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Stogie Reviews: Arganese Edición Especial 2008

17 Nov 2008

This barber pole perfecto by Arganese is anything but inconspicuous. With its dueling wrappers that meticulously swirl down to a tiny foot the width of a cigarette, it’s a work of art and a testament to the skill of master cigar rollers.

I was given three samples—also known as the Arganese Edición Especial Dos Capas—at the IPCPR in Las Vegas, but Arganese’ website has no mention of the limited release. Fortunately, Arganese Vice President Sandy Corn filled me in on the details:

“The wrappers used are Connecticut from Ecuador, and Brazilian mata fina maduro. The filler is Dominican and the binder is Dominican. They come five cigars to a maroon-colored box with a velvet molded tray on the inside to cradle each cigar. They have a plastic protector sheet over the cigars and a ribbon with an Arganese crest to complete the impressive presentation. The MSRP is $50 per box. They are a limited edition cigar and will only be offered this year. Each box is numbered 1 to 1,000 and has a certificate of authenticity inside the box. There are only 1,000 made.”

The two wrappers have only a few noticeable veins. The cigar is firm and well constructed, and the twin wrappers are expertly applied so that the seam between the two almost seems like one continuous leaf. Because the two wrappers become very small near the cap, I was worried that after slicing it with my guillotine they might separate, but fortunately this never occurred.

After lighting I found a tight draw until the burn moved past the perfecto tip. The construction is impressive with the only difficulty being an uneven burn on one of the three samples that required a touch-up. The ash is solid, holding on for as long as two inches.

On flavor, I found lots of graham cracker and bittersweet chocolate. As the cigar progressed to the second half it became milder and creamier. The taste reminded me of creamy peanut butter and the finish was nutty like toasted almonds. Neither mild nor too strong, the cigar is solidly medium-bodied and well-balanced.

When I first saw this cigar I’ll admit it looked like a gimmick to me, but having smoked three I can say that gimmick or not it has smooth, complex flavors and nearly flawless construction.

I always have trouble calling any cigar that costs more than ten dollars a bargain. If you’re lucky enough to have the chance to smoke one of the 5,000 that was made, though, I’d consider $10 or $12 a fair price for the privilege of enjoying this limited cigar. Accordingly, the Arganese Edición Especial 2008 earns a surprising and impressive rating of five out of five stogies.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here. A list of other five stogie-rated cigars can be found here.]

Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

3 Responses to “Stogie Reviews: Arganese Edición Especial 2008”

  1. Padronnie Monday, November 17, 2008 at 7:17 am #

    Fascinating… I've never heard of this cigar. But it certainly sounds good.

  2. Cigarlover Tuesday, November 18, 2008 at 11:36 am #

    The IPCPR was great! This cigar was not so much…

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