When they initially entered the cigar market Arganese took the very unique approach of having essentially “fully-customizable” cigars. Whereas as most manufacturers pair certain filler tobaccos with certain wrappers and often offer different vitolas for each cigar line, Arganese chose to produce all possible combinations of vitola, filler and wrapper so that the consumer could pick their favorite. For example, for the maduro wrapper I am reviewing here you can choose either a full-bodied blend (the Presidente) or a medium-bodied blend (the Chairman) and choose any of the 6 vitolas for each blend-wrapper combination. This was quite an ambitious production goal and therefore it may not be surprising that they have recently abandoned this approach.

The Arganese Maduro Chariman I am reviewing here is a blend of Dominican Republic and Cuban seed/Dominican grown tobaccos that are aged for 7 years. It is produced by Arganese Dominicana S.A. in Santiago, Dominican Republic. The filler tobacco was harvested from the mountainous region of Villa Gonzalez in 1998.

The appearance of the Arganese Maduro Chariman robusto is unusual for a maduro in that the wrapper color is much lighter in color (a light chestnut brown), especially when compared to other Brazilian matafina wrappers I am used to smoking (e.g., the CAO Brazilia). The wrapper is rustic with lots of lumpy, slightly rough looking seams. The pre-light aroma is a very pleasant rich tobacco and earth.

Consistent with its unusual appearance, the flavors are also not what I typically expect for a maduro. The Arganese Maduro Chariman robusto begins with a light creamy coffee flavor and a nice mild nutty flavor that reminds me a lot of Brazil nuts. The finish is fairly sharp and spicy and almost verges on being burnt/acidic – it is much stronger than the initial milder flavors foretell. I did not pick up any of the sweetness and earthiness I typically expect from a maduro. There is some very light chocolate spice but is a little more savory than sweet (similar to nutmeg). In the second third the flavors become a bit more nutty and woody with lots of creaminess and the unusual spice aftertaste still there. Overall, the taste is quite enjoyable! The Chairman has about the same body as I remember the Presidente maduro with the later cigar having a bit more sweetness

The Arganese Maduro Chairman Robusto performed perfectly. The draw was excellent. The burn was flawless, producing tons of smoke, and did not require a single touch up. This cigar had a solid grey/white ash that held very well and nice even burn line.

The Arganese Maduro Chairman Robusto is an enjoyable, medium-bodied smoke with a very unique combination of flavors for a maduro. The sharp, biting finish may be off-putting to some cigar smokers, but I found it to be a nice counterpoint to the mild nutty and creamy flavors that I initially picked-up with each draw. The burn and draw on this cigar were absolutely flawless! I can not really predict how additional age will affect this cigar since there are a lot of different routes it could take. Will the aftertaste mellow? Will the mild creaminess disappear altogether, leaving more of the sweet spices? I am intrigued to find out.

~Rob