Arsenio Ramos was born in Pinar del Río, Cuba, where tobacco is not just an industry, but a way of life. From an early age, Ramos was immersed in the art of cigar making, learning from experienced Cuban masters the intricacies of growing, curing, and blending tobacco. It was here that he developed his distinctive approach to cultivating tobaccos rich in complex flavors and aromas, which define the finest premium cigars.

With changes in Cuba’s political and economic landscape, Ramos, like many Cuban tobacco experts, sought opportunities abroad. In the 1990s, at the request of Eduardo Fernandez, founder of Aganorsa Leaf, Ramos moved to Nicaragua, a country whose tobacco industry was rapidly developing. Armed with his Cuban expertise and a deep understanding of soils suitable for world-class tobacco, Ramos joined Aganorsa as tobacco cultivation manager and master blender. This fusion of Cuban tradition and Nicaraguan innovation became a hallmark of Aganorsa cigars, and much of that success is attributed to Ramos’s expert guidance.

In 2024, as a tribute to his decades of dedication, Aganorsa Leaf released the Aganorsa Leaf Arsenio cigars. These cigars embody Ramos’s philosophy of blending, combining the richness of premium tobaccos with Aganorsa’s Cuban roots. They represent both his personal journey and the evolution of Aganorsa Leaf. Importantly, this is the blend that Ramos personally enjoyed smoking during his daily work at the Aganorsa factory and fields.

The Aganorsa Leaf Arsenio is a medium to full-bodied cigar, made from Cuban-seed tobaccos grown in Aganorsa’s plantations in Estelí and Jalapa. The blend is crafted to highlight the strength and depth of Nicaraguan tobacco while maintaining the balance and complexity for which Ramos was known. The cigar is wrapped in a Nicaraguan Corojo 99, offering a bold, spicy profile with a smooth and slightly sweet finish.

Rated 92 points by Cigar Aficionado in the Cigar Insider Guide.

The Aganorsa tobacco is expertly cultivated in Cuban style, using Cuban seeds and under the supervision of experienced Cuban agronomists. The blend consists of tobacco aged at least seven years:

Filler: Corojo ’99, Criollo ’98, and the rare Medio Tiempo

Binder: Corojo ’99

Wrapper: Shade-grown Corojo ’99 Maduro from the Jalapa Valley

These cigars are medium to full-bodied, with excellent construction and a smooth burn. They deliver spicy, rich flavors of cedar, peanuts, and leather, complemented by notes of freshly brewed espresso, cocoa beans, cinnamon, popcorn, and earthy sweetness.

These cigars are light to medium-bodied, with a rich and complex flavor profile, offering a naturally sweet tobacco aroma combined with notes of cedar, roasted nuts, white pepper, and cinnamon.

Ranked #3 by Cigar Snob in 2023, receiving a 93-point rating.

The blend features some of the finest Corojo tobaccos from Aganorsa Leaf, grown on their Nicaraguan plantations, wrapped in a dark, aged Corojo ’99 wrapper.

These are medium-bodied cigars, offering exquisite flavors of spices and coffee, complemented by a rich tobacco sweetness, achieving a perfect balance of strength and flavor.