Author: cigarfan

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Some Thoughts about Tooth and Grain

Cameroon "Tooth"

A few weeks ago when we first started the Padron Roundup we came across the term “grain,” as applied to the unusually large raised dots on many Padron cigar wrappers. In the first Roundup Post (the Padron 7000) we cited a Stogie Fresh article that seems to explain the phenomenon quite adequately.

But it was inevitable that someone should ask, “I’ve always called that tooth. How do you tell the difference between tooth and grain?”

Initially we thought that should be easy, because “grain” as we knew it was the more prominent epidermal structure we were seeing a lot on Padron wrappers, especially the maduros: the raised dots that are visible as white dots in the ash. Tooth, on the other hand, describes the rough surface of some wrapper leaves, Cameroon in particular. If they are distinct in the ash, then they must be distinct on the wrapper, right?

My first thought was, “Yes. Of course!” But then I took a closer look. First by examining the contents of my humidor, where I was not able to differentiate between what might be tooth and what might be grain, and then by digging through the literature on the subject, which is admittedly scanty.

My first discovery was that the professional literature does not always use the term “grain” in the way we have been using it. Most of the time it is used in a more general sense, as a way to refer to the texture of the leaf. For example,

“Thickness and weight per unit area of leaf are measures of body, while cell size and compactness of cell arrangement are the physical basis of grain.” ¹

In describing the effects of the fermentation process another article says there is “a change to a uniform and darker color and a grainy leaf texture.”² Clearly a general use of the term.

"Grain" in the Ash

"Grain" in the Ash

What was more interesting is that there is a specific use of the term that does corroborate the way we have been using it. The only problem is that it comes from a paper written in 1916, a time when cigars were King. (Also a time when the U.S. Department of Agriculture supported these kinds of studies.)

Charles S. Ridgway writes that grain is composed of crystalline bodies. “On burning, these grain bodies swell and cause the pearl-like pimples so frequently seen on the ashes of cigars.” Ah ha!

Ridgway goes on to say that this grain is present in all air-cured types of tobacco, and that there are many types of grain. Interestingly, he says that the grain particles are actually what gives the tobacco its color. Most of this grain is microscopic and is usually embedded in the tissue of the leaf. But there are two exceptions to this, and these are what caught my eye:

“on dark-colored leaves of a heavy texture it may appear as raised black dots; on lighter colored leaves it appears as minute disks situated on or immediately beneath the surface on either side of the leaf.”³

Ridgway developed a way to separate the grain from the rest of the leaf components (a very tedious mechanical process requiring a binocular microscope) so he could analyze the chemical composition of the grain. He found that it was chiefly composed of calcium, with a little magnesium and potassium, in combination with citric and malic acids.

Since grain is formed during the curing and fermenting process, Ridgway proposes that the formation of macroscopic grain is caused by the breakdown of cell walls and the “disorganization of the protoplasm,” allowing the formation of minute crystals. Some of these crystals grow by a process of accretion and eventually form solid grain bodies of visible size.

Based on this I would think that of the several different types of “grain,” one in particular creates the effect that we saw in some of the Padron maduros. It makes sense that the chemical reaction responsible for producing the bright white specks in the wrapper ash is due to an unusually high level of an element like magnesium in the crystal “grain” when it burns.

In the picture below the same type of stippling is visible in the Cameroon ash, but it’s much smaller. The small toothy bumps have merely been reduced to ash, but retain their basic definition.

Cameroon Grain

Cameroon Grain

So back to the question: How can you tell the difference between grain and tooth? Well, the first problem is that the term “grain” is not a very good one because it has more than one connotation in terms of tobacco leaf texture and composition. If we take “tooth” to be general for any kind of surface texturing, and “grain” as specific to this type of stippling in the ash, the answer is this:

Those little white specks that we’ve been calling grain can only be identified after the wrapper has been reduced to ash. If they are at all visible beforehand, there is no way of differentiating them from any other kind of surface texture. The only way to tell if it’s grain is to light that sucker up and see!

Cameroon Ash

Cameroon Ash

NOTES

1. C. Barnard, “Leaf Structure in Relation to Quality in Flue-Cured Tobacco,” Australian Journal of Agricultural Research, 11 (2), 1960

2. T.C. Tso, “Seed to Smoke” in Tobacco: Production, Chemistry and Technology, 1999

3. Charles S. Ridgway, “Grain of the Tobacco Leaf,” Journal of Agricultural Research, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, 1916

Leave a comment Posted on by cigarfan Aging Reports, Cigar Reviews

Aging Report: Medal of Honor “Intellect”

It’s been a little over two years since I visited the Medal of Honor Intellect, and while it hasn’t staged a remarkable transformation in that time, it’s still a really nice mellow smoke.

