Casa Fuente

One of my favorite things to do is take part in cigar passes from various cigar message boards. You get to try new cigars that you might not have been able to purchase in your part of the world. That is sort of how today’s cigar finds me. I missed out on getting a Casa Fuente as the person before me took it. Soo Jitzy a user on the message boards and I worked out a 5 for 5 trade of various cigars with the Fuente being the focal point. Then to top it off, the cigar was from 2005.

Casa Fuente is supposed to be only available at Case Fuente as it is the house blend. The shop is located at Caesars in Las Vegas and the cigar itself is supposed to rival the Opus X. However, if you look hard enough there are some sites on the internet that have them in stock.

The cigar blend is supposedly secret, but many people say the filler and binder is the same as the Opus X.

Cigar: Casa Fuente
Origin: Dominican Republic
Size: 5.38 x 52 (Belicoso Fina)
Wrapper: Cameroon
Binder: Dominican Republic (Unconfirmed)
Filler: Dominican Republic (Unconfirmed)
Strength: Medium to Full

Appearance & Construction (19/20): This cigar might have to serve as my bench mark for all things belicoso. With the exception of a slight imperfection in the leaf that could have occurred in the aging process this cigar is perfect. It has a impressive weight to it, no soft spots, a gorgeous Cameroon wrapper , and one of the best formed belicoso caps that I have ever seen. I did however have to deduct one point, for said imperfection.

Flavor/Notes (30/30): The pre-light notes at the foot and the draw were a nice sweet molasses that was incredibly well defined. Upon lighting the cigar, there was some pepper notes that quickly faded and as I began the first third the notes of molasses (a nice sweetness), and nuts (perhaps nutmeg) enveloped my palate and I was in heaven smoking this cigar. The second third while the sweetness remained notes of nuts and wood (cedar) were the dominant notes. As the cigar closed all 3 notes were working together so well that I did not want to the cigar to end. It turned a day of sadness into a nice relaxing reflecting day.

Burn/Ash/Draw (25/25): This cigar had a gorgeous white ash that held extremely tight. It offered no flake to it, and I was able to work on a nice long ash each time I started one. The draw was perfect and was yet another benchmark for me in terms of belicoso cigars. The burn line was so incredibly straight that people I with even commented on it and the oils on the cigar just above the burn line. This was perfection.

Overall: (23/25): I smoked this cigar on Satuday on what would of be my fathers birthday if he was still alive. In fact when I got the cigar from Jitzy back in August I knew I would fire it up on November 15th and it  easily is the best cigar I have ever smoked. The drawback is the price and how hard it is to obtain, which forces me to drop 2 points in this section. Despite the price though, this is a smoke that should be tried at least once by any aficionado.

Rating: 97
Price: Gift, but retails for $23.00 a stick

My Fathey by Don Pepin Garcia

Well the man with more blends on the market then anyone I can think of has done it again. Although this cigar was released in September, it is first showing up in cigar shops around town and on the internet as well.  This blend is the result of a family effort as it is created by father (Don Pepin) and son (Jaime Garcia). It comes from the El Rey de los Habanos factory down Little Havana in Miami, Florida and is limited to 50,000 cigars per year.  This small little factory has produced a lot of great cigars lately, will this one live up to the hype?

Cigar: My Father
Origin: Little Havana, Miami, Florida
Size: 5.5 x 54 (No. 2 Belicoso)
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano with Criollo (Hybrid)
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Strength: Full

Appearance & Construction (17/20):I was a little shocked by the amount of veins in the wrapper as some of them were very prominent. It did not look like a cigar typical of this price range. The foot of the cigar was a little loose for my liking, but it was acceptable none the less. The band of the cigar is nicely done, though the pink was a tad feminine for a cigar being called “My Father”.

Flavor/Notes (26/30): The pre-light draw of the cigar offered some distinct notes of cinnamon. The same notes were available to the nose at the foot. Upon lighting the cigar, there is some of that trademark Pepin pepper but it is much more subdued then your typical Pepin smoke. The notes of the cigar at times were a bit all over the place for me, but there underlying base was cinnamon and mocha. Other notes were of wood, caramel, and espresso.

Burn/Ash/Draw (24/25): A nice gray ash accompanied this cigar that hell it’s ash very well. Despite a slightly jagged burn line I managed to hold on the my ash for almost half the cigar. The draw had a slight resistance that is to be expected with a belicoso and was very acceptable.

Overall (21/25): I smoked this cigar at the usual spot for me, and I can see now I will soon need to find a new location to do my reviews. The area is now pretty much in the shade and with temperatures this morning at my time of smoke in the mid to up 40′s it was a bit cold. The water on the horizon had a glacial feel to it, and the wind blowing was causing wisps of sands to blow across the sand. It reminded of me snow, and the winter months ahead. I share this because I feel the overall score the settings you smoke a cigar have to be taken into effect. Let’s face it an Opus X would be enjoyed much more among friends than with evil in-laws. As far as the characteristics of the smoke, they flavors were nice, but they jumped around for me a lot which gave me a headache. The price tag on this smoke it a bit hefty, and to be honest I do not think it is warranted. To me the La Aroma De Cuba Edicion Especial is a stick that is better and about 25% less in price.

Rating: 88
Price: $11.40 (Before Local Taxes)

The Skinny:

Cigar: Aturo Fuente Anejo #77
Origin: Domincan Republic
Size: Shark, 5 3/4″ x 56
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican

Pre-Light: The anejo wrappers are aged in oak barrels used for aging Cognac for 5 years, which results in a darker than normal maduro wrapper. The cigar is box pressed to the label, and beyond that is a normal belicoso. I was surprised to feel the foot of the cigar wasn’t packed as tight as it could of been, but the rest of the cigar was nice and firm. The wrapper itself smelled a little of chocolate and there was a indescribable sweetness to it. At the foot I was able to pick up notes of cognac and a slight pepper. The pepper as usual made me sneeze like crazy. The prelight draw was sweet with hints of cognac. How I wish I had some with me for this smoke!

Smoke: So with a sailboat crossing the horizon and the setting sun creating a post card effect in the skies, I clipped the cigar with a straight cutter, and lit this baby up. For the first few drags I found the cigar leaf to be salty. I liken it to a margarita, but over time the first 1/4 inch it faded away. The initial third of the cigar was chocolate and a undefined taste. The second third the undefined taste was defined. Cognac. It amazed me that the taste was so defined. It made me crave the glass of cognac even more. As the cigar reached it final third The cognac was joined by some earthy notes.The cigar had no burn issues, and held its ash pretty well.

Overall: I could not put this cigar down. If I had a roach clip with me, I would of smoked it til there was nothing left. I actually had a slight buzz from the cigar an it was the perfect nightcap to a beautiful day. The notes were chocolate, cognac, pepper and earth. If you remember I was disappointed from the robusto, but not at all by the shark

My Local Price: $14.00
Rating: 94 (Out of 100)