Having smoked many of the original blends of the Guardian of the Farm I was excited to hear of the new release then reading the details of this stick pre-release I have to say I was pretty damn eager to get my hands on some.

Let’s take a look at the make up

BrandAganorsa
SizeToro
WrapperJalapa Corojo Maduro
BinderJalapa Corojo
FillerJalapa & Esteli 

There are a lot of things I like about this cigar as a concept aside from the blend or the stick itself.

The idea of a cigar to commemorate dogs is awesome (I’m a big dog fan) and then to release a second edition called Nightwatch… which is meant to be for the dogs that guard the farm at night but has a very GOT ring to it… 

But hey, this is a review so let’s see how it stacks up aye.

Construction 9/10
Draw10/10
Burn10/10
Strength6/10
Flavour8/10
Complexity 6/10

Construction 

This is a fantastic looking cigar. Perfectly dark Maduro wrapper (well perfect for my tastes at least) and in great condition. No blemishes and it’s a nice smooth wrap. 

Burn & Draw

Perfection. Not a single fault in the burn or the draw. Ash is a little ‘loose’  (not as tight lined as I would have thought) but I didn’t drop points for it as it did nothing to affect the smoking enjoyment.

Strength

Solid mid strength, but an interesting one with some very bold flavours that almost add to the strength at times.

Flavour & Complexity 

Nice and sweet on the cold draw with a hint of Cocoa and berries but as soon as it’s lit there is a burst of pepper that almost seems like it comes out of nowhere. The pepper very quickly settles down however and the rest of the cigar is great. (Not that Pepper isn’t great) the berries come and go, they are a rich sweet berry like a blackberry or maybe even cherries. The complexity is…. different… I wouldn’t have said it’s overly complex at first but as I smoked on I decided that it is rather complex but just has some very defined flavours scattered throughout. It’s actually unlike anything I can think of, at times the berry and cocoa blended outstandingly like a cheery ripe! 

Overall

Bloody great cigar. Even better than the original IMO. I give this a 92 points. Get yourself one for sure!  

PS. Sorry for the darker photos, I felt it was important to smoke this cigar at ‘night’ 

Cigar reviewer and host of An Evening with The Don - Hosted Cigar Parties. Cigar Reviewer of the Year 2015 Cigar Reviewer of the Year 2016