My wife and I both have head colds which means no sense of taste. I thought this a good opportunity to remind you of great every day, reasonably priced cigars while I read all the nice things that the cigar forums have to say about me…er…never mind.
I am feeling better and shortly will be leaving you on your own recognizance. The July 2023 madness of an old man will be birthed again.
The Aganorsa Guardian of the Farm Cerberus, while a bit more expensive than previously posted cigars, as of late, is still quite the deal when purchased from my beloved sponsors that laud gold and myrhh upon my doorstep.
I first posted this review in June 2022.
This was my #24 Cigar of 2022. Excellent cigar with great bang for the buck.
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo 2012
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Size: 6 x 44 Lonsdale
Strength: Full
Price: $9.50
I have allowed my cigars to marinate naked for 3 months.
BACKGROUND:
Released February 2022
Regular production ~ Boxes of 15
From Atlantic Cigar:
“Casa Fernandez and Warped Cigars have teamed up for a collaboration product called Guardian of the Farm between Max Fernandez of Casa Fernandez and Kyle Gellis of Warped Cigars. The name Cerberus comes from Greek mythology and refers to a mythical three-headed hound that stood watch at the gates of Hades. The blend consists of 100% Aganorsa Leaf tobacco grown in Nicaragua and features a Corojo 2012 wrapper. This is the first brand released in the Aganorsa Leaf portfolio to utilize the Corojo 2012 wrapper. The Corojo 2012 adds another level of complexity to Aganorsa Leaf’s signature flavor and aroma.”
SIZES AND PRICING (At least a buck less online):
6 x 44 Lonsdale $9.50
5 x 54 Robusto $9.98
6.25 x 54 Toro $10.50
SMELL THE GLOVE:
Lots of spina bifida aromas fill my nasal cavity…floral notes, graham cracker, lusciously creamy, black pepper, cedar, potent butterscotch, milk chocolate, café au lait, peanuts, and a pearl necklace gone bad.
The draw is a little tighter than I prefer, so out comes the PerfecDraw draw adjustment tool to perfect my preference. One swipe of the tool and air flows through the way I like it…uh-huh, uh-huh.
The cold draw presents flavors of caramel, graham cracker, cinnamon, raisins, dark cocoa, espresso, cedar, earthiness, and peanuts. Pretty much the standard aromas and flavors of a Nic puro.
THE WHOLE MEGILLAH:
“There is a fifth dimension, beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man’s fears and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area which we call The Twilight Zone.” ~ Rod Serling
I will say upfront that it is a newbie slayer with its full tilt strength.
Right off the bat, complexity is to be had in the first few puffs.
Some descriptions I read complained about the inconsistent burn. I smoked one last night and it had a perfect char line. This morning? I’m getting an uneven burn.
Flavors begin a frontal assault starting with a big brush across the canvas…There are sweet notes as in PB&J, caramel, creaminess, vanilla, espresso, and lots of malt.
The cigar’s strength starts at medium+. I expect the tornado warning siren by the second half. Never worried about tornadoes growing up in SoCal. But one does experience thousands of earthquakes. I hear it all the time from Wisconsinites…” Weren’t you afraid of the temblors?” Except for several devastating quakes, you grow up learning to ignore them and go on with your day.
A broader spectrum of the flavor wheel appears. But more importantly, the complexity spreads out to provide a very nice garden to gaze upon with your palate. I’m getting the ‘whole’ as well as very defined flavors. Nice.
By the end of the day, unless I smoke a spectacular blend, my palate is crispy and doesn’t pick up subtleties. Hence, this is the reason I review a cigar first thing in the morning with no food in my belly; or previous indulgence in the leaf snausages.
This morning’s cigar is much better than last night’s whack a mole.
The burn issue is minor and does not require touch ups. Remember, reviewers are spread all across this wonderful country. And each must deal with different climates…which do affect the way a cigar matures. Especially if one does the right thing and dry boxes a cigar for a couple of days.
The burn is slow and gentle…like when Charlotte took my virginity when I was 34.
So far, the stick is ultra-smooth. I like that. The full tilt strength is in abeyance.
Savory qualities such as charred meat, a mixture of herbs, and a raw cashew influence the balance nicely.
Sometimes, you get a surprise with a new cigar because it is complementary to one’s mood and expectations. The Cerberus is becoming my soul brother.
It’s taken 15 minutes to smoke 1-1/4”. Very good, Captain Nemo.
Now I feel bad for the exemplary reviewers that had a bad experience with this blend. Again, time and place is everything. Which exemplifies how mysterious an organic lit bratwurst affects us all differently.
The burn has self-corrected and is now dead nuts.
Strength is a smooth medium/full. I’m waiting for the second half when St. George slays the kohnhed with nicotine.
I’ve always wanted to become a saint…maybe St. Philly of Yucca Valley.
Flavors do not uproot themselves from previous descriptions. But the complexity and balance are movin’ on up.
The transitions are very clever and hide behind the shields of Achilles as it secretively grows with every puff. No jarring moves.
The finish is adrift with graham cracker, cashews, vanilla ice cream, malt, charred meat, and black pepper.
I should mention that the spiciness is in its perfect place for my palate. Just enough for that much needed kick in the arse; but never overwhelming or the destroyer of subtleties.
Unless the cigar explodes in my face, my reaction to this blend will be similar to the reviewers that liked it.
Construction is immaculate. No soft spots…allowing the stick to meander at its own pace. That is exactly how sex is with my dear wife of 71…except the meandering by both sides is due to joint pain. Most screeches are not of delight.
I love a Lonsdale or Lancero size. Flavors always feel tightly compacted and extraordinarily intense.
The Cerberus is cruising Whittier Blvd.
The cigar is still not full tilt as I hit the halfway mark at 40 minutes.
Clearly, there is some seriously aged tobacco innards.
Removing the giant cigar band is akin to me trying to remove a girl’s bra when I was 15. But back then, bras were welded shut by the girl’s parents. And they had so many hooks that the girl always had to lend a hand to the fumbling novice.
This is a delightful experience.
It is as if the blend is climbing a 20’-0 ladder with each successive puff.
I believe the cigar has hit the full-strength stratosphere as I begin to lose feeling in my testicles. But still as smooth as a baby’s tush. I use a defibrillator on my nads to force them back into my lap. It also helps with stopping the cat from playing with the low hanging fruit.
Just wait till you get to my age…you learn quickly to reassign your sack’s position before you sit down. Nothing worse than a single gonad turning into a butt plug.
The Cerberus is a gem. And thankfully they are regular production and sold at a very fair price point.
I had high anxiety going into this review as I didn’t want an experience that some reviewers endured.
If I could use only two words to describe the Cerberus, it would be ‘smooth’ and ‘delicious.’ With a serious construction that elongates the stick’s life into a slow hand timespan.
This would be a good full-strength cigar for newbies to experiment with.
Individual flavors meld into an eminent front.
I got my fiver from Atlantic Cigar and instead of paying the MSRP of $9.50 per cigar, it was only $8.55. This is a deal.
I stopped writing so I can finish the cigar without adding another 500 words to this review.
You can purchase this cigar in all its shapes from Small Batch Cigar (10% off with promo code ‘katman’), Luxury Cigar Club (15% off with promo code ‘katman’). and Atlantic Cigar (no promo code).
RATING: 92
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