It’s the most wonderful time of the year for cigar smokers who like to collect limited edition Fuente’s. At Two Guys Smoke Shop we got our order in of Anejo, 858 Sungrown and Between the lines. While the S 858 sold out in minutes, we still have a nice selection of Anejo cigars left at the time of this review going up and Between the Lines as well.
In September of 1998, Hurricane Georges tore through the Caribbean Sea causing widespread destruction throughout the region, including the famous Chateau de la Fuente farm in the Dominican Republic, where the wrapper leaf for the acclaimed Fuente Fuente Opus X is grown and harvested.
Two Years Later the storm’s destruction resulted in a shortage of Fuente Fuente OpusX wrapper tobacco. Rather than halting production, Carlos Fuente Jr. ordered the use of a different wrapper, an aged Connecticut broadleaf. Once again, the Fuente family forged triumph from tragedy and the Arturo Fuente Anejo cigar was born.
One of the world’s most rare cigars, the Anejo is rolled with the very best Dominican filler and binder from Chateau de la Fuente, then adds a 5-year-old Connecticut madder wrapper aged in a cognac barrel. This blend yields a rich, spicy, slightly sweet smoke and the unique aging process leaves a distinct finish.
Cigar: Arturo Fuente Anejo
Size: #77 aka The Shark (5 7/8 x 50/64)
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic
Strength: Medium
The Look: The Shark is the first torpedo shaped cigar ever rolled that progresses from a rounded parejo shape to a square press. It is also the rarest of Anejo cigars outside of the Sand Shark which remains a cigar I am so desperately to get mynahs on. The jet black broadleaf wrapper is uniformed in color and the shape of the cigar reminds me of the Monumento a los Héroes de la Restauración in Santiago. The foot of the stick features a red ribbon which provides a nice contrast and it is firm in the hand with a nice weight to it.
The Notes: The cold draw of the Anejo Shark has note of oak and some of that cognac taste as well. While it isn’t as dominant as I remember it, it is still there and enjoyable to say the least. The foot of the cigar offers the same aroma of oak. Once the cigar is lit, the Anejo takes me back to a when I first smoked one around its inception in 2000. I was a member of Cigar Live, a cigar forum when I was bombed with a pack of cigars that included this.
As we work into the first third of the cigar the notes of cognac and oak are the focal point. Also on board is a slight saltiness and nuts giving the experience of peanuts with the skin still on the peanut itself. There is also a hint of leather lingering in the background.
In the second third there is a lot of similarities to the finish of a snifter of cognac. There is also the note that reminds of a little bit of rum along the lines of Zacapa but not the sweetness of Zaya.
The last third of the Anejo shark continues to have some sweetness but the focal point now is a hearty oak note with some nuttiness and a short leathery finish.
The Burn: The burn of the Fuente Anejo Shark was slightly wavy, but it was nothing that got out of hand. The ash which was almost white in color held firm for nearly half the cigar. The draw was lush and the smoke production are ample providing a moment of luxury to the end-user.
The Finish: Fuente was always a go to cigar for me. I am not as big as a fan boy as Kip from TheCigarmy.com who has the puente band tattooed on his bicep. Lately however some of my favorites were disappointing to me so I have to admit I was hesitant to pick up this cigar at Two Guys Smoke Shop on my day off. But I am happy to report that the Anejo Shark is as amazing to me as when I first had it. I’m not sure if any are left but I know they had them on their website when I began writing this.
Score: 93
Price: $12.49
Arturo Fuente Anejo Shark
Arturo Fuente Anejo Shark Burn
