Cigar Reveal #134
| S&T ID | #134 |
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| Brand | Aganorsa Leaf |
| Cigar | Guardian of the Farm Nightwatch |
| Wrapper | Nicaragua (Jalapa Corojo Maduro) |
| Binder | Nicaragua |
| Filler | Nicaragua |
| Retail Price | $11.00 |
| Tasting Notes | Earthiness up front, wood, anise, citrus, espresso bean, cedar and spice |
| Description |
In 2016 Kyle Gellis of Warped partnered with Max Fernandez of Aganorsa, one of the largest growers of tobacco in Nicaragua, to make a cigar called The Guardian of the Farm. The cigar was named after the dogs that guard the factory in Nicaragua. Kyle and Max had a near limitless amount of tobacco at their disposal, and they took advantage. The Guardian of the Farm earned the #8 Cigar of the Year by Cigar Aficionado in 2017. A couple years later Max returned to the blend. “To make a second blend for Guardian of the Farm and our loyal dogs is a blessing,” said Max. “Every dog, whether it is one of ours or your own, is commemorated with this cigar.” This time he used a wrapper leaf he had already used successfully on two other cigars: The Aganorsa Leaf Signature Selection Maduro (our Blind Tasting #89) and the Lunatic Loco. This new leaf wrapped around the old Guardian of the Farm blend results in an intense, rich though occasionally uneven smoke that touches on brilliance at several points in the smoke but can't manage to stay consistent. |
| Review #1 | Halfwheel |
| Review #1 Content | If you’d enjoyed the original Guardian of the Farm—as I did—but felt like it needed a stronger version—which I didn’t—then the Guardian of the Farm Nightwatch should be right up your alley. It’s strong almost immediately out of the gates, and while it takes a few opportunities to let off the gas, it never dips below medium-plus. Earth and pepper are prominent, as is nicotine strength, so should you light one up, be prepared for a strong, flavorful cigar. Personally, I’ve rarely been let down by the original blend, and save for the occasional desire for something stronger, would probably gravitate towards that cigar, but the Nightwatch certainly delivers on almost every front, only stumbling with some sporadic burn and combustion issues. Top it off with a nod to the canines who guard the tobacco that went into this cigar, a fun intangible that adds a bit of a feel-good backstory, and this is a solid cigar worth giving a shot. |
| Review #2 | Cigar Coop |
| Review #2 Content |
I was quite pleased with Aganorsa Leaf’s Shade Grown Corojo Maduro wrapper on the Aganorsa Leaf Signature Maduro Robusto. My experience with the wrapper on that cigar is the wrapper plays a prominent role in the flavor profile – taking away some of the overall complexity. This is going to be the same case with the Guardian of the Farm Nightwatch Campeon, except the Nightwatch doesn’t match up to the Signature in terms of flavor, and the burn was more high maintenance on each Campeon I smoked. In the end, the Nightwatch Campeon fell short of expectations. The Nightwatch Campeon is a cigar that is more geared to a seasoned cigar enthusiast. It’s one I’d recommend trying first to see if it matches your flavor profile. In my case, I’d be curious to see how this cigar performs in some of the other sizes. |