Arturo Fuente Don Carlos No. 3

So the Don Carlos line of cigars is named after Don Carlos Fuente Sr., a Fuente family patriarch. I have never had a Fuente Don Carlos. My expectations were that it would be similar to a Hemingway, but stronger and spicier. That sounds pretty good to me! As a side note, I am happy to be smoking this one on the final day of its tenure as CotM.

Statistics

CotM: July 2013



July 2013





Chosen by: arturofunke

arturofunke





Shape: Parejo







Size: 5″1/2 x 44







Country of Origin: Dominican Republic







Wrapper: Cameroon







Binder: Dominican







Filler: Dominican







Color: Colorado Maduro







Strength: Medium



Medium





Price Paid: $9



$9





Smoke Date: 7/31/2013

7/31/2013





Age: 1 month

Accessories Used

Cuban Crafters Perfect Cutter (Silver & Carbon Fiber), Bugatti B-2002 lighter with “pyramid” double-flame torch, Handmade English walnut ashtray made by wedgewoodrings.

Pairing

Bai Mu Dan loose leaf white tea served in a large glass teacup. I chose Bai Mu Dan because it has some excellent floral and savory flavors that remind me of Fuente’s Hemingway line. As for how well it paired with the Don Carlos blend, it was even better! The sweet floral taste was perfect against the sweet spiciness of the smoke.

Appearance/Nose

The stick was a bit rustic in appearance. The wrapper was milk-chocolate brown, and quite a bit darker and oilier than I am used to for a Cameroon wrapper, and it had a fine tooth. It seemed competently wrapped, though nothing especially pretty. The caps were on mostly-straight. There were a few spots of the trademark “snail snot” that I always find on Cameroon Fuentes. The nose was faint, with a bit of hay and honey. The band, while pretty, and classic, is the exact same band as was on a previous CotM, the Hemingway Signature. While I do like the AF “Gran Reserva” band, I can’t help but feel a little disappointed that there isn’t more variation between bands among the Fuente lines.

Construction

The stick felt a bit loosely-wrapped. It had some serious give when being squeezed. However, it did not feel overly light in the hand. I hoped the draw wouldn’t be too loose on this one. Otherwise, construction was solid, though, as I mentioned above, rustic. The caps appeared to be slapped on a bit hastily. The ash burned charcoal gray with black striations. It held for at least an inch at a time.

Cold Draw

Surprisingly, the cold draw was actually quite tight. The straw and honey notes from the nose were here again.

Smoking

First third

From the start, this was a great tasting stick. The draw opened up a bit, but only to the perfect level–not loose at all. The floral and graham cracker notes of the Hemingway line was there, but considerably fuller. There was some good pepperiness, but not a whole lot.

Smoke production was high. The burn evened out very quickly.

The flavors grew bolder about an inch in. There was a generous helping of sweet spices: cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, as well as graham cracker, and a floral taste. On top of that was honey. Honey in spades. Sweet, delicious honey.

At the same time, the smoke production settled down into the medium territory.

Second third

Moving into the second third, the flavors began to mellow. The honey and floral notes were still strong, but that amazing spice began to fade.

The burn got a little uneven a few times, but always corrected itself without a touch up. The flavors became rich with creamy butter and cookie dough. Honey sweetness continued as well. Only about halfway in, this was already quite a transformative stick!

Final third

Around the time the band came off, the smoke production chugged back up to full.

The flavor stayed in the realm of honey, butter, with that sweet spice lingering in the background. There was a bit of an earthy taste in the background. The spice was nearly gone by the end, and I detected a splash of fruity flavor here in the final third.

Notes

Draw: Perfect

Perfect





Body: Medium-full

Medium-full





Primary Flavors: Honey, sweet spice, graham cracker

Honey, sweet spice, graham cracker





Smoke Output: Medium-full

Medium-full





Smoke Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes

Overall

I was thoroughly impressed by this cigar. I was expecting something about a notch above the Hemingway line, but what I experienced was maybe three notches higher. What an absolute treat! The sweet spiciness really transforms that Fuente flavor and takes it to a new level. The construction was absolutely impeccable, with a perfect draw and even burn, despite my skepticism from the somewhat rustic appearance. I will not hesitate to pick up more of these!

Rating