Arturo Fuente Epicure

Origin : Dominican Republic
Format : Short Robusto
Size : 115 x 19 mm (4 1/2 x 50)
Ring : 50
Wrapper : Cameroon
Binder : Dominican Republic
Filler : Dominican Republic
Hand-Made
Price : ~$7 each
More info about purchasing Arturo Fuente Epicure cigars...

Arturo Fuente Epicure belongs to the Classic line (the band border is green). It is, according to my research, the European version of the Rothschild, a 4 1/2 x 50 short robusto. Don't ask me why they wanted to change the name, perhaps it has something to do with the fact that the MSRP of the Epicure is approximately twice higher than the Rothschild. I will naively keep on thinking that the reasons of the price difference are high taxes and transportation costs - on to the review!

Appearance :
I liked the looks of the Epicure - the Cameroon wrapper looks very authentic with a hint of plume. It has a pleasant tobacco smell, especially strong at the foot. It feels very sturdy and solid. The pre-draw is comfortable and earthy.
 
Construction :
Not much to report. Easily lit it with a couple of wooden matches and the draw was perfect from the very beginning. The snow-white smoke was thick and soft. The burn needed no corrections.

Flavor :
Prior to lighting this one up, I thought that I was going to get a nice medium-bodied smoke with woody and earthy flavors (I remembered a few reviews that I read some time ago). And... that's almost exactly what I got. The beginning is rather mild with a few sugary notes; 5 minutes later cedary flavors appear and dominate until the end of the second third. The final 10 minutes are under the earth sign, the earth/wood combination is quite tasty. Occasional cocoa and spice pleasantly dilute the bouquet.

Value :
I paid over 7 USD for this stick and didn't feel ripped off. Considering the fact that the Rothschilds are sold for ~$90/box ($3.60/stick), our American readers should probably give those a try.

Overall Rating :
Overall, it was another pleasant experience with the Arturo Fuente brand. The Epicures provide 35 minutes of nice smoking, perfect to relax a little bit after lunch, reading a magazine. I am curious to hear your experiences with the Rothschilds, are they exactly the same smoke?