Arturo Fuente Anejo Reserva No. 50 Review

[punch]

This is the second front mark of Anejo that I have tried. Normally, I am not impressed with the “hard to get” and over-priced cigars, but I was suitably impressed with the Anejo Reserva Shark No. 77 that I did not mind picking up a few of the No. 50 when I had the chance to do so. I must say, these impressed me even more.

The Reserva No. 50 is a 5.25 X 50 Robusto in the Anejo line. According to Perelman’s Pocket Cyclopedia of Cigars, this is essentially an Opus X wrapped in a Connecticut wrapper. I have heard otherwise, but I personally consider Perelman as “the final word” as far as information that I use in reviews.

The construction of this cigar is first class and earned a 4.0/4.0 per my rating scale. Smoke volume and quality were also first class. Draw was a bit light for me, but this is a refreshing change from the Opus X which I find overly tight. The smoke from this cigar is not harsh, and flavor is full. It is said that some of the tobacco is cured in Cognac barrels. I did not detect this with the Shark, but the No. 50 certainly had a rather strong and fruity aroma and taste. The aromatic smell of the smoke could be sensed well outside of my smoke area and lingered even into the next day. I have no complaints about this. In spite of the hints of fruit in the flavor of the wrapper and in the aroma, this is by no means a “flavored” cigar. When lit, this cigar is pure tobacco.

While I officially consider Perelman the “final word”, I am inclined to believe those that say the filler is not simply Opus X. For one, I find most Opus to have a muddy earthy flavor. The Anejo No. 50 has none of this. The flavor is crisp and distinct and unlike any of the other Fuente line. I was a bit disappointed with the burn and ash of the No. 50 since the No. 77’s burn can only be described as superior. This is not a cigar that I can smoke while engaging in conversation. If I put it down for any length of time, it would go out. However, I consider this a minor ding for a cigar that delivers in nearly every other category.

I consider this cigar to be clearly on the high end of the cigar experience. It is most certainly in the league of the Davidoff and the offerings from Cuba. While I have found the Davidoff to be more available, the Anejo seems to be more approachable as far as the flavor profile. The Anejo No. 50 (as well as the No. 77) is full flavored and strong and should not be enjoyed on an empty stomach. Unlike the Davidoff, I did not have to “warm up” to this cigar. I can only imagine what these are going to taste like after they sit a while!

I rated this cigar at 3.85/4.00 for a solid A.

[RPB67]

I like the Anejo as an ocassional smoke.

The Anejos are great and very consistent. I have some and these definatlely get better with atleast 2 years of age on them.

Great review. Seems like you enjoyed the cigar as well as I do when I smoke the Anejo.

Just wondering if you think the slight burn problem of the cigar going out was due to it being a little bit over humidified ?

[sirxlaughs]

So far I've only tried one Anejo 55, fresh out of the box (I waited a few days tops). I'm giving them more time before trying another, but the first one was delicious. It was like smoking liquor all the way to the nub. Never harsh, never became hot, thick, voluminous smoke, and a nice kick that had my head spinning a little (kinda relaxing). I've been fighting since then not to try another for a few more weeks(then months, etc) to see how it develops with time.

[Bubba -NJ]

Nice review . I haven't seen this one anywhere yet , I've seen the #48's and #49's in a couple shops and the #55 in one shop and the #77 in another shop . I would like to try all of them . I smoked 1 #77 and 1 #55 so far , however I did like the #77 better and was only able to buy just 1 . I bought 5- #55's , 5- #48's 3- #49's and 1- #77 . I would like to get my hands on a #46 and a #50 also just so I could see for my self how they compare to each other . So if anyone wants to do a trade send me a PM and we'll work it out . I haven't done a trade yet so I'm new to this .

[punch]

Originally Posted by RPB67

Just wondering if you think the slight burn problem of the cigar going out was due to it being a little bit over humidified ?

Could well be. I usually smoke Punch (HON) and Montecristo (DR) which do quite well at 67 - 72%. I find the Fuente sticks like it a bit better on the lower end of this range. On the other hand, I have found the darker maduro wrappers to burn a bit funky no matter who makes them, so I really don't get too bent out of shape if I have to relight one every now and then. Usually I like a $10.00+ stick to burn perfect, but this one has enough good qualities that I can easily overlook the slight imperfection of the burn and an occasional relight.

