Arturo Fuente Anejo No. 55
Size: 6 x 55 rg Torpedo
Wrapper: Connecticut Maduro aged in cognac barrels
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican
Strength: Full (seemed more medium to me though)
Well, today was a gorgeous day here in sunny SoCal! No June gloom today! The mercury was sitting at a perfect 70 degrees, with a nice breeze blowing keeping all the marine layer away. The last couple days have been particularly stressful ones for me with some hectic things going on at home that has kept me from enjoying a cigar, so I felt that a special one was called for to celebrate a bit of free time! I was gifted this cigar by Greg, and he had suggested that if I was going to try the Anejo line, I should start with this one as it was the mildest out of the bunch in his opinion. I had told him I would happily take his advice, so here we go!
Disclaimer: I refrained from reading any reviews or information about this cigar prior to smoking it so that I would no preconceptions about it, other than that I have heard it is a damn good smoke. Man, you guys weren't kidding!
I began the traditional pre smoke inspection of the cigar, which surprised me with how rough looking this stick is. I accustom Fuentes with flawless looking sticks, and this was certainly a deviation from the norm. Now, don't get me wrong, to me a rough looking cigar isn't an ugly one by any means. This thing had a mean look to it! The wrapper, which was a rich dark chocolate color, was toothy, with a light oil on it, and had many sporadic veins all over it. The wrapper was bunched up in various places, giving it a weathered look. My buddy described it as, "Craggy." I concur! The foot was bunched nicely, and the point was nice and sharp on the torpedo tip. The scent of the foot was delicious, with a sweet, rich tobacco scent. I clipped the end at an angle, and found the pre light draw to be on the slightly loose side, but not too bad. Hopefully this isn't a tunnel. The taste though, was delicious. Again, that rich tobacco flavor with a sweetness I couldn't put my finger on.
I toasted the foot as best I could in the breeze, and on taking a deep, long pull found a wonderful mix of flavors that were very complex. I could only pick out a couple, but those were the most prominent. Cocoa, coffee bean, VERY rich tobacco, and a nice bit of spice. Wow! The finish is a mile long on this one! I love it! :love:
This cigar is one of those that has a constantly evolving mix of flavors for me. At times I picked up a woodiness, others I found a wonderful roasted nuts tasted (perhaps almond?), and leather. Some vanilla is came through at times as well, which was a pleasant surprise. Oh, man, this is good! The burn was wavy, but corrected itself just fine, and honestly just added to the overall rough appearance of the cigar. The ash was a salt and pepper texture and coloring, that held strong until let go at an inch. I keep picking up a sweetness throughout the length of the stick that is eluding me. I have no idea what it is. I am going to take a guess, as I seem to remember reading some time ago that these were aged in cognac barrels, and that may have something to do with the sweetness. (Of course, after smoking this and then doing a little reading I found out that it is the maduro wrapper that is aged in the cognac barrels.)
This cigar was absolutely buttery smooth throughout the entire smoke, and it never became hot even at the nub. This is definitely a new favorite. My absolute thanks to Greg for sending me this stick, and I can't wait to review the others! A heavenly cigar, to say the least, very, very enjoyable. I felt totally relaxed after finishing this thing. My only complaint is that it had to end.
Size: 6 x 55 rg Torpedo
Wrapper: Connecticut Maduro aged in cognac barrels
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican
Strength: Full (seemed more medium to me though)
Well, today was a gorgeous day here in sunny SoCal! No June gloom today! The mercury was sitting at a perfect 70 degrees, with a nice breeze blowing keeping all the marine layer away. The last couple days have been particularly stressful ones for me with some hectic things going on at home that has kept me from enjoying a cigar, so I felt that a special one was called for to celebrate a bit of free time! I was gifted this cigar by Greg, and he had suggested that if I was going to try the Anejo line, I should start with this one as it was the mildest out of the bunch in his opinion. I had told him I would happily take his advice, so here we go!
Disclaimer: I refrained from reading any reviews or information about this cigar prior to smoking it so that I would no preconceptions about it, other than that I have heard it is a damn good smoke. Man, you guys weren't kidding!
I began the traditional pre smoke inspection of the cigar, which surprised me with how rough looking this stick is. I accustom Fuentes with flawless looking sticks, and this was certainly a deviation from the norm. Now, don't get me wrong, to me a rough looking cigar isn't an ugly one by any means. This thing had a mean look to it! The wrapper, which was a rich dark chocolate color, was toothy, with a light oil on it, and had many sporadic veins all over it. The wrapper was bunched up in various places, giving it a weathered look. My buddy described it as, "Craggy." I concur! The foot was bunched nicely, and the point was nice and sharp on the torpedo tip. The scent of the foot was delicious, with a sweet, rich tobacco scent. I clipped the end at an angle, and found the pre light draw to be on the slightly loose side, but not too bad. Hopefully this isn't a tunnel. The taste though, was delicious. Again, that rich tobacco flavor with a sweetness I couldn't put my finger on.
I toasted the foot as best I could in the breeze, and on taking a deep, long pull found a wonderful mix of flavors that were very complex. I could only pick out a couple, but those were the most prominent. Cocoa, coffee bean, VERY rich tobacco, and a nice bit of spice. Wow! The finish is a mile long on this one! I love it! :love:
This cigar is one of those that has a constantly evolving mix of flavors for me. At times I picked up a woodiness, others I found a wonderful roasted nuts tasted (perhaps almond?), and leather. Some vanilla is came through at times as well, which was a pleasant surprise. Oh, man, this is good! The burn was wavy, but corrected itself just fine, and honestly just added to the overall rough appearance of the cigar. The ash was a salt and pepper texture and coloring, that held strong until let go at an inch. I keep picking up a sweetness throughout the length of the stick that is eluding me. I have no idea what it is. I am going to take a guess, as I seem to remember reading some time ago that these were aged in cognac barrels, and that may have something to do with the sweetness. (Of course, after smoking this and then doing a little reading I found out that it is the maduro wrapper that is aged in the cognac barrels.)
This cigar was absolutely buttery smooth throughout the entire smoke, and it never became hot even at the nub. This is definitely a new favorite. My absolute thanks to Greg for sending me this stick, and I can't wait to review the others! A heavenly cigar, to say the least, very, very enjoyable. I felt totally relaxed after finishing this thing. My only complaint is that it had to end.
