Arturo Fuente Spanish Lonsdale
Origin: Dominican Republic
Size: 6.40 X 44
Wrapper: Claro Doble

Elite Cigars:
Handmade in Santiago, Dominican Republic. Arturo Fuente learned the art of growing and processing tobacco and the making of premium, handmade cigars in Cuba at the end of the 19th century, producing his own line in 1912. Today, his son Carlos and grandson, Carlos, Jr. oversee the more than 500 rollers who manufacture more than 24 million cigars every year.

Reviewed by: Charlie P.
Date: November 2006
Notes:

I am a regular cigar smoker and have been fairly familiar with the candela wrapper, but until this box only in machine form (short filler Dutch Master corona sports).

I know candela has a somewhat distinguishable taste, but never had the chance or guts to actually purchase a long-filler box. This is mostly because they are always advertised as being extremely mild, and I have preferred fuller flavored premium sticks.

At the check out desk of my local tobacco distributor I was about to cancel my purchase for two reasons. First I prefer Coronas and Panatelas. As I am a daily smoker large cigars are too much of a commitment for my needs. Second my tobacconist advised me that Candela's are the worst and since they are not aged it was like me having romantic relations (explicative substituted) with a ten-year-old girl. I was having trouble overlooking the size, but the old man's last words of warning somehow intrigued me.

These cigars are amazing. Honestly, they are the best Arturo Fuente line I have had. To start I have smoked about 5 in the last week, construction, burn, relative flavor, and smoke time have all been the same. Extremely consistent. Although I usually ash frequently because I feel it affects the flavor, if I think about it I can smoke these sub-seven inch Lonsdales with only three ashings. No canoeing whatsoever.

The wrappers look perfect. This is not a Ligero Connecticut-shade wrapper this is the true Claro Claro. It is bright green and looks thick. One amazing characteristic to a premium Candela cigar is that the cap feels clingy, chalky, or tingly between your teeth before enough saliva evens out the basic PH of this uncured nicotine product. It is extremely satisfying.

Now the hard part: flavor. Flavor to me is paramount in a cigar much more so than construction and consistency. Now a few words of warning. I am a budget smoker. Unless I am overseas and splurging on Cubans, I will never buy a double-digit stick. Opus X, Ashton VSG, and Davidoff products have not graced my humidor. I tend to prefer Nicaraguenses and Hondurenos, such as Joya, Hoyo, Padron, Perdomo, Alcazar, CAO and the like. The one exception is years ago I would buy a few Arturo Fuente Chateau Fuente Sungrown. However, in recent years I have started to despise this stick. I have only smoked a hand full in the last three years or so and they have all been horrible. I don't know if I just had bad luck at the tobacconist or if I coupled the stick with some disagreeable food or what. The last one I was unable to smoke more than halfway.

My prejudices aside on with the stick at hand. These AF Spanish Lonsdale’s are a very mild blend, in terms of binder and filler. However it never leaves that dry sort of stale taste that many other Dominicans do. The binder and fillers although mild are EXTREMELY well balanced and provide the perfect backdrop to the Candela's intriguing flavor.

Candela wrappers are often said to be mild. This is a misnomer the lack of fermentation actually leaves them with a very unique flavor. I think this is a love it or hate it flavor, personally in a premium stick or in the case of this Spanish Lonsdale I absolutely love it, but I would be hard pressed to not characterize it as bitter with a long finish. Some will find this alien pungent flavor that sticks to their tongue annoying. If I had to pick a flavor to couple it with I am at a loss for words. The closest thing I can match it with is some type of wood MAYBE PINE. Having said that it absolutely has no cedar finish, nor does it have the typical woodsy, nutty, rich flavor of the Hoyo de Monterrey Excalibur.

It is a dry-ish wood like flavor but not either of those two. I guess one weird thing is that to me, the taste always reminds me of my first year of cigar smoking when I was 17.

During my first year or so I was so unaccustomed to the taste of cigar smoke no matter how often I smoked or how great of a flavor variation I tried, all cigars left me with this unusual (but pleasant) sort of bitter taste. As my tongue matured I have lost that and now all cigars taste unique.

Nicaraguans are more juicy and thick tasting, Hondurans are somewhat harsher and peppery, and Dominicans are dryer and lighter bodied.

In the beginning they all had a certain something in common. This cigar tastes like my first year or two of smoking. Each cigar no matter the time of day or whether I couple it with some fine Wild Turkey bourbon or a Domino's pizza, always gives me this unique lasting finish that I am now hooked on!

So while I would officially agree and say that Tabacalera Fuente blended a mild cigar, I disagree that Candela is a mild wrapper. It has a complex interesting flavor and I will be returning for more of these babies. Although I will have to try the 8-9-9 Corona Gorda and the Selecion Privada Numero Uno, they are both somewhat smaller and both available in Claro Claro.