I will state right up front that I’m a big Fuente fan.  I had the great fortune to meet both Arturo Jr. and Arturo Sr. at their store in Tampa awhile back.  Arturo Jr. said the Arturo Fuente Flor Fina 8-5-8 was their “Flagship Cigar”.  This is the cigar I’ll review today in the maduro version.

It also comes in a natural, sungrown and candela wrapper.  There was a single release of the 8-5-8 in a sungrown Rosado wrapper but only 4,350 of those were produced so they are a little hard to find.

The Arturo Fuente 8-5-8 is a 6x47 size cigar.  It is packaged beautifully with “Flor Fina 858” in gold letters on the cellophane.  This gives the cigar a more expensive look and speaking of expense,  purchased by the box, these generally go for around $105 give or take.  That’s less than $4.50 a cigar and a bargain in my book.  This is a really nice size, not too big and not too small.  The cigar is good looking.  The wrapper has minimal veins although is a bit rustic and toothy and noticeably absent of any oiliness.  The cap is well made.  There are no soft spots anywhere and the cigar is firm but not hard.

The pre light draw is open and has a slightly sweet tobacco flavor but nothing overwhelming or dominant.  Once lit, the first flavor out of the box is cocoa, not full blown chocolate, but certainly a bit of sweetness to it.  The draw is very good, producing ample smoke.  This is a nice smooth cigar.  There isn't any harshness or bitterness, and as I smoke it, the initial cocoa dissipates until I get just a nice mellow, slightly woody, tobacco flavor.

There really aren't any changes in the cigar as I reach the halfway point. The cigar is consistent throughout the smoke, which I don’t mind at all because it really fits my palate.  This might be a drawback to some, but for a nice, relaxing and satisfying cigar, it fills the bill.  If you are looking for a lot of complexity and changes throughout, the 8-5-8 is not going to deliver for you.
Near the end the smoke the flavors do start to concentrate and become more intense.   This is going to be a nubber as the cigar is really shining in this final third.  Some of the cocoa has come back and the woodiness is more prominent.   The flavors are bolder and more up front instead of lingering in the back ground.  I did end up nubbing the cigar and it did not get hot, harsh or bitter even at the end.

All in all I would consider this a mild to medium cigar.  To me this makes it good for a new smoker or even an experienced smoker looking for an easy going smoke.  The burn was very consistent throughout.  Not necessarily razor sharp, but very even, requiring no touch ups or attention.  The first ash held for about an inch or so but long ashes are not a regular thing with the 8-5-8.  Smoke time for me was about an hour and a half so wasn't too long or too short, but about right for almost any occasion.
For me this is a definite “go to” cigar.  You can count on the consistency and quality every time you fire one of these up.  At their price point, I would consider them a bargain as well.  And they do age quite nicely even though they are good at their purchase time.

If you’re a maduro fan I’d say you owe it to yourself to keep a few in your humi.  And if you want to share a smoke with a friend, be it a beginner or experienced smoker, you can rest assured that you are giving them a quality cigar that also won’t break the bank.

Shawn (Oldmso54)