The Medal of Honor series was created for JR Cigars by Estelo Padron in Honduras to celebrate the cigar men who helped JR Cigars become the retail giant that it is today. This particular size honors Martin Herbst, who created the Maria Mancini and La Finca cigar brands.

I couldn’t remember exactly what went into this cigar when I pulled it out of long-term storage, and I decided to smoke it before refreshing my memory. This is not my habit at all, but since I’m quite familiar with this cigar I thought I could probably guess its composition.

My guess was wrong. Mid-way through this cigar I guessed that this was a Cameroon wrapper due to its bright cedary sweetness. I thought it was a little mild for Cameroon, but I attributed that to aging. For the first two inches it’s a simple blend of wood and cedar spice. As it turns out, this is actually an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper. The buttery texture (and lack of tooth in the wrapper) should have given it away, but not this time.

This has always been an easy going, mellow smoke, and it continues to be so. There isn’t much of a transition from first light to last ash, but this is nothing new either. The only surprise is a caramel spice in the second half that replaces the cedar from the first part. The foundation flavors remain woody from start to finish, and the aftertaste is pleasantly crisp and clean.

Construction values here have not changed over time and remain excellent — a beautiful solid ash and a razor sharp burn. Every one of these has been consistent in that regard.

The Medal of Honor Intellect is a mild mannered but articulate smoke that requires few words to make its point, which is well taken.

If you’re lucky enough to be sitting on a box of these from when they were first released in 2005, I’d say the time is ripe to break them out and pass them around to friends who enjoy lighter smokes; from this point forward I would expect them to simply make a gentle and gradual decline.

And if the mild-bodied stuff doesn’t interest you, stay tuned for the Padron Roundup scheduled to begin here on June 10 and continue for several weeks into the summer.

-cigarfan

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Ancient Warrior Perfecto #2 by K. Hansotia

K. Hansotia and his Gurkha cigar line have done very well over the years by producing high quality cigars that are frequently veiled in mystique and hyperbole. Elaborate bands and boxes that border on the baroque are standard for Gurkha, not to mention the extreme “super premium” cigars infused with rare cognacs that have been advertised for $750 to over a thousand dollars per cigar. While producing some nice cigars, Mr. Hansotia evidently likes to put on a show as well.

But the fog that surrounds this line tends to obscure the simple facts, like who makes this cigar, and what is in the blend? The first Ancient Warriors I encountered were nothing like the ones I smoked for this review; in fact they weren’t even close to being the same — they were Brazilian puros with red bands and ribbons in a giant 7.5 x 50 size exclusive to Cigars International. (I was planning to review that cigar, but couldn’t get through more than half of it without wanting to shoot myself out of boredom. George at the Stogie Guys fared a little better.) So when I first saw the “regular” Ancient Warriors with the yellow and black labels in a local cigar shop, I was of course confused. That seems to be the nature of the Gurkha line.

In 2005, when the Ancient Warrior was introduced, a press release announced its composition:

  • Wrapper: Brazil
  • Binder: Costa Rica
  • Filler: Dominican Republic; Honduras

The information now available on their website (and confirmed by cigarcyclopedia.com) is that the binder is in fact Dominican. To muddy the water further, some retailer sites advertise a Nicaraguan binder. At some point the only thing you can do is throw up your hands and say, Who cares?

So, in that spirit, I clipped this attractive 5 x 56 zeppelin perfecto and put its foot to the fire.

My prelight impression of this cigar was mostly favorable: it smells like well aged and fermented maduro leaf. The roll is solid and even, and the wrapper is invitingly oily. It has a few prominent veins that give it a rustic appearance. The only real flaw here is that the wrapper bleeds a bit. Time to get out my Michael Jackson smoking glove.

Lighting this cigar was easy, and unlike some perfectos I’ve torched recently I didn’t have to play with the burn too much. The first flavor to make an entrance here is the theme to which this cigar returns over and over again: bittersweet chocolate. This is a really nice wrapper — in addition to the chocolate element, there’s a harmonious aroma that slowly turns from musk to wood.

