Agarnorsa Leaf introduced the Rare Leaf Reserve line back in 2021 and is now adding to it with the brand new blend, Rare Leaf Reserve Maduro. The core of the line holds true with Nicaraguan based binders and fillers but they introduce a beautiful Mexican San Andres wrapper on the Maduro version. Rare Leaf Reserve is a line that was developed for the Aganorsa Select retailers to offer something special and a little more exclusive for those accounts that have really put in the time to support Aganorsa Leaf.
Under the Lid
- Wrapper: Mexican San Andres
- Binder: Nicaragua
- Filler: Nicaragua
- Vitola: 6 x 54 Toro $13.99 (box of 15, $209.85)
- Factory: Agricola Ganadera Nortena S.A
- Release Date: May 2023
- Number of Cigars Released: Regular Production
- Number of cigars smoked for this review: 3
The Rare Leaf Reserve Maduro is wrapped in a beautiful rich chocolaty wrapper that is a bit rustic and bumpy. There is a nice oily sheen to the wrapper and a couple of samples have a few little color inconsistencies and water marks. The veins are slightly protruding and the wrapper seams are relatively tight, and the cap is on solidly.
The wrapper gives off aromas of musty manure and barnyard and one sample reminds me of a dirty sock, while the foot offers a similar experience with a light bit of pepper bite that makes me want to sneeze a bit. The cold draw offers a nice stewed fruit sweetness alongside some mild barnyard
Performance Notes:
First third: The Rare Leaf Reserve Maduro opened up with black pepper and spice, stewed fruit sweetness, leather, earth, and a mild mineral note. The smoke production is great and filled the palate with every puff. The finish is medium and didn’t linger too long on the palate with a mild woodiness. As the first third developed the spice and sweetness settled into the background and the core flavor notes of earth, leather and oak intermingle on the palate each taking their turn being the star of the show. Also the finish starts to linger a bit more as this third develops and continues. The retrohale stays consistent throughout offering an extra depth of woodiness and pepper spice. As this third comes to a close a faint citrus note appears every few puffs and balances out things well. Overall I find the smoke mouthwatering and I feel like there isn’t a need to reach for water often.
Second third: The second third brings forth a wonderful transition into creamy milk chocolate with that mild stewed fruit sweetness playing off of eachother, and still with a nice amount of earth and leather holding strong on the palate creating a balanced rich profile. The citrus note lingers a bit alongside the woodiness on the longer finish. Throughout the second third the chocolate note comes in and out during puffs interchanging itself with the earth and leather, while that mild sweetness stays in the background holding consistent through the smoking experience. The retrohale still offers an extra depth of flavor in woodiness and pepper spice.
Final third: The final third brings in a bit of a muddling with the flavors especially with the earth and leather it becomes a bit harder to distinguish between them and the spice comes foreward a bit. The mineral note reappears a bit more often in the background and the sweetness is only there on the occasional puff. The oak notes transition into a bit more of a charred oak and damp earth. Luckily the profile stays relatively balanced but the occasional puff becomes a bit hot and muddled. The retrohale really keeps the profile together offering that consistent oak and pepper spice layer that differs from what is experienced on the palate.
Core flavor notes were Chocolate, earth, oak, black pepper spice, and a mild stewed fruit sweetness.
- Strength: Medium +
- Body: Medium +
- Complexity: Medium +
Smokin Experience:
The draw for two of the three samples were on point with just that perfect slight amount of resistence to create a slower smoking experience but one sample was just slightly too tight to start but opened up after the first third. Two of the three samples burned nearly perfectly with no touchups or relights needed, but one sample required a few extra touchups but no relights. Overall the cigar really shined in offering fun transitions between each third and kept me intrigued with the cigar the entire time. Unfortunately the final third offered a bit of muddling of the complexity but it was still enjoyable and more often then not I could still pull out distinguishing notes.
Purchase Recommendation:
I would suggest a fiver but for folks who like a dark rich cigar go straight to a box
Smokin Facts:
- Its been two years since the Rare Leaf Reserve line has added a new blend
- There is a Belicoso and Robusto offering in the Maduro version
- The original Rare Leafe Reserve was a Nicaraguan Puro while the maduro offers a Mexican San Andres Wrapper
Smokin Wrap
Cigars Smoked for Review: Three
Average smoking time: 1 hour and 50 minutes
