It is not everyday that I get to smoke a cigar that was as rare as this one. The cigar itself is not rare, in that, you can find these in pretty much any B&M that carries Fuente. What is rare is that this was from an original release box that was procured in 1991. This cigar is at least 20 years old, and from what I know about the Fuente's this may have had three years of age on it before it hit the box. A very close friend gave me this smoke as a gift and I had been trying to figure out when to smoke it. Da Bears/Packers game seemed like just the right time for this pursuit.
The cigar presents in an intimidating perfecto size that seems gigantic to me. The wrapper is showing some age, and feels a touch dry, but I am not anticipating any issues. The construction seems to be excellent as an inspection reveals nothing of note. The pre light aroma is light and floral. The pre light draw shows some slight tobacco essence, but not much else is there.
The cigar opens with a profile that is extremely mild. There are some flavors of cedar and tobacco here, but they are neither complex or particularly deep. At the back of the palate there are some dusty wood characteristics, but again the palate is left wanting for more in the experience. The burn is right on the money and that is a testament to expert construction, for a cigar of this shape and size to burn well is a marvel of cigar engineering. The draw is fluid and easy, imparting just the right amount of smoke with every draw.
The first third of the cigar shows little progression of any kind. The main body picks up some floral ideas, but continues to show steady presentations of cedar and tobacco. At the back of the palate there are still some dusty wood presentations, but a wheaty character has entered the picture here as well. The burn is still right on the money and the draw continues to be a dream.
The middle third of the cigar continues to be mired in mediocrity. The core profile takes on a more floral personality, but there really is nothing here that is leading to any complexity or depth. The back of the palate continues to be combination of wood and wheat. The burn and draw are continuing to be the stars of this particular show.
The final third of the cigar continues to be very blase. The core profile is floral, with some touches of tobacco and some fleeting cinnamon notes (that at one time would have been profound). At the back of the palate there are still just some wood and wheat notes that are nothing special. The burn and draw steal the show here, just magnificent through to the end.
The finish was short and wheaty. At least I can say that I am one of the few people that has smoked a 20 year old Fuente, but this definitely reaffirms that old adage....smoke if you got em...
Appearance- 88 a nice looking smoke, but it is showing it's age
Taste- 84 very mundane and lacking in complexity and depth
Construction- 96 for a cigar of this size to be this well constructed and stay that way for 20 years warrants this score
Strength- 85 a very non-descript mild
Overall- 88.75 based in large part on construction
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