Being that the Hemingway line is more full bodied than the regular line, I was concerned that the Rosado flavors would be obscured in a bolder blend.  In some ways I was right.  This cigar did not taste like the 858 Rosados.  It did not have the creamy leather, wood and cinnamon notes I love about the 858, but it was still good – just in a different way.  It was much spicier and had some clove and pepper notes that built throughout the smoke.  There was some roughness around the edges with this cigar, but I really enjoyed it.

Rating: 89 (B+)

Vitola: Toro

Wrapper: Dominican Rosado

Origin: the DR

Age: Fresh from my humidor but aged in Calvados barrels at Chateau Fuente

I recieved this cigar from the second round of CRA samplers. The Forbidden X cigars are a little different then your normal Opus. These bad boys are aged in Calvados barrels. So what drink did I decide to pair with this rare cigar?  Why calvados of course!

I removed the cedar wrapping and took a whiff, I swear I could smell that appley goodness.

After the first few puffs I already knew I was in heaven. I got that rich woody and cedary taste with a dash of leather and yes, apple.

From the way it was tasting, I thought I was at the end of the cigar, not the beginning.

It’s really interesting, and I’m not sure it just the calvados I’m drinking, but I really get an appley crisp bite to this cigar. Maybe I should ease up on the booze…

As I continue this wonderful cigar I am inundated with notes of coffee and coca with a hint of spice.  This after all, still an Opus.  Part of me wanted to age this cigar for a special occassion, but I wanted to smoke this while it still had some of the Calvados essence.  I have tried to age Anejos and they seem to lose that special flavor as well.  Anyhoo, I’m glad I smoked it.

Fuente really went through a dry spell with Opus quality, I’m glad to see they are back!

I’m sitting outside under the porch, near my wife’s gardenias while a a nice NC summer thunderstorm rolls in enjoying a fine drink and cigar. Couldn’t be finer!  Zen at it’s best!

Rating: 91 (A-)

Vitola: Grand Corona

Wrapper: Dominican Rosado

Origin: Dominican Republic

Age: Fresh

There is no harder cigar to find from the Fuentes than the 8-5-8 Rosado.

They are prized as collector’s items, so I was interested in seeing how such a rare cigar actually tasted.

The appearance of this cigar doesn’t suggest anything special.  The reddish tint and few veins make it attractive, but it really doesn’t jump out at you.

After lighting it and taking the first puff, all I can say is “Holy crap!”.

What a rich robust flavor! Smooth and creamy, teeming with leather and a bit of spice, the first puffs are a dream.

The finish is really long, allowing me to enjoy these flavors long after the exhale.

The stick is full flavored but not strong.  However it does pick up halfway through.

The same flavors are present but in greater intensity, making it a complex cigar, sort of.

The last third is rife with espresso and cocoa notes with that purveying leather flavor.

What a joy this was to smoke!  It makes me understand why they are so heavily sought after.

Rating: 94 (A)

Size

Vitola: Lonsdale

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut

Origin: Dominican Republic

Age: Fresh

Angelenos is a new cigar distributed by Prometheus and made by the Fuentes.  It was made to celebrate the people of Los Angeles.  OK…

This cigar is a little different than I expect, for whatever reason I expected more strength from this cigar.

It’s pretty mild, smooth but a little lacking.  I get wood and a little cream and not much else.

As I smoke this cigar, I’m not disgusted by any means, just not impressed.

Towards the end, I get just a taste of coffee and licorice, but it’s fleeting at best and the finish is very short.

There is very little complexity and depth.  It’s just a good mild cigar, and that’s about it.

Rating: 85 (B)

Vitola: Torpedo

Wrapper: Cameroon

Origin: Dominican Republic

Age: 4 months

So if you know me, you know that I am not a huge Fuente fan.  I find them to be over hyped on average and overvalued.  Unfortunately this Don Carlos Belicoso is no exception.

I love Cameroon wrappers, and very few manufacturers do as much with Cameroons as the Fuentes.  The funny thing is the only Cameroon that I like from them is the redonkulously priced Casa Fuente.

This stubby torpedo has a beautifully dark and satiny Cameroon wrapper that does in fact make you mouth water.  But the happiness for me ends at the appearance.

As soon as I clip the cigar I note that the draw was tight and after lighting, the burn was uneven.

This nice looking cigar’s flavors were muddled from the get go.  I first got notes of  oak and pepper, but there was a  little bit of greenness to the cigar that made it seem like it’s fermentation was rushed.