It’s easy on the palate, starting with touches of sweetness on the tips and edges of the tongue and gradually developing a more earthy flavor. The smoke is smooth, medium-bodied, and easy going. The finish is moderate in length and the aftertaste is mildly bittersweet.

At the mid-way point the aroma becomes woodier, but it maintains its basically chocolate profile. Toward the end (for me a bit beyond the 2/3 point) it begins to heat up considerably, and it starts to lose its Bitter/Sweet balance. Finally it falters and falls away from chocolate into an overly tart bitterness.

Overall, the Ancient Warrior is a tasty smoke that offers a lot of flavor while remaining relatively tame. it’s similar to the Carlos Toraño Signature series, with a little less emphasis on the coffee flavors that the Signature offers.

The Ancient Warrior was reportedly designed to be a “more affordable” cigar, but when it comes to the Gurkha outfit it’s hard to tell if that’s the truth, or merely advertising. In any case, these are reasonably priced at around $100 for a box of 20 or $5 to $6 per stick.

The perfectos are a little hard to find right now, but our friends at Fumée World have the 60 ring gauge “El Duke” in stock right now for 5 bucks. And they’re offering a special deal for readers of Keepers of the Flame:

Enter the coupon code “keepersoftheflame” at checkout and get a FREE 1/2 pound bag of Black Dog Coffee!

A perfect companion to this cigar. Of course, the free coffee deal applies to any order from Fumée World, but for the first ten users only. Heather and Ralph run a great shop with the most personal and friendly customer service I’ve run across, so give them a call at 1-877-FUMEE-01 if you have any questions.

4 Comments Posted on by cigarfan Cigar Reviews

Augusto Reyes Criollo Corona

A few months back I gave the Augusto Reyes Nativo corona a walk around the block and found it to be a tasty — if a little bit quirky — cigar. Around the same time I pick up a couple of their cousins, the Augusto Reyes Criollo coronas. Having consigned my Nativos to the flames with fine results, I thought it was time for the Criollos to have their day of reckoning as well.

The robusto size in the AR Criollo line earned an accolade from the Robb Report as the “Best of the Best 2007.” I’m not sure how many cigars are entered into their evaluation, or what their technique is, but I would expect that they’re not testing too many Consuegras. Cruising in your Audi R8 with a Connie just ain’t happening.

The information I have on the blend is pretty basic: the binder and filler are Dominican, and the wrapper is Ecuadorian grown Connecticut Shade. One of the few articles I could find about this cigar is from a Dominican social news site, which relates that it was “designed for smokers who enjoy a blend a little smoother than the Nativo, but with a lot of aroma and flavor.” Having smoked this cigar, I have to disagree that it’s smoother, but it certainly does have plenty of flavor and a nice aroma.

I had forgotten that this cigar had a Connecticut wrapper when I first lit it up — because the name of the cigar is Criollo, I assumed that the wrapper was as well. So I was surprised by the first few puffs, which were smooth and nutty. Hmmm, I thought. It’s almost like Connecticut Shade. After half an inch or so I changed my mind because a touch of cayenne kicks in; too spicy to be Connecticut, I thought.

My first impression was correct, of course. The Connecticut wrapper itself is a smooth claro in shade, with a very light sheen of oil and miniscule veins. The draw is excellent, and these little coronas burn perfectly to a solid light gray ash.

Into the second third the Criollo turns up the intensity. The flavor turns from nuts with a bit of pepper to earth with even more pepper, and the finish lengthens considerably. The aroma contrasts with the changes in the flavor of the cigar in an interesting way — as the flavor takes on more minerals and becomes richer, the aroma seems sweeter.

The last third is positively punchy. This is basically a medium-bodied cigar, but the nicotine content is nothing to sneeze at. The flavor is intensely earthy, almost ashy at times, and the aftertaste is overpowering. Some might call this “harsh,” but I find it just very intense. On the other hand, if earthy is not your thing, you’ll want to avoid this smoke.

The “criollo” in this smoke is obviously not from the wrapper — it’s from the blend itself, which has a lot in common with the flavors of Creole food — charbroiled seafood, paprika, and cayenne. Topped off with a little sweet nuttiness from that wrapper and a good dose of nicotine.

The Augusto Reyes Criollo line runs a little less than the Nativo, but not by much. Expect to see these for around 7 USD, if at all. They’re still in production, but not exactly ubiquitous. Consuegras they’re not. Just ask the folks at the Robb Report.

