Arturo Fuente
Arturo Fuente Rothschild Natural Cigar Review
Over the weekend I did reviews for the Arturo Fuente Chateau Fuente with both the Sun Grown and Natural wrappers. The one with the natural (Cameroon) wrapper scored 87 points and the sun grown (Ecuador) wrapped cigar scored a low 84 points. I have no compunction to smoke the sun grown one again and there really isn’t any immediate need to go out and pick up the natural one either. Maybe the Rothschild, which is the same size as the two I have mentioned, will be better.
It has a different wrapper than the Chateau Fuente Natural, with this one having a Connecticut Shade and the Chateau Fuente having Cameroon (hat tip cigar family guy for the clarification), and the blend is different as well. The Rothschild is less spicy, which isn’t exactly a good omen for me.
The Arturo Fuente Rothschild Natural is a good looking cigar, well-made. A couple of raised veins and a firm packing being the only negatives I can find. The wrapper has a good coating of oils on it.
Cigar Stats
Robusto
Length: 4 1/2″
Ring Gauge: 50
Wrapper: Connecticut Shade
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic
Price: $4.40
Charm Flame!
Sure enough, it starts out milder than the Chateau Fuente Natural and Sun Grown. With that being said, the difference amongst the strengths is not too great with all of them being, basically, medium bodied. And, even though it is the weakest (strength-wise) of the bunch I have to admit that I am liking this one the most at this early stage (less than an inch in).
There is some complexity with this one. Rich, sweet wood notes (oak) along with some spice that I get mostly on my lips and the tip of my tongue. After 1 1/4″ a charcoal flavor starts coming through. There was something similar to that flavor in the other two cigars but this time this flavor is neutral if not a positive.
The draw is very good and the burn is even; no touch ups necessary. It looks like third time really is the charm. While I cannot say that this is a 90+ cigar it is very good. Either 88 or 89 points, not completely sure yet (almost to the nub now).
What I really like about this cigar is that the flavors are pretty strong and clean. The charcoal flavor, which could easily be a negative with most cigars, is actually pretty good with this one. I enjoyed it.
88 points
Arturo Fuente Chateau Fuente Sun Grown Cigar Review
Yesterday, I did a review for this cigar with the natural wrapper and the green band that holds the cedar sheath. To cut a long story short, I did not really care for that cigar and I rated it at 87 points. The flavors were all fine but the cigar just lacked life, complexity and most everything else that makes a cigar truly enjoyable. But maybe with a different wrapper this cigar will be better – maybe an Ecuadorian sun grown wrapper will do the trick.
I effortlessly slide off the cedar sheath, with the black band this time, and a well constructed cigar is revealed. It’s definitely darker than the other one, maybe a little bit more oil and packed tighter but not too tight. I can smell something sweet from the foot of this cigar. Let’s see if it’s better than the other one or not.
Cigar Stats
Robusto
Length: 4 1/2″
Ring Gauge: 50
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sun Grown
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic
Price: $4.55
Echo Torch!
I smelled sweetness from the foot and now I can taste it. There’s also a coffee flavor that has a good helping of cream added in. Unfortunately, there is a pervasive burnt blandness that sticks around as the main aftertaste. Fortunately, that negative flavor is relegated to the bottom half of my olfactory system. The flavors I get through the nose are good.
During the first half an inch or so the flavors I mentioned are the main ones. After that point a dirty earthy flavor comes on stronger and I actually like it. It gives the cigar some interest. Surprisingly, at about this same time that burnt blandness has begun to fade into the background, almost disappearing but not quite gone.
The Arturo Fuente Chateau Fuente Sun Grown is a medium bodied cigar with a slightly erratic burn and a good draw. That negative flavor of burnt blandness has come back for the last third of the cigar, which is too bad. I was enjoying this cigar, somewhat. With the negative flavor this cigar falls precipitously in my estimation. Without the problematic flavor this cigar is one or two points better than the natural wrapper (which scored 87 points) version of this cigar but, with the negative flavor, the sun grown wrapper version of this cigar is at least two points worse.
It has its ups and downs. However, its highest highs are not very impressive. Couple that with the lows and this cigar can be avoided. The natural wrapper wins!
