This much anticipated cigar was nearly completely derailed a year or so ago when a fire wiped out some precious tobacco stock that was earmarked for this blend. It was sad news for all Fuente enthusiasts as I am sure we were all waiting for this special anniversary smoke. I for one was looking forward to it for several years, ever since I heard about it really. The buzz created by these legendary brands is really very remarkable, and even someone that does not follow the hype (like me) get caught up in the hullabaloo. I was so thrilled when I heard they were going to make it anyway, I couldn't remember a cigar I had looked forward to more in recent memory.
The cigar presents very nicely. The wrapper is a muted brown affair that has some veining, but nothing of concern. It seems a little bit dry to me in texture, but upon inspection it seems supple and well applied. The band word is remarkable, quite the piece of art, it almost makes you feel better about the really high price tag...almost. The pre light aroma has some light brushes of spice, but is full of cedar notes. The pre light draw is smooth and fluid and shows some booming cedar notes and a touch of bitter grass.
The smoke opens with a profile that is decidedly cedary, it almost overwhelms the palate and hinges on being bitter. There are some light brushes of spice and tobacco here as well, but the cedar notes really carry the bag in the opening moments. Through the nose and on the back of the palate there are some notes of a lighter wood, but again cedar notes dominate the profile in unpleasant way. The draw is a little tight early, but I can feel it opening up as the cigar progresses. The burn is solid right from the get go there are no hints of any issues that might be forthcoming.
The first half of the cigar does progress some, though not for the better. The dominant cedar notes are still present, but they are muted by a sharp spice note that borders on being acidic. There are some hints here of cinnamon and some lighter wood notes, but they are too subtle to be anything more than a fleeting glimpse of what might be. The back of the palate holds some nice tobacco notes and the cedar is a more acceptable tone without the bitterness from earlier in the cigar, but it is not enough to salvage the cigar to this point and my disappointment is mounting. The draw is acceptable, though still a touch too tight for me. The burn is phenomenal and razor sharp.
The final half of the cigar completes the disappointing ride for me. The core profile never develops into anything profound, or even above average, at any point. The core continues to show cedar and spice notes that alternately bitter and acidic, a real letdown in my book. The back of the palate provides some rays of light, but they are fleeting as the wood and tobacco notes are not enough to hold it all together. The draw is a touch too tight throughout, while the burn performs to the highest standard all the way to the end.
The finish was heavy with cedar notes and slightly bitter, making for a short closing experience.
At a twenty plus dollar price tag I expect much more, hell at an eight dollar price tag I expect more. I only wonder what could have been with the tobacco that burned to the gods instead of the enthusiasts.
Appearance- 92 a wonderful looking smoke
Taste- 78 unfortunately it was just really poor
Construction- 87 draw was too tight for me, but the burn did well
Strength- 85 an uninspired medium
Overall- 84.5 below average and way too expensive
No comments:
Post a Comment