The Good Stuff:
Blended by Carlos Fuente Jr., the Don Carlos was created to honor his farther, Carlos Fuente Sr. This is a blend that I think most experienced cigar smokers have smoked, and likely smoked quite a few of. The blend starts with a Cameroon wrapper from West Africa over a binder and fillers from the Dominican Republic. Over the years there have been many formats released of this cigar including a handful of event only sizes. But the core sizes remain mostly the same: #4 (5.1 x 43 belicoso), #3 (5.5 x 44), #2 (6.0 x 54 belicoso), Robusto (5.2 x 50), Double Robusto (5.7 x 52), Belicoso (5.3 x 52), and the Presidente (6.5 x 50). Each come packaged in boxes of 25 and range between $9.50 and $14.20 per cigar.
Size: 5.2 x 50
Wrapper: African Cameroon
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic
Body: Medium
Strength: Medium
Price: $10.80
Prelight:
The Don Carlos starts out with a gorgeous looking medium-brown wrapper which his incredibly consistent in color and shines just a little orange when exposed to light. The wrapper’s texture is just slightly grainy with only mild oils coating it. The wrapper itself feels pretty dense and thick while the cigar is packed nicely and carries a nice weight. There are a larger veins running through the cigar’s body up to its round, double wrapped cap. The cigar is then polished off with the updated version of the Fuente band and crest which is specific to the Don Carlos blends.
The wrapper on the Don Carlos gives of a good amount of almond, honey, and tobacco scents while the foot of the cigar carries prominently cedar and earthy aromas. The cap cut like butter using my Xikar XO double bladed cutter. The cold draw produces nots of almond, honey, and natural tobacco flavors.
First Third:
The Don Carlos starts off with a very mild blast of black pepper which was so subtle it only lasted through the first puff or two. Once the pepper fades the cigar releases great notes of almond, honey, cinnamon, wheat, spice and earth. It’s a great mixture of flavors which really compliment each other. The draw is great and each puff kicks out the desired amount of thick, white smoke which dissipates pretty quickly as the cigar releases only light amounts of stationary smoke while it rests in my ashtray. The burnline is absolutely perfect and razor thin leaving behind one of the most beautiful trails of tightly compacted, light gray ashes I have ever seen. The ash held on for almost an inch before falling into my ashtray.
Second Third:
Into the second third of the Don Carlos an absolutely awesome floral flavor has entered the fight and is just killing it. Underneath the floral flavor the cigar is still carrying bold notes of almond and honey with lighter notes of cedar, cinnamon, spice, and a lot of earthiness. The retrohale really brings out the spice and sweetness so I find myself doing it quite often. I close out the second third with absolutely no signs of any nicotine.
Finish:
I can’t believe that floral flavor is still hanging around into the final third of the Don Carlos, but I am glad it is. The flavor profile really hasn’t changed up much, but that’s fine by me. Floral, honey, almond, cinnamon, cedar and earth are all packaged up in this great experience. It took me an hour and a half to smoke this cigar down to the nub. I experienced no harshness, no extended heat, and the cigar burned like a dream from start to finish.
Overview:
I have smoked my share of Don Carlos cigars and I often forget just how good they are. The flavor profile is nuanced, its complex, balanced, and overall very enjoyable. The price point is definitely worth the coin and I also feel a bit shocked that it’s not higher considering the quality of the smoke and brand. All in all, the Don Carlos is a great addition to any cigar smoker’s rotation, novice or pro who is looking for a great experience that won’t break the bank.
