

Having reviewed the Casa Fernandez Aganorsa Leaf Natural and the Casa Fernández Aniversario Serie 2014 Ares so close together it gives me some real perspective about the growth of the company.

I don’t know what year the Casa Fernandez Aganorsa Leaf Natural came out (I’m guessing 2011) but it’s been a few years. This is one of the best $5+ cigars out there. But the Casa Fernández Aniversario Serie 2014 Ares is incredibly more sophisticated which might justify the horrible $12.50 price tag.

@$$##%+&%$#@$%^^%$# The ash falls into my lap! Cocky S.O.B.

Here are the flavors as the second third begins: Caramel, creaminess, earthiness, sweetness, chocolate, coffee, cedar, raisins, leather, powdered sugar, and black cherry.

Based on that description, this was the beginnings of the Casa Fernández Aniversario Serie 2014 Ares…which amplified those flavors into a super duper flavor profile.

Both cigar blends used the Aganorsa leaves. But much improved on the Casa Fernández Aniversario Serie 2014 Ares.

Don’t get me wrong, I am digging the Casa Fernandez Aganorsa Leaf Natural big time. It has everything you could want in a flavor profile. Especially for this price point. The Casa Fernandez Aganorsa Leaf Natural is so rich you might get gout from it.

Only now does some black pepper show itself.

The flavor profile gets ridiculous now. The caramel is like the real thing. Ever wonder where that caramel element comes from? I do and have no idea. How can some green leaf that turns brown carry the caramel gene?
The powdered sugar flavor moves up the list and becomes strong and candy-like.

As I said earlier, the Aganorsa leaf must be driving the bus on the powdered sugar element.

I am at the halfway point now.

Oh lord, they are playing Buffalo Springfield. You gotta be an oldster like me to remember those guys. Great players came from that band: Richie Furay, Stephen Stills, Neil Young, Dewey Martin, Bruce Palmer, Jim Messina, Ken Koblun, and Jim Fielder.

It was the very first concert I went to in early 1966. Just got my driver’s license and there was this place in Anaheim across from Disneyland called Melodyland. It was a theater in the round. Skip and I got front row seats for $3.50.

Back then, they were always big bills. 5-8 bands would play. BS came on last.
It was my first exposure to loud music.
BS had their first hit with “Nowadays Clancy Can’t Even Sing” and then followed quickly by “For What It’s Worth” by Stephen Stills.

No changes to the flavor profile. It is running in fifth gear and just cruising overflowing with magnificent flavors.

The strength remains at medium body.

For the most, Casa Fernandez cigars are very consistent. One reason they are so popular. Eduardo Fernández is a master blender attributed to the massive growth of Aganorsa tobacco. Fernández considers himself more a farmer than a blender but clearly he does both well.

He was partnered up with Pepin Garcia but you can’t put two brilliant guys in the same room for too long and the partnership broke up in 2010. A lawsuit ensued.

Fernández has been blending cigars since 1997..giving him a nice long time to get it right.

The Illusione Epernay Le Taureau uses Aganorsa tobacco. Cigar Aficionado’s 2012 Top 3 cigar for the year.

Fernández broadened his business in 2002 when he bought Tropical Tobacco from Pedro Martín. That is the business name for Casa Fernandez.

Back to the Casa Fernandez Aganorsa Leaf Natural. I’ve been stalling because this cigar is so jam packed it has taken 60 minutes to get to the halfway point.

The last third begins.

One last time for the flavor profile: Creaminess, caramel, earthiness, powdered sugar, chocolate, black cherry, coffee, raisins, cedar, and leather.

I’ve now invested 1 hour 20 minutes.

Well, I can say this…you get your money’s worth. I expect another 20 minutes at least.

The strength pushes to medium/full. And nicotine appears for the first time.

My daughter, Katie used to embarrass the shit out of me when she was in grade school. We would go to parents/teacher nights and the teacher always made a beeline for me. “So you were in Eric Clapton’s band?”
What?
That’s what Katie told everyone year after year no matter how many times I told her that was not true. I never even met the man. But she would correct me and tell me I did.
I saw Star Fucker in the women teacher’s eyes when they believed Katie’s story. And after being told the truth, I could see their face fall and go back to “So you’re Katie’s dad?”

The Casa Fernandez Aganorsa Leaf Natural is flaming with flavor. I can’t get over it. This blend is so close to being like the Casa Fernández Aniversario Serie 2014 Ares that it seems ludicrous. Knowing what I do now, I would go for the Casa Fernandez Aganorsa Leaf Natural and the Casa Fernández Aniversario Serie 2014 Ares as a treat to myself.

In order to keep this review from being 2000 words, I take a break and just look out the window and smoke.
An hour and 45 minutes, the cigar finishes. No harshness or heat.

For the price, you can’t beat it. $5.40.

Categories: CIGAR REVIEWS

Tags: Casa Fernandez Aganorsa Leaf Natural Cigar Review, cigar review, cigar reviews by the katman, cigars