Typically, the vitola or size of a cigar influences the taste. A robusto, for example, will almost always be bolder with a more punchy flavor than something in a bigger size. There are exceptions, of course, but that’s the general idea.
So, usually, when you go with a bigger size cigar, you’re sacrificing some of that flavor, and if you like spice and pepper — a bit of a kick — you might lose some of that, too. That can be a good thing for cigar enthusiasts who like a more mellow or relaxing cigar. For others, that’s not so good, because you’re losing some of that peppery experience. The same can also be true of certain sizes, like Lanceros, which is a skinnier ring gauge. You’re trading away power and flavor complexity.
However, there’s one brand in particular where all of this goes out the window. Aganorsa. They blend their cigars to size and it doesn’t matter how big they are. You get the same experience across an entire label, which is frankly incredible.
Understanding the implications of blending to size and its importance requires considering how most cigars are crafted.
Here’s why it matters that Aganorsa blends to size
Cigars are made using all tobacco leaves. Tobacco leaves form the filler or center, thicker tobacco makes up the binder, and then the wrapper, on the outside, is also, you guessed it, tobacco. Naturally, the blend is influenced by the types of tobacco leaves used in a cigar. Changing up the type of leaf — like Maduro versus Connecticut or San Andrés — changes the flavor and the experience. But that’s also true of the rest of the tobacco used in a cigar, including the filler.
The more filler that’s packed inside the core, the tighter the cigar, the better it burns — typically — and the better the experience for the smoker. That’s why cigars that have loose filler tend to burn improperly or tunnel.
Larger cigars often have a looser draw when compared to their smaller counterparts. That’s because more tobacco has to be packed in to accommodate the extra space, which often results in more air. You could also infer that’s why the flavor or “kick” tends to suffer. There are more gaps inside, albeit small and barely noticeable, but it’s still enough to change the smoking experience.
Aganorsa does not do this when crafting its larger cigars. Instead, they blend to size, making sure that there’s always enough tobacco filler to accommodate the larger surface area. More importantly, they test the blends in the bigger sizes to make sure you’re getting almost exactly the same experience as you would when smoking a smaller variant. You have the same experience no matter what size you’re smoking.
When you’re looking at a massive cigar, like the JFR Lunatic Maduro, The Size That Shall Not Be Named, which is a 100 ring gauge, you’d expect a much more mellow blend and a different experience. That’s not the case with what Aganorsa makes.
Aganorsa is one of few brands that does this
Source: Aganorsa Leaf
Every time you smoke an Aganorsa, you can rest assured that you’re getting the best possible experience for that vitola. It doesn’t matter how big you go, you lunatic, you’re in for one hell of a smoke.
That might sound like an endorsement or a veiled advertisement, but it’s not. Sometimes, what you experience with one brand is remarkably different from what you’ll experience with another, and it’s important to call that out.
Briley has over 16 years in the publishing and content marketing business. He's been writing about cigars for nearly half that in various forms. What makes him a tour de force is he also smokes them.
Source: Jon Tyson / Unsplash
Source: Aganorsa Leaf
