Rarely have I gotten to evaluate…or is it validate?…a cigar like this. And that will be the end of the dad jokes in this review…if Terence is reading this I hope he appreciates the effort.
Anyway…the Rare Leaf was first released about 3 years ago as a cigar that would be relegated to special retail partners who were part of their Select Program. The Maduro version first started showing up in reviews about 1 year ago, but I do not remember seeing any at my local Aganorsa purveyor until this summer. While the blend makeup doesn’t get terribly specific, its focus is on Criollo 98 tobaccos, grown in Nicaragua. To that end it has dual Nicaraguan binders, as well as fillers grown in Esteli and Jalapa. This Maduro version has a Mexican San Andrés wrapper…which is to be expected since Aganorsa has some financial interest in the Turrent family growing operation in Mexico.
The aroma from the very oily, very dark wrapper was a mix of earth, espresso bean, leather, and dark, dark chocolate. The foot had a riper earthiness, along with a bit of a vegetal note and a little grassiness. The cold draw had just about the perfect amount of resistance along with flavors of dark chocolate, espresso bean, and red pepper flakes.
Right out of the box, this hit me as a full-bodied flavor powerhouse. I got espresso and leather, anise and cocoa powder, black and red pepper on the palate and lips. I was almost afraid to retrohale it because it started off so full, but when I did, it was very nutty with leathery overtones. It didn’t take very many minutes of smoking the Rare Leaf Maduro before deciding that I liked it better than the original version. If you are looking for a full-bodied Maduro, this is an excellent one to try.