–cigarfan

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La Flor Dominicana El Jocko

In 1997 as the cigar boom began to wane, La Flor Dominicana blessed us with a funky little figurado called El Jocko. There were relatively few decent cigars to be found at that time —the few reputable manufacturers were struggling to keep up with demand and maintain quality amid severe tobacco shortages, while some retailers were limiting purchases of standards like Fuente 858s. El Jocko was exactly what seasoned smokers needed — a full flavored and consistent cigar with a strange shape that would confuse and repel the amateurs.

It only took a few years for the industry to recover from the boom. Quality improved dramatically, and the diversity of blends and brands expanded. In the late 90’s El Jocko crested in a sea of mild cigars, but within only a few years the full-bodied trend let it silently drift away. It’s been a long time since I’ve tried one of these, and my experience of them today is bound to be a lot different from what it was in the era of the “Don Nobodies.”

This small cigar is immediately identifiable by its bowling pin shape. It’s basically a “bouquet” perfecto, similar to a Fuente Short Story, but with more gradual proportions. It was named for a cigar retailer named Jacko Headblade who visited the Flor Dominicana farms and for some reason attempted to ride one of the farm’s donkeys (not very successfully, I presume.) The spectacle inspired Litto Gomez to name both the donkey and his new cigar “El Jocko.”

El Jocko comes in two styles: an Ecuadorian Connecticut, and a Mexican maduro. At one time there were two sizes as well, but it appears that now there is only one, which measures 4 1/2 inches long and has a 54 ring gauge at it’s thickest point. (The other size was a larger version of this one.) The binder is Nicaraguan, and the filler is Dominican piloto cubano.

The Connecticut and Maduro versions of this cigar have similar construction values. This shape is challenging and would seem to invite construction defects, but for the most part it avoids these. I smoked two of each for this review, and they all drew very well and burned with a slow determination. Minor burn problems had me reaching for the lighter a couple times, but the corrections I made were not entirely necessary.

Both species start out a tad harsh, but in different ways: the Connecticut is noticeably tannic, while the Maduro bursts with peppercorn. In both blends this dies away as the ring gauge expands.

The Connecticut is typical of medium to full-bodied Dominicans — the piloto gives it a respectably spicy spine, while the wrapper imparts a softer touch: nuts, and a sweet clover honey-like fragrance. As the bulbous section burns to a solid light gray ash the pepper returns, and the flavors grow more aggressive. Smoking slowly is highly recommended at this point to avoid overheating. The flavors remind me a little of the 601 Connecticut, but considerably toned down.

The Maduro displays a little more character. It comes out of the gate with a dose of black pepper and can initially be a bit harsh on the throat. It mellows after the first half-inch or so and the smoke takes on a creamier texture. The first section tastes of burnt coffee or bitter chocolate. As the cinder burns through the waist of the stick it gradually becomes sweeter and develops a leathery aspect. It’s slow burning with a lengthy finish and leaves an aftertaste of char. Into the final stretch the flavors turn darker and sharper once again, reminding me of La Flor Dominicana’s popular Double Ligero series. Again, not as bold as the DL, but similar in taste. Unfortunately, it’s not a taste I really enjoy. The middle section was quite nice — smooth and flavorful without the carbonized sugar taste that I didn’t care for in the last third.

These are both very good cigars, but when compared with the incredible array of fantastic smokes available right now, they pale a little bit. My memory of El Jocko is that it was much better ten years ago than it is now, but taste must be taken in context and memories fade. Trying to compare today’s cigar to a ten year old memory is probably no more than an interesting experiment. It’s a much better world for cigars now, and ten years of tasting many different blends has honed my palate a little… for the better I hope.

El Jockos sell for around $5 to $6 individually, or around $100 a box. That seems reasonable to me, especially considering the craftsmanship required to make this unique looking cigar. It may seem a bit much for such a small cigar, but take it slow and this little perfecto will spin an interesting yarn for up to 45 minutes.

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Famous Nicaraguan Corojo Corona

Well, Don “Pepin” Garcia has finally dropped the bomb. We knew it was coming, like the End of Days, but we didn’t know when. First Pepin announced he would no longer take on new clients. Soon after that, Ernesto Padilla announced that Pepin would no longer manufacture Padilla cigars. Then there was a public airing of grievances at Stogieguys.com regarding Pepin dropping Black Cat as a client. And at some point during all this, the prices on Pepin blends at Cigar King went through the roof. The time is nigh!

