Brand: Arganese Nicaraguan Presidente
Vitola: Robusto
Length: 5.00 Inches
Ring Gauge: 50
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican
County of Origin: Dominican Republic
Price Per Single: Aprox. $6.39

Brand:
Arganese Cigars are produced by Arganese Dominicana S.A. in Santiago, Dominican Republic. All of the Arganese Filler and Binder tobaccos are harvested from the mountainous region of Villa Gonzalez, also know for its fertile soil.

The Nicaraguan only appears to be available as a Presidente, which means that Gene Arganese has crafted this cigar as a Full bodied smoke only. The Arganese Maduro, for example, is available in both Presidente (full bodied) and Chairman (medium bodied).

Pre-Light:

As I looked over my Nicaraguan Presidente, I found it to be a little rugged looking. The veins in the wrapper were medium in size and were easily felt as I handled the cigar. The texture was a little rough, like fine grit sandpaper. While inspecting the wrapper leaf closer I found it to be covered in tiny oil specs which added the texture.

The aroma at both the foot and on the wrapper were medium. When pinched I found the cigar to be firmly packed with the exception of a few soft spots down towards the foot of the cigar. After opening up the head I found the draw to be excellent. It had just enough resistance to keep me from over puffing.

First Third:

After a quick toast and light I had my cigar evenly lit and producing a generous amount of thick smoke. The body starts off in the medium to full range with a finish that is a bit rough around the edges. It seemed as if there was just a little too much spice up front that began to tickle the back of my throat.

As I settled in on the cigar after a few puffs, the roughness settled down a bit and became smother as I smoked along. The body remained medium to full while the base flavor consisted of a rich tobacco flavor with aftertastes of spice and pepper.

The burn line was thin and slightly wavy while producing a firm and compacted ash. The color was very similar to the band and looked great hanging from the end of the cigar.

Second Third:

As I smoked a little deeper into my Arganese Nicaraguan Presidente I found myself enjoying it more and more the deeper I smoked. The body picked up slowly and was now in the full range while the finish smoothed out considerably along the way.

The primary flavor continued to be a rich natural tobacco flavor with aftertastes of pepper and spice as the secondary component. Buried deep in the flavor profile I began to pick up some mild fruity flavors that I found enjoyable. I switched from water to Coffee, which also has a fruity component, and found the combination to be even more enjoyable.

The burn line remained thin and produced a medium volume of resting smoke. Each puff produced a generous amount of smoke that coated the palate and was easily passed through the sinus cavity. The ash remained firm and compacted but did not seem to hold on as well as it did earlier on.

Final Third:

As I reached the ninety minute mark I found myself into the final third. I was very surprised by this because it felt as thought I was really charging through this cigar. As I made my way into the late portion of the second third the draw firmed up just a little and really seemed to be extending the smoke time dramatically.

The body remained firmly planted in the low end of the full spectrum while the finish has became even smoother. The feel on the tongue and walls of the mouth is creamy and fades after a few minutes until another puff is taken.

The base flavor has developed into a very rich Corojo flavor while the pepper and spice have just about faded out. The mild fruit flavor I was picking up before seems to stand out a little more due to the pairing of the type of coffee I was drinking.

The ash remains firm and compacted but continues to drop after a short length has developed. The burn line is thin and even while the draw is just a touch firmer than it was during the earlier stages of the cigar.

My Thoughts:
In the end I really enjoyed this cigar. The first few puffs were a bit of a struggle to get through. Once I was passed the initial harshness the flavors opened up more and more as I progressed all while becoming smoother on the palate.

I think that this is a very enjoyable cigar on its own but think it makes a fantastic pairing with a coffee that has background flavor of fruit.

I would definitely recommend picking up an Arganese Nicaraguan Presidente if you come across one during your travels.