[miki]

I have only smoked one, the #46 and I must say I love it a lot.... Great cigar

[etenpenny]

yea I second this, I like the taste of the anejo even more then the opus

I was lucky enough to get my hands on some 77s and they have been great, a wonderful treat

[Stogieman]

Haven't had a bad one yet!

[Thurm15]

Nice Review! I just smoked a 50 week ago. Yummy!

[KnightKrusher]

Very Nice Review .I have smoked only a few but do find them to be very good.

[TypeO-]

I have a quantity of Anejo #48, #49, #50 and #55. I've smoked one each of the #55 and the monster #49. The Anejo line, IMO, has the best aroma of any cigar I've smoked. As I'm relatively new to smoking cigars, I'm not able to describe flavors in as much detail as many of you, but the #55 was sweet, literally. I smoked it down to the nub. The last few puffs were the best, with several draws full of sugar. The #49 was not quite as sweet, but was more consistent over the length of the cigar. Since the Anejos are pretty limited and hard to get (even harder to get at retail prices, which I did), I'm planning on keeping mine around for a while. I bought over 50 Anejos before Christmas, but I may not be so lucky next year. I will smoke a few here and there, but I can't wait to see what they taste like in a year or two.

[punch]

Rather than start a new thread, I figured I would post this review here. I have smoked several of these in the past year, but this is my second write-up.

Arturo Fuente Anejo Reserva N. 50

Date Tested: 12/26/06

Storage: Humidor in Cooler, 66 - 75 Deg F. / 67 - 74% RH

ConditionsTested: 45 Deg. F / 45% RH

This 5.25 X 50 Robusto is made in the Dominican Republic by Arturo Fuente. This cigar sports a Connecticut Maduro wrapper surrounding Dominican filler and binder.

I selected this cigar from the most recent batch of Anejos to make it to my local B&M. I have had mixed results with this cigar in the past and was most anxious to see how the current batch smoked.

To start with, this cigar was wrapped with one of the most beautiful wrappers that I have seen in a while. I am not a big fan of Maduros, but the dark, smooth oiliness of this wrapper could change my opinion. In addition to giving off tons of smoke when lit, this cigar’s wrapper held together very well and produced an excellent burn. Cap and fill were also well done completing the excellent construction of this cigar.

Pre-light draw was excellent, and the draw remained such throughout the entire burn. Burn was very straight (remarkable for a Fuente), and ash was firm and held until made to drop. No touch-ups or re-lights were necessary.

This cigar was fresh, and as a result, there was some nose harshness. Flavor for this cigar is full, but unfortunately is somewhat flat and muddy. The first example of these that I tested in January 2006 produced a beautiful fruity flavor that tasted like Black Forest Chocolate Cake. This cigar had none of that flavor and tasted much like the Opus X that I had the day before. While I am not overly fond of the flavor of this cigar, it was enjoyable enough for me to nub it, so I rated it high in overall satisfaction. Since this cigar was purchased at MSRP, I did not consider it to be a bad value.

Scoring was as follows:

Wrapper – 10.0
Cap – 9.5
Fill – 10.0
Smoke – 10.0
Burn – 9.5
Ash – 9.5
Harshness – 8.5
Flavor Quality – 8.0
Flavor Intensity – 9.0
Satisfaction – 9.0

Total Points – 92.5

Grade – A-

This is the fourth time that I have rated this particular front mark of cigar. The first time I rated it a 96.3, leading me to purchase several more of these. Later ratings did not fare so well. I rated it 85.2 in February of 2006 and 89.5 in April of 2006. Several that I had in between and later were not sufficiently different for me to bother rating them. This particular cigar did well since it performed excellently. According to my records, the February rating had burn issues while the others performed very well, but could not duplicate the taste of the first one I tested. If these mellow a bit with age (as I am sure they will), I can see this batch being a solid A by this time next year.

Overall, I would rate this cigar as a decent value if you can get them at MSRP. The cigar looks good, for the most part performs well, and has a flavor that many like. Recommended – buy them if you can get them.

[ResIpsa]

Nice revew Punch, thanks, have a couple down for a long nap...

[Sigarz]

nice reviews!

I have about an box worth of an assortment of anejos, I think Ill save them for VERY special occasions starting after at least one year of age, so I should have a number of years of outstanding special smokes.

[Old Sailor]

Man they sound great, got a couple coming from a trade I did, now I've got something to look forward to, Thanks for the reviews.