Stogie Reviews: Arganese CL3 Torpedo

13 Oct 2008

In August I reviewed Arganese’s new ML3 (maduro ligero times three), a tasty, slow-burning alternative to other fuller-bodied blends that command a much higher price. Today I’ll review its sister blend, the CL3, which also debuted at the IPCPR Trade Show in July.

Shorthand for “corojo ligero times three,” CL3 features a wrapper, binder, and filler of—you guessed it—corojo ligero leaves. I’ve come to understand the tobacco is first generation Cuban-seed, meaning each year’s crop is cultivated from seedlings directly off plants in the forbidden Caribbean nation. According to company head Gene Arganese, this unique feature contributes to the blend, which “resembles and mocks the early Montecristo 1992s and earlier, bringing cigars back to where the used to be.”

Among the young Dominican puro’s accolades is a rating of 90 in Cigar Snob magazine, a plethora of positive reviews on cigar blogs, and a reputation as a full-bodied stick with loads of flavor. Each of the two CL3 vitolas, either Robusto or Torpedo, comes individually barcoded in boxes of 20.

The six and 7/8 inch by 52 ring gauge Torpedo has a light and lumpy exterior leaf with a large, gradually pointed cap. Striking in appearance and firm to the touch, I found a heavy aroma of nuts right off the tightly rolled foot. Like the ML3, the flashy band—this time purple and gold—marks a departure from more traditional, family-crested Arganese smokes.

Establishing an even burn is a cinch, and the initial taste is inviting with roasted almond and hazelnut coffee characteristics. The intense smoke packs quite a punch, especially when an onion spice joins in after the first inch. Growing saltier and spicier as it progresses, the CL3 takes on a medium- to full-bodied profile that’s definitely interesting and fairly balanced.

Like every other Arganese I’ve sampled, the two Torpedos I smoked for this review displayed superior physical properties. The slow burn is straight as they come and the ash is solid and finely layered. My only complaint? The draw is slightly belabored, probably due to the cigar’s towering peak of dense tobacco.

No matter. For about $5.35-6 apiece, this cigar is another winning choice from Arganese for brothers of the leaf who demand flavor—and lots of it. I enjoyed this every bit as much as the ML3, and give the CL3 Torpedo four stogies out of five.