For lovers of full bodied Nicaraguan puros this may sound like a death knell, but of course it isn’t. Pepin will still make plenty of cigars (though a rumored 20% across the board price increase is entirely credible) but it’s not like he’s going away. Like he says, “The day I stop making cigars will be the day I die.” Furthermore, there are plenty of other fine Nicaraguan puros out there, many for a much more affordable price. The Famous Nicaraguan Corojo is one of them.

Now these coronas are not Pepin replicas or seconds, or what have you, but there is a connection. They’re made for Famous Smoke Shop by Tabacalera Tropical, where Pepin was once employed as a blender. The principal backer for Pepin’s solo venture was the owner of Tropical, Eduardo Fernandez, and Fernandez reportedly grows many of the tobaccos Pepin uses in his Rey de los Habanos blends.

I like small full-flavored cigars as “fixers.” Sometimes I’ll start a cigar that turns out to be plugged, or won’t burn right, or just rubs me the wrong way for some reason. Instead of struggling though the cigar and having a miserable experience, I’ll toss it and grab a fixer instead. The corona size in this line is a great fixer.

I bought a box of these about a year ago and have observed them mellow from sharp pungent smokes to smooth, but still quite bold cigars. They’re billed as having a 42 ring gauge, but they seem a little narrower to me — closer to a 40 I think. At 5 1/2 inches long they’re still well within the corona range.

The corojo wrapper is an oily colorado maduro and makes an attractive casing for the intensity of the ligero binder and filler within. The roll is firm, and like most corojo blends this one does best at a lower humidity — in the low 60s at most. The draw tends toward the firm side and can be difficult if these are kept at 70%.

The opening is classic Nicaraguan spice — lots of black pepper held in check by a leathery underpinning. After an inch or so the pepper subsides, but it never entirely disappears. The burn is a little erratic and needs an occasional touch up.

At the midway point the corona stretches its legs a little and becomes a smoother, more relaxing smoke. It’s not the most nuanced cigar on the planet, but at this point the spice melds with the leathery aspect and if taken slowly it’s quite enjoyable. It continues in this fashion as it glides in for a landing. My only advice here is to take it slow. Hotbox this one, especially in the last third, and it will get a little mean.

The Famous Nicaraguan Corojo blend is a solid blend of spice and leather that is reminiscent of the recent Nicaraguan corojo blends, but is available at a much more reasonable price. A box of 20 will set you back only 50 clams. It’s not the most subtle or sophisticated cigar on the market, but for the price it’s most definitely worth checking out, either as an everyday smoke for the medium to heavy bodied palate, or in my case, as a “fixer.”

3 Comments Posted on by cigarfan Cigar Reviews

Montecristo Platinum Royale Delacroix

It’s been a while since I fired up a Monte Platinum, and to tell the truth I was a little hesitant about this one. Back in the day they used an Indonesian wrapper that really put me off my oats, but they switched to a San Andrés maduro which has made a big improvement. Even so, this one has been languishing in my humidor for a couple years.

The “Cigare des Artes” line was introduced by Consolidated Cigar in 1998 (before the company was swallowed up by Altadis USA) as a fuller bodied version of the standard Montecristo. The original line had a Nicaragua wrapper, and the packaging was extravagant: cedar-wrapped cigars in aluminum tubes sold in specially decorated boxes or ceramic jars.

The art chosen for the line was unusual for the American cigar market: the paintings of French artist Michel Delacroix, most of which feature cityscapes of Paris and its environs prior to World War II. He paints in the “naif” manner — a simplistic, folksy style that ignores perspective and looks sort of like the art of Grandma Moses. Given the slick, cosmopolitan images used in cigar advertising today, this isn’t what I expect to see on a cigar box.

The painting commissioned for this line is called “Montecristo Royal,” a crisp looking winter scene of the city that includes a huge sign on a building that reads “Montecristo Fine Cigars” with the Montecristo logo. The sign looks out of place, just as the painting does on a box of cigars. It took a while, but eventually I began to see its charm.

When the original “Cigare des Artes” blend was discontinued in 2002 it was replaced by the Platinum blend, but the commercial vitolas and the artwork still bore the impression of Michel Delacroix. The 7.25 x 52 double corona up for review here is called the “Royale Delacroix.” This size was discontinued in 2004, so this stick has a few years on it. (I received it in a trade about two years ago.)