84 points
Arturo Fuente Chateau Fuente Natural Cigar Review
Today, I am doing a review of the Arturo Fuente Chateau Fuente (4 1/2″ x 50) with the natural wrapper and tomorrow I will be smoking the same cigar with the sun grown wrapper. Should be fun!
None of the veins are too pronounced. It is an oily cigar that may just be packed a bit too loosely. The color is a cross between the lightness you should expect from this kind of wrapper but there is a lot of darker spots as well; it reminds me of that painting that some people do on walls with a sponge to give the wall “life”. It works well with this cigar though, so I’m happy about that.
Cigar Stats
Robusto
Length: 4 1/2″
Ring Gauge: 50
Wrapper: Cameroon
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic
Price: $4.50
Eight Flame!
The draw is spot on and the burn starts out well. Spice, a sweet oak and a background of herbal flavors make up the beginning flavor profile for me. There is, however, a burnt flavor that I do not like.
After the first ashing at the 2/3″ mark, the oak flavor really begins to take over. It is still within the “sweet” oak categorization but less so than before. There is a new sweetness that has come on board. Even though I have talked a lot about the sweet flavors in this cigar they are more of a secondary group of flavors, which is fine by me.
The burnt flavor that left after the first ashing does not come back. While that is usually a good thing (and is probably also a good thing with this cigar since I did not like the type of burnt flavor that it imparted) I would have liked to have a little more burn for this cigar to cut the overbearing oak flavor – something like a burnt oak. It would also be a better cigar if the spice would have remained. In retrospection the spice is nothing more than a fleeting memory, which is to this cigar’s detriment.
This all leads me to the conclusion that this is a fairly flavorful cigar that is also basically one dimensional. There are not any really negative flavors to be found in this cigar but there is not much excitement about it for me either. It is a nice medium bodied, one dimensional cigar – nothing more, nothing less.
87 points
Arturo Fuente Don Carlos Cigar Review
This cigar, the Arturo Fuente Don Carlos Double Robusto, must have sat in my humidor for a very long time because I had completely forgotten about it. Like many cigars from the Fuentes this one is not the prettiest looking cigar ever. Holes and bumps abound on this lightly packed cigar. It is oily though.
According to the Arturo Fuente website, the tobaccos in this cigar are aged up to ten years, which at least makes the cigar more expensive (and, yes, aging cigars does help up to a point).
Cigar Stats
Robusto
Length: 5 3/4″
Ring Gauge: 50
Wrapper: Cameroon
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic
Price: $9.75
Jones Flame!
First set of thoughts: Good draw with some good flavors. Second set of thoughts: Smooth smoke with notes of sweet oak and heavy cream. Third set of thoughts: Medium bodied cigar with a foul aftertaste that is best described as just being harsh.
Alright, after about an inch that aftertaste largely goes away and lets the flavors, which are actually very strong despite this being a medium bodied cigar, take over. That creaminess is most evident in my mouth but is also clear in the retrohale (exhaled smoke out of my nose). There are also some spicy elements with this cigar as well. Nothing overbearing – a subtle spice that buttresses the dominant cream and oak flavors.
Around the halfway point the smoothness mentioned earlier adds on some wildness, which isn’t always a bad thing. Although, with this cigar, it is a slight negative.
One thing that I cannot say about this cigar is that it is not boring. It may not be a truly great cigar but, for my tastes, it’s well above average. And then….
About three quarters of the way through the cigar that foul aftertaste comes back with a vengeance. It tastes a lot like an overly charred piece of steak. While it definitely is not one of the worst flavors I have tasted in a cigar it does detract from my overall experience. One last note before I finish this review: a sweet floral note enters the mix after the three-quarter mark.
88 points
Arturo Fuente Chateau Series Short Cigar Review
Pre-Smoke
Full disclosure, I like Fuentes. They are quality cigars and some of the upper level Fuentes are good. Hopefully, this one is great as well.
This cigar comes with a cedar sleeve, which means something or another. After taking off the cedar a very nice looking cigar is revealed. There are a couple of minor veins but that is the only thing wrong with this Arturo Fuente Double Chateau Fuente Natural (6 3/4″ x 50). Not very oily.
