Fuente OpusX Robusto
Size: 5 1/4 x 50
Tobacco: Dominican puro
Price: $25

One of my most memorable cigars was the "skunk cigar" I reviewed in April 2008, an OpusX Super Belicoso, so-named because I was chased off the porch by an adventurous skunk while smoking. That cigar was characterized by an initial burst of pepper, followed by a series of alternating tastes that fluctuated between sweet, spicy, and earthy.

This time, my friends at CigarsDirect sent me this OpusX Robusto.

It's always interesting to note how different vitolas compare to each other. This robusto, as you can see above, had a dark, bumpy wrapper, not at all like the smooth glossy wrapper on the belicoso. There was no initial burst of pepper, and the prominent earth tones of the belicoso gave way to a subtle vegetal taste. Despite being shorter, the robusto seemed to last longer, clocking in at more than 90 minutes. As you would expect from the world's rarest "super premium", the burn was perfect, cool and slow.

This cigar paired well with a single malt, and it certainly had a lot going for it, although in the final analysis the robusto lacked the wow factor of the super belicoso.

Arturo Fuente Flor Fina 8-5-8 Maduro
Size: 6 x 47
Tobacco: Dominican with Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper
Price: $4.10 (B&M), $3.69 (box price)

CigarsDirect (a great online site that specializes in high-end superpremiums) gifted me one of these as a "thank you" for participating in their online NCAA Tournament Challenge.

With the exception of their sandwich cigars, Curly Head and Breva Royale, I can't say I've ever come across a bad offering from Arturo Fuente. Some I've liked more than others, of course, and I was extremely disappointed in the Don Carlos Anniversario a few weeks ago; but all the Fuente lines, from Montesino to Opus X, share common characteristics of quality ingredients and top-notch construction. The 8-5-8 natural is one of my favorite cigars. It features a sophisticated taste that evolves from sweet and nutty to spicy and full over the space of about 50 minutes.

The 8-5-8 maduro is also a very good cigar, but does not hold up to the repuatation of its counterpart. In general, I prefer naturals over maduros anyway, which I often find to be smoother but muted in flavor. The 8-5-8 maduro burns evenly, with a mid-range draw, and yields rich coffee flavors. While coffee is not my favorite taste in a tobacco, it can be enjoyable every once in a while. The 8-5-8 maduro was comparable in flavor to a CAO Black 'VR' (although I think the CAO was a little better, in this case). It paired well with a glass of Gentlemen Jack on a warm spring evening.

On the C&S rating scale, I award this 6.5 leaves out of a perfect 10.

Arturo Fuente Sun Grown Chateau King B
Size: 6 x 55
Filler: Dominican
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sun Grown "rosado" wrapper
Price: $6 (box price); $15 (single)

CigarsDirect (a great online site that specializes in high-end superpremiums) gifted me one of these as a "thank you" for participating in their online NCAA Tournament Challenge. I decided to give it a go at my monthly St. Andrews church poker game. Shaun and I both smoked ours that night, provoking much jealousy among our friends who did not participate in the bracket. It was a lucky stogie, since I won $120 at the table.

The cigar is named after an outdoor tavern in Ybor City, Florida named the "King B", where many of the Cuban immigrants gathered in the afternoon to share drinks and stogies after work.

Since I reviewed this same cigar in a smaller size three months ago, I'm just going to hit the highlights in an abbreviated review:

1. My earlier experience with the Fuente Sun Grown was no fluke: They take the Gran Reserva line to a whole new level. They have more flavor, more spice, and more body.


2. I thought I would enjoy the King B more than the Chateau because it is a larger cigar. Whereas the chateau felt like it burned too hot for so much flavor, I assumed a larger ring guage would taste more balanced. But in fact, the larger cigar had lots of complex, balanced, fun flavors at the beginning and at the end. But in the middle there was a letdown where the cigar seemed to become mild and very muted. Both Shaun and I remarked on it.

The Chateu rated a solid 8.0 leaves out of 10 in the C&S scale. We decided to award the King B a slightly lower 7.5/10.

