Cornelius and Anthony Señor Esugars Cigar Review – Two Paws Up

Cornelius and Anthony, a brand, that in a short few years, has become synonymous with fine quality cigars. Officially launched back in 2015 the brand is the premium cigar side of S&M Brands, a 150+ year old tobacco company headed by the Bailey family based out of Virginia. Cornelius and Anthony hit the ground running in 2015 and further expanded their offerings in 2016 and 2017. They have brought some pleasurable smoking experiences with cigar such as the Daddy Mac, Meridian, Cornelius, and the Venganza. The latter, the Venganza placed #4 in the Stogie Press Top 25 Boutique Cigars for 2016 in a very tight field of some fine competition.

This year the company released the Aerial, which we recently reviewed, and the Señor Esugars, which is the topic of today’s review. Both cigars were anounced at the 2017 IPCPR in Las Vegas.

The quirky named Señor Esugars was a passion project for Mr. Steve Bailey, the owner of Cornelius and Anthony. So much so, that he included a picture of his dog Oscar on the packaging. The family says they call him Mr. Sugars because he is such a sweet dog.

I have to say I love the relation between cigars and dogs, and if you love both you are certainly a friend of mine. My little boy Ziggy Stardust sits with me in my lounge every night when I enjoy my cigars and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I had to take a photo of him with the Señor Esugars, just because.

Ziggy Stardust

Steven has told me that the Señor Esugars, has been in development for 3 years and he described as rich and decadent with dense sweet flavors and a long creamy finish.

The Señor Esugars

A far as the blend is concerned, the company explains it as:

Wrapper: Mexico
Binder: USA
Filler: Nicaragua

The Mexican wrapper is where the name of the this cigar come from – so “Mr. Sugars” got transformed into Señor Esugars. Yes, this is a passion project for sure.

The Señor Esugars is manufactured at Erik Espinosa’s La Zona Factory in Esteli, Nicaragua and are offered in 4 vitolas, each packaged in 20-count boxes:

Gordo 6 x 60 $11.55
Toro 6 x 50 $10.50
Robusto 5 x 50 $9.75
Corona Gorda 5.5 x 46 $9.15

For this review, I sampled a couple of the Señor Esugars robustos which I revived from the company, for the purpose of reviewing on Stogie Press.

Pre-Light Examination

The Señor Esugars is a stunning cigar with its dark chocolate-brown wrapper that has some decent marbling and a fine sheen to it. It has limited veins and is neatly finished with a triple cap.

The cigar has two bands on it, the primary is the standard Cornelius and Anthony band and logo while the secondary band under it declares it as the Señor Esugars in white on a black background.

The barrel has a pleasantly sweet fermented leaf aroma that tell me this leaf has been aging for a while. The foot exudes some very enticing aromas of berry fruit and hay. For some reason that aroma brought me back to my youth when I camped out in the mountains and smelled that crisp mountain air along the hiking trails. Funny how aroma does that, triggering memories.

I used the attached punch on the new lighter I got from GroovyGuyGifts.com to open this up. By the way, I really love this new lighter, and will be doing a review it and of the company for the upcoming holiday gifts articles on Stogie Press. The cold draw was a bit restricted and offered notes of pepper, earth, and a hint of sweet fruit.

Roll this one around for a while and savor the cold draw.

Ok Mr. Sugars, I know you probably get treats for doing tricks but this treat is mine as I warmed the foot and fired up the Señor Esugars.

Cigar Review Notes

Cornelius and Anthony Señor Esugars

The first few puffs delivered a warm pepper on the palate and nasals
Peppery spice aroma wafts off the foot
Once the pepper recedes the retro-hale offers an sweet earthy note
The ash is light grey and a touch flaky
Citrus and chocolate malt grace the palate
Smoke is smooth and creamy after an inch of burn
Aroma evolves into more of a toasty note
Cedar completes the profile by the end of the first third
Sugary sweetness increases moving into the second third
Ash fell about half way into the burn as I was removing the secondary band
Flat and centered burn cone
Fruit and walnut appear midway
The aroma morphs once more to a pleasant nut
Smoke opens up to full volume at this point
Light coating of pepper runs through the second half most noticeable in the retro-hale
Strength has ratcheted up to medium plus
Black pepper increases in the final third as the sweetness shifts to the background
Medium Plus in strength
Total Smoking Time was an amazing one hour and 25 minutes – it is a slow burner

Overall, the Cornelius and Anthony Señor Esugars is one of those cigars that is a delight to smoke with its enticing flavor profile and tasty sweetness. The pepper in the second half is expertly balanced with the natural tobacco sweetness. When you combine a man who has a 150+ years of tobacco heritage and passion like Steve Bailey with a factory like Erik Espinosa’s La Zona you get a fine creation and well crafted cigar like the Señor Esugars. Personally I paired the second one of these with a cream soda, which I thought was perfect. but i think it would also pair well with a sweet bourbon or after dinner cordial.

Cornelius and Anthony is a sponsor of Stogie Press but in no way has this effected the review. When you have something good it speaks for itself. Nice job Steve and Erik! TWO PAWS UP!!

Cornelius and Anthony Señor Esugars

The Señor Esugars

Cigar Review Notes

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