Smoke
Spice, creaminess and some burnt wood are the first flavors. The draw is good and the burn starts out evenly but then begins to stray. It is a medium bodied cigar with some above average flavors.
A sweet spice flavor starts to develop after about the one inch mark. The burnt wood flavor has shed its burnt-ness and is now more of a clean oak flavor. The flavors are nowhere near exceptional but it is an enjoyable cigar. There is a foul, almost bleach-like aftertaste that comes in after the halfway mark.
After-Smoke
It’s a good cigar with some good flavors. That foul flavor that comes on after the halfway mark takes away any shot it had at 4 points for me. But it isn’t enough of a big deal to make this a bad cigar. As long as you focus on the flavors when inhaled and the ones you get after exhaling out your nose it is quite enjoyable.
3 points
Price: $6.00
Arturo Fuente Hemingway Short Cigar Review
Pre-Smoke
I did a full review of an Arturo Fuente Hemingway Short Story about a month ago and went into the unique shape of this cigar. The previous review I did had a score of 89 points, so, if this one scores 3 or 4 points (it’s a short review, which means that I didn’t want to spend every second thinking about the cigar and don’t want to put a definite score to it but, rather, a range of scores), that’s pretty much all there is to know about what I think about this line. I am smoking the Classic (7″ x 48) vitola with the Cameroon wrapper for this review.
This cigar looks good and it feels like it is a little too loosely packed. There are some oils on it and there aren’t any raised veins or glaring imperfections on the wrapper.
Smoke
Due to its odd shape at the foot it is a little difficult to light. But, after it gets past the shoulder, it opens up nicely. The main flavor is oak. This is a very smooth cigar. There is also a warm spice and a meaty flavor.
It is a medium bodied cigar with a good draw and an even burn.
After-Smoke
It is not as good as I had remembered. Like with the other one the flavors are a little weak but there are many flavors. Still a good cigar. I’m going to give it three points, or, roughly, 87-89 points.
3 points
Price: $10.50
Arturo Fuente Hemingway Short Story Cigar Review
Reading into the history of the Hemingway line a little bit is actually quite interesting. Evidently, the perfecto shape was popular from 1920-1940. But, since these shapes are so difficult to make, cigar makers stopped making this shape. Luckily for us, Carlos Fuente, Jr. remembered his grandfather making perfecto cigars for a line called Fancy Tales and worked with his grandfather so that they could make some for their own personal use. After smoking twenty of these cigars a day they realized that other people might like them and then, in the 1980s, the Fuentes launched their Hemingway line. Thanks guys!
It’s a great looking cigar and you just have to admire the Fuentes for bringing back the perfecto when they did. It is not easy making them. The Arturo Fuente Hemingway Short Story is amazing not only because of its perfecto shape but also because it is so small. I have had the Short Story a number of times before and have liked them all. The wrapper is oily.
Cigar Stats
Perfecto
Length: 4″
Ring Gauge: 48
Wrapper: Cameroon
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic
Price: around $5.50
Blue Flame!
It is packed with a breadth of flavor. A warm spice, akin to cinnamon, gets a lot of play and is especially noticeable when you blow the smoke out your nose. Meaty, sweet and earthy flavors bolster the warm spice. The flavors balance each other out well.
With a perfect draw and an even burn this is a very enjoyable cigar. And, even though it is a small cigar, I am getting the chance to enjoy it for a good amount of time because it burns slowly. It’s a medium bodied cigar.
While it is a very good cigar it isn’t perfect. There may be a kaleidoscope of flavors bouncing around in my mouth right now but they are not particularly strong. The spice does linger long after you put it down, which is always a good thing in my book.
Overall, I’m not convinced it is a truly great cigar. It is a cigar worthy of praise solely due to its shape; even though cigar presses are used in the making of these sticks I’m sure it is not easy making them. And the flavors are good. Just not amazingly good.
89 points
Fuente Fuente Opus X Belicoso XXX Cigar Review
Alright, I’ve got to admit that I have been wanting to smoke an Opus X for a very long time but, since the price is so exorbitant, I had resisted the urge to splurge. That, as you will see in the following review, was a mistake.