The flavors to me never developed, this was not good for the money.  The finish was harsh and I had to fight the burn and draw the entire cigar.

In conclusion, this cigar will not change my anti-Fuente ways, it only further confirms my stance.

Rating: 72 (C-)

Vitola:  Grand Corona

Wrapper:  Candela

Origin: Dominican Republic

From the Vault:  I’ve been putting off this Candela for a while as you need to be in a special mood for a candela cigar.

It’s no surprise that this is a very, very mild cigar.  The process of making a candela wrapper halts fermentation and therefore yields a very mild leaf.

This cigar starts off pretty good in the first few puffs.  The draw is easy and the burn is straight. 

As far as flavor is concerned, this is a candela, therefore it is pretty much bland and tasteless.

There is hay and wood notes, but there is an overwhelming sourness very soon after beginning this cigar. 

The sourness remains until I give up on it altogether.  Try a Camacho Candela instead if you want a good candela.

Rating: 65 (D)

Vitola:  Long Panetela

Wrapper:  Connecticut Shade      

Origin: Dominican Republic

From the Vault: This cigar is super old.  I’m guessing 8 years or more but I’m not sure.  I believe the Centennial gave way to the Centennario, but don’t hold me to it.  Tabacelera Fuente makes this for JC Newman, makers of Diamond Crown and Diamond Crown Maximus.

This is a real long slim cigar with a light brown wrapper and a mottled appearance.  

The draw is not as firm as I had expected it to be and it yield a decent amount of smoke with a grayish ash that falls of easily.

This super old stick is mild and actually still has a  little bit of spice like cinnamon remaining with undertones of tea leaves and toast.

It is not overly complex but it is a decently made cigar.

Rating: 83 (B-)

Size:  6 3/4″ x 44

Vitola: Lonsdale

Wrapper:  Connecticut Broadleaf

Origin: Dominican Republic

From the Vault:  This has at least five years on it, but I’m not sure of the date because this was before I labeled my cigars.

These cigars, made by the Fuentes for the JC Newman Co, are traditionally very mild.  Take a mild cigar and age it and often (not always) you get a cigar with hardly any flavor. 

I got nothing from the wrapper, not any of the typical sweetness or earthiness that you get from a CBL wrapper.

The only flavors I did manage to pick up were a little toast and a touch of wood.

It did draw well, but this was very uneventful.

Rating: 78 (C+)

Size

Vitola: Torpedo

Wrapper:  Dominican Rosado

Origin: Dominican Republic

This cigar is already is not yet available at my local, Empire Cigars (formerly Capital City Cigars), but I’m sure it will be soon.  I picked this up several years ago, and not being a HUGE Opus X fan, just figured I’d smoke it when I got around to it.  I just got around to it. 

It did not want to light, which has been common with these Dominican wrappers, the seem to often have an asbestos like quality to them.  The wrapper has a rich red color, and a very oily sheen.  Squeezing it, it’s hard like a rock, but it draws just fine.

The flavors are rich and oaky with a subtle sweetness.  The aroma is tannic like a dry red wine.  There is some acidity to the finish and pepper mingles in and out throughout the smoke. 

The strength of the cigar is strong as is the body, but the strength isn’t in your face like is is with a Corojo.

Towards the end the flavors resemble that of a nice tawny port, sweet and oaky with coffee undertones.

The cigar is a real slow burner, a result in my opinion, of the fire-fickleness of the wrapper, as it is so often unfazed by the flame that it simply puckers up and folds in on itself rather than burning.  It makes sense that this cigar was stuffed with so much filler, otherwise the “guts” would burn waaay quicker than the wrapper. 

This was a nice cigar that aged respectably.

Rating: 90 (A)

Size:  5 ½ ” x 52

Vitola: Torpedo

Wrapper:  Dominican Rosado

Origin: Dominican Republic

Normally I bash these, but this one has been sitting around for a while, and it did impress me.

This cigar is very popular.  The folks at Fuente did a good job making the Opus X and an even better job marketing it.  By limiting the release and distribution of the Opus X, this cigar is still one of the most sought after cigars in the US.

This cigar was really good.  It was rich and still very strong after three years and the flavor was rich with coffee leather and a very long finish.

The cigar drew well and the only complaint I can give it regarding construction is that towards the end it started burning very crooked, but this seems to be very common with these thick Dominican Rosado leaves.

Rating: 90 (A)