Nica Libre has been around for many years as a solid budget brand exclusive to Cigars International. Previous iterations were made by made by AJ Fernandez before he was a household name. The original Nica Libre was even called the “Poor Man’s Padron” by some. Now, in 2020, the brand is adding a line for the first time in years, this time collaborating with one of the hottest brands, Aganorsa Leaf. The result is Nica Libre x AGANORSA.
The Nica Libre x AGANORSA is described as an utterly Nicaraguan cigar. The blend is entirely Nicaraguan tobacco. It comes in four sizes: Belicoso (6.0″x52), Robusto (5.0″x50), Titan (6.0″x60), Toro (6.0″x52).
Vital Stats:
Vitola: Robusto Length: 5″ Ring Gauge: 50 Country of Origin: Nicaragua Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo Binder: Nicaragua Filler: Nicaragua Factory: TABSA Blender: Eduardo Fernandez Number of reviewers: 4 – Isaac M.(The Nothing) Joseph S.(Bearded Bastard) Jake P.(Jake P.) Randy B.(randobush) Price: $8.40 Age: 6 Months Release Date: June 2020 Contributed by: Blind Man’s Puff
Initial Impressions
Appearance: 90
“This cigar had some good looks with a softbox press and nicely terminated head. ” –Isaac M. (The Nothing)
Aroma: 87
“Smells like a fresh wood floor right after it’s been sanded, but before a stain is applied. I detect a bit of hay as well.” –Randy B. (randobush)
First Third
Blind Cigar Review: Nica Libre | x AGANORSA Robusto
Flavor: 88 Strength: Medium Body/Complexity: Medium-Full
“A nice blend of black tea, wood, pepper, and earth” –Joseph S. (Bearded Bastard)
“Started off with a heavy bark and some earth. You did get a cinnamon spice that gave you a mild tingle on the lips. Very earth heavy with some hay and grass. Not much more than earthy flavors.” –Jake P. (Jake P.)
Second Third
Flavor: 88 Strength: Medium Body/Complexity: Medium
Blind Cigar Review: Nica Libre | x AGANORSA Robusto
“2nd third smooths out a bit, and I’m getting butterscotchy baking spice, cocoa, black coffee, and cedar. Also detecting like a sweet cayenne, sweet, not hot.” –Randy B. (randobush)
“Heavy in the earth profile again. There was defiantly a musty note but not in a bad way. I was getting some bread and salt and even a little clove. This had a feel of a strong cigar that has aged and mellowed out over time. ” –Jake P. (Jake P.)
Final Third
Flavor: 88 Strength: Medium Body/Complexity: Medium-Full
“If you were to not retrohale this cigar, a lot of flavors would be missed. The retrohale was full of wood flavors including cedar and oak. These combine with the spices and make for a really full and complex body that would otherwise be flat, especially in this final third. ” –Isaac M. (The Nothing)
“Just a little transition in the final third, but primarily still black coffee, now toffee, butterscotch, sweet cayenne and paprika, baking spice diminished, but still there keeping it smooth.” –Randy B. (randobush)
Overall Impressions
Blind Cigar Review: Nica Libre | x AGANORSA Robusto
Draw: 98
“This cigar had a nearly spot-on draw with a v-cut. ” –Isaac M. (The Nothing)
Burn: 87
“Some uneven burning, a relight was needed after the ash fell off at the first and second third” –Joseph S. (Bearded Bastard)
Construction: 89
“Overall was fine, however, the cause of the relight could have been construction issue but not sure.” –Jake P. (Jake P.)
Overall Strength: Medium Overall Body/Complexity: Medium-Full Experience Overall: 89
“This cigar is a solid stick. I won’t go out of the way to say it excels at any one thing, except perhaps the retrohale. You could easily miss 80% of what this cigar has to offer by not retrohaling at least a few times. This is something I’d keep around.” –Isaac M. (The Nothing)
“Overall, a good solid stronger cigar, pretty complex and bold, was perfect for the chilly 40-degree day. Would go great with a mug of hot black tea or jet black coffee. Stabbed it at the end with a knife and nubbed it down to the blade.” –Joseph S. (Bearded Bastard)
“Overall this was a good cigar. Mild in strength and complexity. If you were looking for something to smoke and not be overcome by it this would be good. You could smoke this while doing things or watching something on TV and be happy. On the other hand, you could also sit on the deck and get more into the flavors and find hidden gems like the citrus taste.” –Jake P. (Jake P.)
“I really enjoyed this cigar. Flavors were fantastic and abundant throughout. The nice savoriness and the retrohale were very nice from start to finish. I would certainly smoke it again!” –Randy B. (randobush)
Smoking Time (in minutes): 75
To view the complete scores and notes, click here.
Blind Cigar Review: Nica Libre | x AGANORSA Robusto
