The Anejo is a very limited and very special release that the Fuente's do about once a year, usually somewhere near the holidays. I typically grab several and let them sit in the humi for months, or even years, before I get around to smoking them. I have always enjoyed these rare treats, but in recent years I have not thought as highly of them as I have in the past. This particular smoke is from the 2011 batch and it is the first of the ones that I purchased that I am getting around to smoking.
This cigar always presents well. There is always a cedar sleeve around the dark and rich looking cigar, that gives it an external atmosphere that makes one feel like they are about to open a present. The cello even has gold embossed lettering that makes the smoke seem even more special, the Fuente's are the masters of understated opulence visually. The cigar itself is bold and rich looking. The wrapper is a deep and rich brown, like very freshly ground coffee, and it is applied expertly without errors or major veins that will detract from the experience visually. An examination of the smoke leads me to think it may be too tight, but I can't find any plugs or other areas of concern. The pre light aroma is full of spice and tobacco notes. The pre light draw is full of rich tobacco and earth flavors.
The cigar opens with a profile that is a little to thin for me, it shows some flavors of tobacco and earth but there really is no nuance or depth to the flavors at this point. My main complaint about recent vintages has been what I just noted, there is just no complexity or depth in the smoke making the experience thin. The back of the palate has some dark wood notes, but it really does not add much to the experience at this point. The draw is a little bit too tight early on, but I am not laboring unnecessarily. The burn is a touch off in the early moments, but I have no reason to believe that there will be a run or canoe at this point.
The first half of the cigar does show some improvement. The core profile shows tobacco and earth flavors, but there are also some nice notes of anise and raisin with a little bit of coffee as well. This combination of flavors leads to a more complex array, but the flavors are slightly muddled and lacking in transitional values. The back of the palate continues to show some nice dark wood flavors, but there is a mineral flavor coming in that takes away from the richness of the wood flavors. The draw continues to be a little tight, but I am still not giving undue effort to the experience. The burn is sharp and shows no signs of any issues.
The final half of the cigar continues to wallow in mediocrity. The core profile continues to show tobacco and earth flavors, but the complementary flavors have become wispy and shallow. There are still some raisin and coffee flavors, but there are no real developments into anything deep. The back of the palate continues to show dark wood flavors, but the mineral flavors have really come into play at this point and it threatens to derail the whole smoke. The draw is still too tight for me, but the burn is still very nice.
The finish is full of minerals that threaten to become metallic.
Appearance- 93 a very nice looking cigar
Taste- 84 I expected way more
Construction- 87 nice burn, but the draw was not as fluid as I like
Strength- 86 a very average medium
Overall- 86.75 slightly above average
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