Postscript April 10, 2009: Last night, my friend Daniel gave me a Fuente Double Chateau Sun Grown, which is longer than the King B (6.75 in) with a smaller ring guage (50). This proved to be the perfect size for the Fuente Sun Grown line. Perfect balance between spice and strength. Never burned too hot and never lost its flavor. I'd rate the Double Chateau Sun Grown a 9/10. Its only negative was a canoe at the very beginning, which is an anomaly in a Fuente product.

Don Carlos Edicion de Aniversario
Size: 5.2 x 50
Tobacco: Dominican
Price: $40 (single)

This cigar stands out as being, by far, the most expensive cigar I've ever smoked. Thank you Cigars Direct

History: 2006 marked the 30th anniversary of Don Carlos cigars, which were created in the Dominican Republic by the patriarch of the Fuente family, Carlos Fuente Sr. This unique anniversary edition was created by his son, Carlito, back in 2004 to commemorate his father's legacy in the cigar industry. Don Carlos Edicion de Aniversario was chosen as Best of the Best by Robb Report (June 2007). Only 24,000 cigars were released to the public; they are sold in humidor boxes that sell for $1,250 each.

Appearance: My cigar sported a smooth, milk-chocolate brown wrapper, with few veins. Its prelight taste was a tad spicy on the lips and the aroma seemed to indicate a medium flavored smoke.

Setting: I selected this cigar on the first day of my beach vacation in Ocean Isle, NC. One of my favorite places to enjoy a cigar is sitting on a beach in late afternoon listening to the surf as the tide rises. It was a very windy Monday afternoon, which was turned out to be unfortunate, because I had trouble getting the cigar lit and keeping an even burn.

Taste: Upon first light, I was rewarded with a full peppery flavor. But that quickly subsided into a medium-bodied, nutty flavor with little aftertaste or finish. The cigar picked up strength as it burned, making me a little light-headed near the end, but the flavor remained constant-- medium and nutty.

Overall impression: I wish I had chosen another day to light this cigar, because it is difficult to savor the complexities of a cigar when you are having to fight gusting wind just to sustain a decent draw. But even allowing for that, I just didn't "get" what was so special about this stogie: it had a decent but unremarkable taste. Not nearly as memorable as other Fuente offerings like OpusX, God of Fire, Hemingway, or Sun Grown.

On my 10-leaf scale, I can only give the Don Carlos Edicion de Aniversario a 6/10.

Fuente Fuente OpusX Super Belicoso

Size: 5.5 x 52

Tobacco: Dominican Puro

Price: $15-$50

To rest of the world, the Fuente Fuente OpusX is considered one of the rarest and most prestigious non-Cuban cigars on the market. To me, it will always be the "skunk cigar". While I was smoking it in Los Pines, Texas a skunk wandered out of the woods and right underneath my chair. My companion looked at me and said, in a very calm voice, "Uh uh, you better clip your cigar and get inside. That thing looks ready to spray." Needless to say, I wasn't about to ruin the cigar-- but I did haul butt off the porch and headed as fast as I could in the opposite direction. I stood by an open fire pit for half an hour, waiting for the skunk to leave, before I could retrieve my forgotten beer.

Cigar History: Although it needs no introduction, this cigar gained its reputation for its Dominican Rosado wrapper. Dominican puros are rare, primarily because the climate does not make it easy to grow good wrappers. Both Fuentes--Carlos Sr. and Jr.--developed the cigar in the 1990's and each year they release a limited batch for the holidays. OpusX are not difficult to locate (CigarsDirect has them here!) and when they are, they go in the $40 and up range. I know in Memphis, at least one B&M sells them for $15, but only to loyal customers--a kind of "thank you" for doing business with them throughout the year.

Appearance: A shiny, glossy wrapper. No defects or noticeable veins. A heady aroma and spicy prelight taste on the tongue.

