I have always been amazed by all the lifestyle behind the incredible Fuente family. The Opus line almost became an addiction for some and a myth for others. Not my everyday cigar, as I normally do not spend over $15 in new world cigars, but I thought I would give it a try again.
This week I really had some deep pockets. I typically do not spend over $15.00 on a cigar unless I know it to be eccentric, however I really wanted to try this Opus X blend, so I splurged. Let's find out if it was worth it.
In 2004 Hollywood actor/director Andy Garcia wanted to produce a film telling the story of a Cuban tobacco family’s struggles during the Castro revolution. In one of the movie’s scenes Garcia wanted to duplicate a Cuban tobacco farm. After being introduced to Carlito Fuente, owner of Tabacalera A. Fuente y Cia, Garcia proposed the idea of shooting a scene with the tobacco plants in the background. Carlito was in favor of the idea however harvest was right around the corner making it impossible to film. Being the gentleman he is, Carlito offered to plant a field of tobacco after harvest and by June Garcia would have a field of three-foot plants to shoot in his scene. When asked what he would do with the tobacco Fuente replied “If it is good, I will use it.” That’s when Garcia suggested the idea of making a special blend bearing the logo from the movie, “The Lost City” which would later become the name on the cigars. The rest from there is history. The tobacco, seen in the movie, is the same used in The Lost City blend.
Created by Don Carlos Fuente, Sr., and rolled at Tabacalera A. Fuente in the Dominican Republic, the Don Carlos No. 2 is claimed to still be one of the finest cigars on the market. Being released to the public in 1997 and said to have vintage aged tobacco (10 years) these cigars are typically difficult to come across. The Don Carlos line consists of seven different sizes each available in boxes of 25:
The Arturo Fuente family is probably one of, if not the most, famous names in the cigar industry. For those new smokers out there that are wondering where to start your cigar journey, well I’d look at the Fuente family. The Hemingway series was released in 1983 with the 6 x 47 Signature and the entire series is still strong on the market today. In case you weren’t aware the word “Hemingway” refers to a certain shape used to roll a cigar (figurado body with tapper perfecto foot).
This should be a perfect size smoke for folks that have to bear the cold outside winter weather. Let’s see if the performance is worth it too…
The lancero vitola seems to have fallen from favor with most contemporary cigar smokers. It’s understandable in today’s time-crunched society that a longer length cigar with a tiny ring gauge, which forces you to take more deliberately slow draws to avoid excess heat, holds relatively less interest from a purely practical standpoint. Perhaps a cigar with an origin in Hollywood can persuade smokers that they’ve been missing something.
The Fuente family makes some of the most popular cigars in the US. The Opus X and Hemingway lines seem to get the most notoriety in this part of the country, but right up there with them is the premium Don Carlos line of Cameroon wrapped cigars. The Don Carlos is a superbly constructed refined cigar that proudly bears the name of Don Carlos Fuente Sr. himself. The Don Carlos can be had in various vitolas, seven of which are the most common. The #2, #3, #4, Robusto, Double Robusto, Belicoso, and Presidente. I have seen pictures of a Lancero but have never seen one in person. I don’t know the story behind the Lancero but can only assume it was some kind of special run that may or may not have ever been publicly available. The Fuente’s seem to have a lot of special run, never released cigars floating around out there. You often hear stories of them much like you hear stories of Big Foot and Lochness sightings.
As if the Cameroon-wrapped Hemingway cigars weren’t special enough, The Cigar Family makes an extra special, aged, limited release of the Hemingways with a Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro wrapper. Like the Anejos, the Hemingway Maduros are usually released around the holidays as a special treat for the fans and customers of Arturo Fuente cigars. I gave some more background on the Hemingway line of cigars in my review of the Hemingway Best Seller so click on over and check that out while you’re here.
Origin : Dominican Republic Format : Grand Corona Size : 6 x 47 Wrapper : Dominican (?) Rosado Binder : Dominican Republic Filler : Dominican Republic Hand-Made Price : ?
There is no harder cigar to find from the Fuentes than the 8-5-8 Rosado. This sample comes from the 2009 release. They are prized as collector’s items, so I was interested in seeing how such a rare cigar actually tasted.
The appearance of this cigar doesn’t suggest anything special. The reddish tint and few veins make it attractive, but it really doesn’t jump out at you.
After lighting it and taking the first puff, all I can say is “Holy crap!”.
Origin : Dominican Republic