Frankly, when you have a cigar that costs as much as this you expect greatness. And yet, the wrapper is anything but great. There are a couple of holes in the wrapper and there are also a couple of stretch marks as well.
Beyond that, however, it is great. Very oily, rich color to it, and the cap looks perfectly constructed, which, based off some of the other torpedoes I have seen, is no small feat. It’s tightly packed.
Cigar Stats
Torpedo
Length: 4 5/8″
Ring Gauge: 49
Wrapper: Dominican Republic
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic
Price: $26.00
Forbidden Flame!
Frankly, my dear, I no longer give a damn about the wrapper because the first few puffs have been sublime. Loads of spice and leather are evident on my tongue and through the nose. Perfect draw and definitely full bodied. Wow!
There may be a hint of licorice in the background, which adds nicely to the complexity of this cigar. There is also a magnificent toasted flavor. Everything is just going swimmingly with this cigar.
It’s amazing just how alive the flavors are. Tons of billowing, creamy smoke. Smoking this cigar is making my mouth water. This has got to be one of my all-time favorite cigars because I hate putting it down. I just can’t wait for the next puff! The only drawback I can think of with this cigar is that it is so short. It fits my tastes perfectly and it is definitely one of my top favorites.
96 points
Arturo Fuente Cuban Corona Cigar Review
Good looking cigar save for a large vein near the cap. Tons of oils on the wrapper. The cigar tapers down from the foot to the cap and I’ve got to say that the cap looks a little weird. But, since I’m going to be cutting it off shortly, I’ll let it slide. I should also note that I’m smoking the cigar with the natural wrapper, not the maduro version.
Cigar Stats
Corona Extra
Length: 5 1/4″
Ring Gauge: 45
Wrapper: Cameroon
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic
Price: $5.50
Baseball Light!
Great draw with an even burn. The two initial flavors are earthiness and roasted nuts. There’s also a subtle spice that lingers on the tongue. I’m going to peg this as a medium-full bodied cigar.
The spice is slowly becoming a bigger part of the flavor profile for this cigar, which is nice. No poor notes to mention whatsoever. The previously mentioned roasted nuts reminds me of almonds. When I inhale this cigar it comes in spicy and then when I exhale out of my nose it is nutty. The earthiness is a tertiary flavor at best. It’s a very good cigar.
I started out smoking Fuentes and, for the most part, they are solid cigars. And so is this one. While they do have high-end lines that are much better than the Gran Reserva line that I am smoking right now the Gran Reserva is good for its price.
Two-thirds of the way through this cigar and the nuttiness has almost completely dissipated. The spice has taken over where the nutty flavor left off; both when I inhale and when I exhale out my nose there is spice. That nutty flavor is present in the aftertaste, but barely. The earthiness is gone.
Even though it’s not possible to claim that this is one of the best cigars out there, it is solid. While the flavors are tasty they are not all that provocative and this isn’t an extremely complex cigar. It smokes well though and is worth smoking again.
90 points
Arturo Fuente Hemingway Signature – Cigar Review
This is the cigar I smoked Christmas night. Expecting a lot from this cigar I needlessly got my hopes up and, as you will see, they were dashed. In fact, it forced me to create a brand new rating category called unsmokable. Here’s my review:
I am smoking this cigar with Single Barrel Wild Turkey, which is quite smooth, and water. The construction of this cigar looks extremely difficult with a nipple on the foot, which is called a perfecto tip (a tapered end at the foot). It also has a lot of oil and it’s just a visually impressive cigar. Can’t wait!
Cigar Stats
Length: 6″
Ring Gauge: 47
Wrapper: Cameroon
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic
Price: $9.50
X-Mas Flame!
The draw is very tight at first. I hope it’s just because of the unique shape of this cigar. It is beginning to open up a little bit as the burn gets past the shoulder of the nipple. It’s sweet with some spice. Medium-full bodied.
Draw is just getting worse and the burn isn’t much better. This cigar is a pain. If it weren’t for the draw this would be a very good cigar. Unfortunately, the draw kills it.
Leather, spice, sweetness, but it just doesn’t draw. That means I can’t get much of those flavors from the cigar. It’s a damn shame because I was really looking forward to smoking this cigar. Oh well, tomorrow is another day.
UNSMOKABLE
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