How did it taste?: When I lit this cigar, I was first surprised by the full, peppery taste. I had not heard that OpusX were considered to be strong cigars and this began very much similar to the Fuente God of Fire. However, the strength/spice quickly abated and was replaced by something interesting: alternating tastes that reminded me, in turns, of a Fuente Hemingway, an Indian Tabac Fire, and a Punch Gran Puro. It was like taking the best characteristics of many different types of cigars and rolling them into one very unique and hard-to-describe experience. It was exceptionally balanced, smooth, and never boring.

Although I almost hate to award such a high score (especially not twice in 10 days), I have to give this a perfect 10-Leaf rating.

(For the first time, I have opened this blog to the following guest review from Shaun Brannen)

Ashton Estate Sun Grown (aka Ashton ESG)
Size: 6.75 X 49
Tobacco: Dominican
Price: 29.95

Last night I had the opportunity to smoke THE ASHTON ESG. This was by far one of the very best cigars that I have ever smoked.

History: The Ashton brand has now been around for 21 years and during this tenure Ashton has grown its reputation to become one of the best super premium cigar names on the market. The quality that goes into every Ashton cigar has turned the brand into a name that is known by all connoisseurs and this quality has led to brand growth every year since the inception of the Ashton name. To celebrate this huge milestone Robert Levin and Carlos Fuente Jr. decided to create the Ashton ESG. What makes this cigar so special? Carlos Fuente Jr. actually created a new blend of tobacco for the wrapper, grown on the Chateau de la Fuente farm, which has never been used before, and is solely used in the production of the ESG. Because there is a very limited amount of the tobacco that is used to create this phenomenal cigar it will only be released in small batch quantities once a year. Every year for the next 10 Ashton will release a new size in the ESG line, and only after ten years will the entire line be available.

Appearance: The overall appearance of the ESG was exquisite, the wrapper was smooth, and there was only one vein that was even noticeable on the stick. During my examination of this perfectly constructed cigar I gave it a pre-light aroma test and I new that I was about to smoke one of the greats, the type of cigar that a true aficionado dreams about at night. If I thought the pre-light aroma was great the pre-light taste test blew my socks off with a rich spicy taste exploding in my mouth.

First Impressions: As I lit the cigar the first thing that I noticed was the spiciness and amount of smoke that filled my mouth with each draw (and currently spicy cigars are my favorite). After about a third of the cigar the spicy flavor started to mellow out and I started to get a complex taste and aroma that had a somewhat nutty flavor. During the 1.5 hours it took to truly enjoy this cigar it burned with a perfect razors edge, and it never once had a disappointing draw.

Overall Experience: This full-bodied cigar was one of the best, if not the very best cigar that I have ever had the opportunity to smoke. Sticks like these should be saved for people who really understand what a good cigar is and can appreciate the workmanship that goes into creating such a great smoke. If you consider yourself a cigar aficionado and have never experience the Ashton ESG you are missing out on one of the greatest blends that has been created. I would recommend that you go to cigarsdirect.com anytime you are in the market for any super premium cigar such as the ESG.

C&S 10 Leaf Scale: Obviously from my review this cigar merits a 10 leaf rating.

God of Fire Carlito 2005 Double Robusto

Size: 5.7 x 50

Tobacco: Dominican (with Cameroon wrapper)

Price: $20-$24

Billy Ferriolo, from CigarsDirect (a great online site that specializes in high-end superpremiums), gifted me this cigar, which I enjoyed with a glass of Glennfiddich 12-Year Old at Swig's martini bar, right off Beale Street in Memphis. I was celebrating my NCAA championship tournament bracket, which was a perfect 8-0 in the Sweet 16. (I am currently 2nd place in the CigarsDirect bracket competition. The winner gets a Padilla humidor, filled with cigars valued at $1500!)

Cigar Background: God of Fire is made annually by The Arturo Fuente Company, in extremely limited quantities which seem to be released around Christmas every year. They tend to be hard to find and sell out quickly, putting them in the same category as OpusX in terms of its ability to generate word-of-mouth buzz. The cigar comes in 2 blends, one by Don Carlos and the other by his son Carlito. The Don Carlos blends are said to be smooth and full-flavored; the son's blends are spicier and stronger.

