Short Take: Arturo Fuente Anejo

Vitola: #60 (Toro)
Size: 6” x 48 ring gauge
Price $12.99
Purchased at Burns Tobacconist

Background

Why #60? God only knows. The different Añejo sizes have numbers for vitola names, a practice that other manufacturers use as well, but I have to admit to really hating it because there are no standards…what is a #1? A #12? A #60? Is it some reference to Cuban sizes? Probably in some cases, but there seems to be no logical rhythm or reason to any manufacturer’s numerical size charts. Personally, my favorite size of Añejo is the 46 (a Corona Gorda by any other name), but I’ve had so many over the past few years where the draw is slightly tight, then I get massive amounts of tarry build-up on the head while I’m smoking it. While the flavor of that size is great when it works right, I feel like I’ve been throwing money away buying them, so this year, I decided to give the #60 a whirl.

The legend is that the Añejo uses a similar filler and binder to the Opus X line. One year there was a wrapper shortage but they wanted to use the rest of the cigar makings, so they tried applying a Connecticut Broadleaf that had been aged in Cognac barrels. The result: a new special release cigar that has ended up being in almost as much demand as the Opus because the supply seems to be almost as thin. (The story above may be 100% true…or it may be fabrication in part or in whole…which is why I’m calling it a legend.)

Thoughts

The Añejo has seen a bit of an upgrade in terms of band since the last time I paid any attention to it in these virtual pages. The new Fuente bands are similar enough to the old ones that no one will mistake them for anything else, but they do pop a lot more with the shinier foil and extra embossing. The wrapper is standard Connecticut Broadleaf…a bit ugly to look at, but beautiful because of how they taste. What I’m not so crazy about is the several fingerprints I see on the wrapper, left there in glue. This is one of the nit-picky things I point at when I complain about quality control at Fuente, but really it’s not that nit-picky. Lots of glue…on most Fuentes I’ve smoked in the past 4 or 5 years. And it’s worse on the upper lines like Añejo and Opus. (The other issue is tight draws, which I’ve also experienced on Añejo, Opus and Don Carlos lines.)

I used my Xikar XV (v-cutter) then my MTX Multi-tool to trim a little extra…trying to get the best possible draw with the most surface area to avoid the tar issue. I lit ‘er up and it definitely helped take the edge off the bitter cold. I smoked this the day after our “big snowfall” for the year (about an inch…but lots of icy roads) and it was still in the 20s. I was bundled up in winter gear, in the mini-barn, with the space heater on full blast.

As usual, he Añejo had an initial creaminess, followed by a solid earthiness, a peppery retrohale, and a dry cocoa finish. And I remember why I keep buying these, despite the construction issues I’ve seen: the complexity and overall flavor profile of an Añejo is far superior to today’s Opus X releases…at least in my opinion. In the end, I got a little tar buildup and ooze, but the v-cut kept most of it well away from my lips and mouth, so it wasn’t so bad. Again, this was a great smoke and one that I will keep on buying when they show up.