Photo Review: Bonsai

For only the second time, Cigar Dojo and Aganorsa Leaf have combined to introduce a limited-edition smoking experience, custom-tailored from the ground up for the Cigar Dojo community and other cigar-loving aficionados.

Bonsai was crafted over the course of a year, with Cigar Dojo working closely with Terence Reilly and Max Fernández of Aganorsa Leaf to bring the vision of Bonsai to fruition. From the start, the goal was to showcase a premium blend with a high level of flavor and complexity in an affordable price range. The blend then materialized through the use of Corojo and Criollo tobaccos, sourced from the Jalapa and Estelí fields of AGANORSA. In order to introduce Bonsai as the most affordable Dojo collaboration to date, the blend was rolled at the Estelí-based TABSA factory in a small petit robusto format—intended to showcase a short smoking experience without compromising on flavor.

Compared to the ReviveR project (the first collaboration between Cigar Dojo and Aganorsa Leaf), Bonsai touts a noticeably darker wrapper. The profile follows suit, bringing darker flavors of cinnamon, clove, black pepper, and loads of charred meat components—all delivered through a medium to medium-plus body. While the cigars burn for a surprisingly long time (considering the condensed size), we find that the profile is capable of maintaining satisfying flavors up to the nub. It’s a cigar that can easily be smoked back to back, which can have the reverse effect of converting a short smoking session into an unexpectedly long one, if you’re not careful.

Bonsai Breakdown

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