Appearance: The cigar sports a cool multicolored band depicting a famous scene from Prometheus Bound, where Prometheus is held captive by the Greek gods for giving the secret of fire to mortals. Every day vultures come and peck out his liver. The cigar itself is wrapped in a medium-brown wrapper that is as near to perfect as I've ever seen: shiny, tight, no veins or visual defects--it almost appears to be a single intact leaf.

Prelight: I detected no prelight aroma. When I tasted the cigar cap, I was surprised at a definite sweetness in the wrapper, which often indicates a mild cigar. After clipping the head, though, I could easily taste the pepper spice in the filler tobacco. The sweet wrapper was intended to soften, just a bit, the full onslaught of flavor that was to come.

The Experience: All I can say is... wow! I have never tasted a cigar like this before. It was loaded with pepper spice from the first puff until I nubbed it in the ashtray. Yet, even with all that strength, it never became harsh or overpowering (I immediately think of Camacho Coyolar Puro or Gran Habano #5!). The burn was razor sharp, the ash tight, and the draw was just perfect. In fact, I've not had any cigar since Cuban Montecristo #2 that burned as exceptionally as this one.

The spice abated slightly in the middle third of the cigar. If there was anything disappointing in this cigar, it was that middle section where I thought a new flavor should have made itself known (similar to what happens in a Padron 1926). But I'm nitpicking here... I like spice, and that's what this cigar was all about. I don't know if it was the excitement of the evening or the heavy nicotine content, but my heart was racing during the last half of this beauty.

Final Thoughts: God of Fire ranks easily in the Top 5 cigars I've ever tried. Perhaps the Top 3-right next to Padron 1926 and Cuban Monte #2.

On my 10-Leaf scale, I'm awarding this one a perfect 10!

Arturo Fuente Hemingway Signature Maduro
Size: 6.00 x 47
Tobacco: Dominican Republic
Price: $14.00

This weekend, my friend Shaun and I sampled two Hemingway Signature Maduros.

The Hemingway line, named after the famous American author, probably needs no introduction to most cigar enthusiasts. It was Arturo Fuente's first limited edition extension to their regular Gran Reserva line. They are made with tobacco aged four years and rolled only by experts who are limited to a production quantity of 75 cigars per day. Each cigar is rolled in a perfecto shape. Hemingways can be notoriously difficult to find, and many local B&Ms, especially here in Memphis, limit the number that can be purchased.

The maduro version of the Hemingway is even rarer than the Cameroon. In fact, while the cameroons can usually be found under $10, the maduros sell for considerably more. Most online sites don't even carry them. I got mine from CigarsDirect, a good site for superpremium smokes.

Appearance: Our cigars sported toothy wrappers a deep shade of coffee-brown. The wrapper felt thick to the fingers, and mine was unblemished except for a single vein on the underside that ran from the cap all the way to the foot. The aroma was mild, but the pre-light taste was unmistakably maduro. It was not the flavor of young maduro (like a Partagas Black or a Montecruz Negro), but was balanced and nuanced.

First impressions: Like the cameroon version of this cigar, the immediate taste upon lighting was mild and sweetish. I remembered the cameroon increased in complexity as it burned, picking up spice and pepper, and gradually turned into a full-bodied experience. I expected the same flavor profile here, too. Unlike the cameroon, I tasted distinct notes of nuts and coffee.

Overall experience: What can I say? Flawless construction. A razor straight burn that never varied for an hour. It held an inch-long white ash that never flaked or fell. The draw was perfect for this size ring guage. I was disappointed, however, that the cigar never built any spice or pepper. It remained rather one-dimensional (dare I say it, bland?), medium in taste and body. The potential of those balanced, nuanced pre-light flavors never materialized. I had a slight nicotine rush when I stood up at the end, indicating this cigar managed to be potent without being full-flavored.

