My Weekend Cigar: Arganese Connecticut Ambassador & Maduro Chairman Robusto
This weekend I had the luxury of smoking two cigars, both from Arganese. If you've haven't yet smoked Arganese Cigars, maybe you've at least seen some of their risqué ad campaigns; one even made it to the "Headlines" segment on The Tonight Show. Created by real-estate mogul, Gene Arganese, the brand debuted last year in a big variety of blends, all which are handmade in the Dominican Republic.
I received these samples shortly after learning that Arganese cigars will be soon be available at Famous Smoke Shop in the Connecticut, Maduro and Nicaraguan blends.
The first thing that impressed me about both cigars was the quality and color of the wrapper leaves and the overall construction. Both were well-packed, clipped perfectly, and lit evenly. I also had no draw or burn problems.
I started with the 5" x 50 Arganese Maduro Chairman Robusto. The wrapper is a dark, oily Brazilian Mata Fina that encases a full-bodied blend of Dominican filler with an Indonesian binder. The pre-light taste was rife with a "sweet tobacco" flavor. Once lit, the aroma was also pleasantly sweet. The smoke was creamy and full-bodied with dark tobacco flavors and a peppery kick on the finish. During the journey I noted some hints of coffee bean, but the smoke was dominated mostly by sharp, spicy flavors. Overall, a good rich-tasting and complex smoke.
The 5" x 50 Arganese Connecticut Ambassador Robusto also had an appealing sweetness to it. By comparison (and description) it was much milder than the Maduro, too. This blend sports an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper with a similar Dominican/Indonesian filler & binder recipe. The smoke was much creamier, well-balanced, lightly spicy on the finish and medium bodied, yet very rich in flavor. I couldn’t pinpoint any flavors in particular that I could name, but it was quite enjoyable.
Comparatively speaking, the Connecticut was more to my taste, but I can easily recommend both. I'm now looking forward to getting my hands on one of the Nicaraguans to complete the set.
I received these samples shortly after learning that Arganese cigars will be soon be available at Famous Smoke Shop in the Connecticut, Maduro and Nicaraguan blends.
The first thing that impressed me about both cigars was the quality and color of the wrapper leaves and the overall construction. Both were well-packed, clipped perfectly, and lit evenly. I also had no draw or burn problems.
I started with the 5" x 50 Arganese Maduro Chairman Robusto. The wrapper is a dark, oily Brazilian Mata Fina that encases a full-bodied blend of Dominican filler with an Indonesian binder. The pre-light taste was rife with a "sweet tobacco" flavor. Once lit, the aroma was also pleasantly sweet. The smoke was creamy and full-bodied with dark tobacco flavors and a peppery kick on the finish. During the journey I noted some hints of coffee bean, but the smoke was dominated mostly by sharp, spicy flavors. Overall, a good rich-tasting and complex smoke.
The 5" x 50 Arganese Connecticut Ambassador Robusto also had an appealing sweetness to it. By comparison (and description) it was much milder than the Maduro, too. This blend sports an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper with a similar Dominican/Indonesian filler & binder recipe. The smoke was much creamier, well-balanced, lightly spicy on the finish and medium bodied, yet very rich in flavor. I couldn’t pinpoint any flavors in particular that I could name, but it was quite enjoyable.
Comparatively speaking, the Connecticut was more to my taste, but I can easily recommend both. I'm now looking forward to getting my hands on one of the Nicaraguans to complete the set.
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