Arturo Fuente Rosado Gran Reserva

Origin : Dominican Republic
Format : Robusto
Size : 5 x 52
Wrapper : Dominican Republic
Binder : Dominican Republic
Filler : Dominican Republic
Hand-Made
Price : ~$7 each
More info about purchasing Arturo Fuente Gran Reserva cigars...

Many thanks to Austin from the 7th Street Reserve for taking these excellent pictures for my series of reviews.

Arturo Fuente has worldwide recognition as a producer of high quality cigars, and the subject of today’s review, the Arturo Fuente Rosado Gran Reserva is no exception.
The Gran Reserva is a limited release cigar, available only to special Fuente accounts, so consider yourself lucky if you spot one in a shop.
Even though I do not generally like mellow, mild blends, preferring a stronger, more robust flavor, I have to give the proper, due kudos to Arturo Fuente for the Rosado Gran Reserva, as it is an excellent cigar. Let’s see why and how.

Appearance :
The Gran Reserva comes in three sizes: R52 (5 x 52), R54 (6 1/4 x 54) and R56 (5 5/8 x 56). The one I managed to get my hands on was an R52.
A carefully crafted band rests near the top of the cigar. The wrapper, oily and nicely speckled, is beautifully appointed and has a nice reddish tint to it with some prominent veins running through.

Construction :
I could not say that the pre-light draw was perfect, but good enough for a firm and sturdy stick. Once lit, however, the draw was flawless and the burn was razor-sharp, leaving behind two inches of solid white ash.

Flavor :
I guess I am not exactly the right smoker to appreciate this Arturo Fuente at its true value, seeing as it is a rather mild cigar and I prefer a stronger, more robust kick from my smoke. However, I tried to objectively measure the flavors of the cigar. I have to say, for someone who fully enjoys this type of aromas, the Rosado Gran Reserva should offer a thoroughly enjoyable flavor profile.
The pre-light flavor tickles your senses with a scent of earth and leather, mixed with delicate notes of sweetness.
After lighting the Gran Reserva, an abundance of leather and black pepper engulfed my palate as main flavors. After a while, I have noticed a natural sweet taste of caramel to accompany the initial, spicy flavor.
Progressing further to the second third, the aroma mellowed even more, fading into a vanilla touch and subtle notes of coffee.
Even as I was smoking through the final third, the sweetness did not disappear completely – all the way up to the end, a discrete sugary flavor accompanied the primary aroma.
This happens because the blend is naturally very sweet. The leaf contains natural sugars that come through due to the special way of blending. If sweet cigars are your thing, then you ought to congratulate Arturo Fuente for the masterful technique they have used in producing the Rosado Gran Reserva.

Value :
The median price of $6.75 makes this excellent cigar an affordable choice. It is the right price to pay for the Fuente quality.

Overall Rating :
Although not precisely my type of flavor (thus, only 4 out of 5 in this department), I have to give credit to Arturo Fuente for maintaining their high quality standards. The Gran Reserva is a near-flawlessly executed cigar, with a full-spectrum flavor profile – even if a tad too sweet for my taste.
Aside from this, the Gran Reserva is not a very common find, so maybe this makes it an even more coveted treat.