The wrapper on this slugger is a Habana 2000 grown in the San Andrés Valley of Mexico, normally known as a great producer of maduro wrapper. The binder is Nicaraguan, and the filler is a blend of leaves from the Dominican Republic, Peru and Nicaragua. And like most (if not all) Montecristos, it is rolled in the Tabacalera Garcia factory in La Romana, DR.

The wrapper on this cigar is dark, nearly maduro, with a lot of oil. The overall appearance is rough, but attractive nevertheless. The roll is solid and the draw is just right. It lights up easily and starts to build a solid light gray ash.

The first third is marked by a sweet hickory flavor and a mild body. For the first inch there’s just a hint of bite, but this vanishes as some cocoa flavors make an entrance. Into the second third the finish grows and leaves an earthy aftertaste. The flavors get a little more chocolatey but in a muted rather than a robust way. A good contrast is the RP Olde World, which has similar flavors but articulates them much better. The aroma up to this point is of sweet wood and is generally quite pleasant.

After an hour I find that I’m becoming bored with this cigar. It’s burning well and tastes fine, but it’s lacking in substance. Maybe if I were sitting in a Paris cafe, circa 1895, watching the snow fall on a horse drawn carriage while I sipped my coffee, perhaps then I might find the patience to smoke this big boy to the end. As it is now, in the twenty first century, watching the jets streak across the night sky bound for Nellis AFB, I’m ready to call it quits.

The Montecristo Royale Delacroix is fine cigar, no doubt. Fans of mild to medium bodied cigars will find this double corona very enjoyable, but if you’re looking for a little more flavor, you may want to look elsewhere.

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Aging Report: Padilla en Cedro Robusto

The Padilla en Cedro was a special edition cigar from Ernesto Padilla that was released in 2005. Production ceased sometime in 2006, and to my knowledge these are sold out everywhere at this point in time. It’s a mild Connecticut shade style cigar — an unlikely candidate for aging, to be honest.

When I first received these in early 2006 they were almost bitter. The tannins were puckery strong and not to my liking at all, especially not in a Connecticut shade selection. The blend just seemed all wrong for that.

But when I last checked in with the Padilla en Cedro it had improved remarkably from its fresh state: nine months in the humidor did wonders. The tannins had mellowed quite a bit and the cigar was a much smoother, and enjoyable, smoke.

And now, after two years, this robusto is completely transformed. While still mild, it has grown far more complex and subtly sophisticated than I thought possible. The only way in which it seems to have suffered is in appearance — the wrapper has become slightly faded, more drab and splotchy, though it seems to have retained its sheen.

Remembering this cigar’s original character, I was expecting at least a hint of tannin, but for the first third there’s nothing but nuts and honey sweetness, with a touch of vanilla that was not in the fresh cigar at all. A remnant of tannin is apparent in a generally dry flavor, but it’s nothing that approaches a full blown pucker.

At the half-way point the cedar qualities come to the fore, and a little black pepper sets in. The finish lengthens and there is a more substantial aftertaste, thanks in part to the pepper. As the flavor on the tongue gets stronger, the aroma seems to fade a little, which makes the Cedro a little less profound. A lot of its subtlety is in the nose.

Somewhere around the 3/4 mark it dwindles to a merely average cigar. The flavor bottoms out and veers toward bitterness — a slight disappointment considering how wonderfully the trip started.

Construction values here remain consistently very good on all levels — a perfect burn, a streaky but solid ash, and an effortless draw.

I suspect these robustos are at their peak right now. The highlights of this cigar — the gentle sweetness and vanilla overtones — are subtleties that I can easily see vanishing in a few months to a year. This seems to be the problem with aging mild cigars, though in this case it has really paid off. I may hang on to a couple of Padilla Cedros for “research” purposes, but the rest of them are in my sights right now.

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A Worthy Cause

Matt (of Matt’s Cigar Journal) is raising money for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation through this year’s Triangle Ride for Kids, and he’s asking us stogie fanatics for a little help. As a tempting incentive, he’s raffling off some great smokes:

1 box of Fuente Opus X Petit Lanceros from CigarsDirect.com
1 Box of Hoyo de Monterey Dark Sumatra Noches from Tobacconists of Cary, NC
1 Box of Perdomo Habano Corojo Robustos from Tabacalera Perdomo
1 Box of Camacho Corojo Monarcas from Camacho Cigars

The raffle is only ten dollars a throw and so far there aren’t that many contestants. Your chances of winning right now are pretty good, and your chances of making a contribution to a great cause are assured.

