Aganorsa Leaf

Aganorsa Leaf stands as one of Nicaragua's most prestigious vertically integrated cigar companies, renowned for producing authentic Cuban-style cigars using traditional growing techniques and Cuban seed varietals. Over the last two decades, Aganorsa has been transformed from an unknown organization into a major force in the world of Nicaraguan tobacco. The company has built a clientele by growing tobacco in the old-fashioned Cuban style, using Cuban seeds and the oversight of well-seasoned agronomists from Cuba. Aganorsa Leaf blends are unique, as from seed to ash, their products are crafted to capture the flavors and aromas associated with centuries-old Cuban tradition, positioning them as a premium brand that delivers distinctive, high-quality smoking experiences. Aganorsa Leaf is an agricultural conglomerate and one of the largest growers and suppliers of Nicaraguan tobacco for the premium industry.

Background

Eduardo Antonio Fernández Pujals, the owner of Agricola Ganadera Norteña S.A., came to Nicaragua in 1997 with a desire to get into agriculture. Eduardo Fernandez was born in Havana, Cuba, and came to the U.S. as a youngster. A graduate of the Wharton School of Business, Fernandez entered a career in the banking industry. Tired of the corporate life, Fernandez turned to agronomy and moved to Nicaragua in 1997, forming the Casa Fernandez name to grow tobacco in the authentic Cuban tradition. He started by purchasing premium plots of land - Eduardo was able to secure roughly 168 acres throughout Nicaragua on the cheap, acquiring land as the cigar boom of the '90s came to a close. With the premium tobacco land acquired, Eduardo then set out to fill his fields and factories with some of the world's most skilled tobacco agronomists - He hired tobacco all-stars from Cuba, stocking his team with experts such as Arsenio Ramos and Jacinto Iglesias. The premium cigar wing of Aganorsa was known as Casa Fernandez until 2018, when it changed to Aganorsa Leaf in order to align the company identity more closely with the Fernández family's tobacco.

History

The Aganorsa story begins in 1998, when Eduardo Fernandez began his agricultural experiments in Nicaragua. Eduardo worked tirelessly to perfect the growing process of premium cigar tobacco, and from there, Aganorsa became a powerhouse of Nicaraguan tobacco. With the acquisition of Tropical Tobacco, Fernandez had become a vertically integrated cigarmaker overnight, able to control the entire cigar production process from seed to ash, but few people recognized it. With the help of Ramos, who proved to be as adept as a cigar blender as he was at growing and fermenting tobacco, Fernandez released new cigar lines like JFR, the brick-and-mortar exclusive cigar that includes the 8 x 80 Lunatic, Casa Fernandez and Guardian of the Farm, but the company still suffered from an identity problem on the market. To try to alleviate it, Fernandez dropped the Tropical Tobacco name in 2010 for Casa Fernandez. With the urging of Max Fernandez, Eduardo's son who is now managing the TABSA factory, Fernandez approved the renaming of the company to Aganorsa Leaf in order to identify the entire company with the tobacco that it grows.

Reputation

Aganorsa Leaf is behind some of the finest cigars being made today. The brand has enjoyed numerous high ratings from the critics, and a slew of rave reviews from aficionados around the world. Today, Aganorsa is one of the cigar industry's largest growers and suppliers of prime Nicaraguan tobacco, which can be found in many of the world's most highly-rated cigars. In these facilities, Aganorsa Leaf makes its own cigars and also produces cigars for companies such as Illusione, Warped, Viaje, Foundation Cigar Company, Sindicato and HVC. What was strange to me was that when you look at successful and respected brands like Illusione, Warped, Viaje, Foundation, Sindicato and HVC, many of their cigars are made by us, using our tobacco, demonstrating the company's reputation as a trusted partner for premium boutique brands. This fidelity creates an unmistakable smoking profile that is often compared to the finest selection from Cuba's heyday. Suddenly it becomes quite clear why Aganorsa Leaf cigars are making their way into enthusiasts' humidors at a rapid rate.