On the C&S (Craig & Shaun) 10-Leaf scale, we awarded this cigar 6 Leaves out of 10. If you are a big fan of maduros, you owe it to yourself to give this smoke a try, just to experience its expert craftsmanship. But if you prefer a full spicy taste, then you would fare better with the Hemingway Cameroon or the Fuente Sungrown.

Arturo Fuente Hemingway Short Story
Size: 4 x 48 (perfecto)
Tobacco: Dominican filler, Cameroon wrapper
Price: $5

Billy Ferriolo, from CigarsDirect (a great online site that specializes in high-end superpremiums), gifted me two of these cigars. I first reviewed them seven months ago, and was pleased that my experience this time was equally as good.

Appearance: Perfecto-shaped cigars are supposedly the most difficult vitola to create, and this line is crafted by the most skilled Fuente veterans. At first glance, it appears to be a short, skinny cigar that probably will last half an hour. The wrapper looks flawless and is slick to the touch. The prelight aroma, which is subtle and tangy, belies the spicy strength of the cigar.

Overall impression: The taste profile is identical to the Hemingway Signature, starting out mild-to-medium, and then steadily picking up spice and strength: a very complex smoke that you can nub to your fingers without ever feeling satiated. The spicy flavor settles on the back of the tongue and lingers for hours after the cigar is extinguished. It pairs great with a glass of single malt scotch. Even if you follow it with a lesser cigar (as I did on a lazy Sunday afternoon), the flavor of the Hemingway stays with you. What's particularly astonishing is that, for such a small cigar, it burns incredibly slow, almost an hour, without becoming too hot. Burn is straight as an arrow. I wrote seven months ago "The Hemingway may be the best non-Cuban cigar on the planet." I am now retracting that statement, but only because in comparison to the less expensive Sun Grown Fuente, the Hemingway Short Story never quite reaches the same level of complexity.

I score this a 7.5/10 .

Arturo Fuente Sun Grown Chateau
Size: 4.5 x 50
Filler: Dominican
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sun Grown
Price: $3.85 (box price)

Billy Ferriolo, from CigarsDirect (a great online site that specializes in high-end superpremiums), gifted me three of these very popular cigars. You can tell a Fuente Sungrown apart from its shade grown siblings based on the colors on the band. The sun grown has a black ribbon under the Fuente logo. The others have a green ribbon.

My only prior experience with sun grown cigars were the Carlos Torano Signature, 5 Vegas Limitada, and Punch Gran Puro. The term "sun grown" is applied to tobacco that is grown in open fields with direct exposure to sunlight, which causes the leaves to become thicker, oiler, and produces pronounced veins. They are often used as wrappers for full-bodied cigars, although they are not usually as full as maduros. These cigars are often distinguished from "shade grown" wrappers which are grown under fine gauze sheets called tapados; shade grown wrappers are usually thinner, more attractive, and have more subtle nuanced flavors.

Appearance: The cigar comes dressed in a cedar wrapper. It is dark brown, the color being somewhere between a natural and a maduro. The cigar is smooth and heavy, with densely packed tobacco. It has a spicy prelight aroma.

First impressions: Don't get me wrong, I still love the Fuente 858 (the best of the Gran Reserva line, tastes like a Hemingway)... but this takes Gran Reserva to a whole new level. It has more flavor and more body. It should be enjoyed on a full stomach, paired with a strong single malt scotch. It's not an everyday cigar; it needs to be chosen to fit a certain mood, reserved for times when you can savor the experience.

Overall experience: It features the two best qualities I like in a cigar: lots of spice, and complex flavors. It has a smoky, dry draw. Tastes shift throughout the experience, from hot and bitter at first, then slowly transitioning to smoky and sweet. It is very similar to a JdN, but with a better finish that stays with you for hours after the cigar is finished.

The only drawback--and it is a big one-- is size. At 4.5 inches, this cigar needs a larger ring guage to keep it from getting too hot. I felt like the flavors were fighting with the heat for my attention. Small ring gauges are fine for mild smokes, but they can intensify a strong cigar too much. A better size for this blend would be the Chateau King B (6 x 55).

C&S: 8 / 10.