And to sweeten the pot a little, the most generous contributor will get a handful of my goto smokes. Just make sure to leave a comment below this post saying that you made a contribution so I can contact you when it’s through.

Go to Matt’s Ride For Kids post to enter NOW! There are only a few weeks left!

I just noticed there are a couple of tying entries right now — $100.00 is the price to beat for my free smokes. In the event of a tie, the winner will be decided by our new puppy, Chip. My wife found Chip abandoned on the Navajo Indian Reservation in Northern Arizona a few weeks ago, and he’s going to be a great dog.

If a tie breaker is necessary, two or more new tennis balls with the contestants’ names written on them will be launched simultaneously in my back yard, and the one Chip retrieves will be the winner. Now what could be more random than that?

Meet the Referee

 

8 Comments Posted on by cigarfan Arturo Fuente, Cigar Brand History, Cigar Reviews

Arturo Fuente Añejo No. 48

In September 1998 Hurricane Georges ripped through the Carribbean and caused widespread destruction, including crop damage in the Dominican Republic. Among the beseiged plantations was the now famous Chateau de la Fuente, where wrapper leaf for Fuente’s Opus X is grown and harvested.

Two years later the legacy of the storm was borne out in a shortage of Opus X wrapper, but instead of halting production altogether, Carlos Fuente Jr. directed the use of a different wrapper — a hearty maduro broadleaf. In this way improvisation triumphed over adversity and the Arturo Fuente Añejo was created.

The filler blend is said to be a combination of the blends used for Opus X, Don Carlos, and Hemingway cigars, all of which are themselves secret — which makes the Añejo blend an enigma wrapped in a mystery, wrapped in a Connecticut broadleaf that has been aged for three to four years, including six to eight months in cognac barrels. (The original release used wrappers aged for seven years, hence the name Añejo, meaning aged.)

Current sizes in production:

  • No. 46 – 5 5/8 x 46
  • No. 48 – 7 x 48
  • No. 49 – 7 5/8 x 49
  • No. 50 – 5 1/4 x 50
  • No. 55 – 6 x 55
  • No. 77 “Shark” – 5 5/8 x 54

I usually try to smoke several cigars, preferably from different boxes, to prepare for a review, but in this case I was stymied by both the price and the availability of the Añejo. Typically these are released twice a year — in the summer around Father’s Day and again around the winter holidays. And even though they are reasonably priced by the manufacturer, consumer demand pushes the shelf price into the stratosphere. MSRP plus my state tax should place this stick in the $11 – 12 USD range. I paid $18 for one No. 48 last summer. That’s a bit rich for my blood, so I’m reviewing this cigar based on one single experience.

The Arturo Fuente Añejo is presented in a cedar sheath that seems to be more aromatic than most — I’m not sure if it’s by design or by accident, but it lends the wrapper an intense scent of sweet cedar. The wrapper itself is a moderately oily and rich looking oscuro.

In a pre-light pull the draw is firm to tight, and the flavor is of wood and straight sweet tobacco.

I was expecting the Añejo to be a big powerful smoke like its sibling Opus X, but this was not the case with the churchill sized No. 48. Instead what I found was a civilized and genteel cigar with an elegant perfume.

It starts up very smoothly with a good dose of sweet spice — light anise and sweet cedar. The finish is short and the aftertaste evanescent. It draws very well despite my initial pre-light impression — it’s firm, but the volume of smoke is effective and cool. The burn is even and consistent from start to finish.

The 48 doesn’t undergo a lot of transition during the course of the smoke. It grows in intensity, but it’s still playing the same song at a louder volume. Fortunately for me this is a song I really like. It starts out with moderately mild body and soon becomes medium-bodied for the duration. The last third does become a little bit richer, the spices turn from sweet aromatics to smatterings of pepper, and the aftertaste takes on a little more gravity. The finish stays crisp and clean to the band.

And from first light to last ash this cigar puts out a beautifully elegant aroma — it’s floral at times, cedary at others, and really enjoyable throughout. It reminds me a lot of the Fuente Work of Art maduro in this respect, but the Añejo is perhaps more refined. That could be due to the size difference rather than the blend, but I find the similarity unmistakeable.

I can certainly see why Lucky7 made one of the Anejo cigars his best of 2007. So far I think this is the best cigar I’ve smoked this year. But the price… Doh!

REFERENCES

Vitolas.net — a fantastic source for Fuente information and trivia.