CoachDread
06-30-2015, 08:37 PM
Arturo Fuente - Gran Reserva Flor Fina 8-5-8 Maduro
Vitola: Corona
Length: 6.0″
Ring Gauge: 47
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican
Pairing: Café Bustello Espresso style coffee
To finish off the month I thought I'd smoke one of the cigars from the first box I ever bought. It's been aging for 4 years and I'm hooping it will be like visiting an old friend.
http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u452/renasia527/Flor%20Fina%20858%20Maduro%20Small_zpsvczo3z3j.jpg
Fit and Finish: Dark and toothy, there are visible veins and a slightly visible seam. It's got a bit of a barnyard smell to it that I don't remember. Slightly sweet but a bit of funk underneath.
Draw: A v-cut handles the smaller ring gauge just fine and it's got a slightly tight draw but not too bad. On the cold draw it's sweet tobacco.
Toast/Light: It's been resting a while at 65% and it's a smaller ring gauge so the toasting is easy and it's quickly lit. I have apparently pissed it off by bringing it out of its resting period, as it promptly hits me in the mouth with a blast of pepper.
First third: It starts out with heavy smoke production and a serious pepper presence. Underneath is a creamy cedar and tobacco. But those are on the finish as it's all pepper up front. As it progresses the pepper fades a bit but never completely leaves and it's the cedar and then coffee (mild coffee flavor, not harsh or bitter at all) that dominate and a sweet cream under it all. It stays pretty consistent throughout this third with the coffee coming and going but the cedar and pepper remaining and that sweet cream finish. It's burning straight and the ash holds well for 1 1/2 inches.
Second Third: The pepper fades a bit more and now a little cocoa begins to creep in. It's getting a little sweeter as well. Each seems to come to the forefront in turn, the cocoa, cedar and then mild coffee, but all three are really present all the time. It's as if the focus just shifts as the burn goes along. It remains creamy and the burn is perfect right along.
Final Third: It remains this way through the first part of the final third and then the pepper comes back with a vengeance. It really ramps up but the other flavors don't get buried. They seem to intensify right along with it. I don't remember this part of it before but maybe the aging has changed things or maybe it's just my palate developing. It's really a nice change up and I enjoy it right down to about an inch. I never had to touch it up or worry in the least about it going out.
Final Thoughts: The Flor Fina 8-5-8 was one of the first non-flavored cigars I ever tried and at the time it was a bit much for me. Still, I knew there was something there to like and I bought a box. I am so glad I did. Tonight it was a deliciously creamy cigar with a great mixture of cedar, coffee and sweet cocoa/tobacco that had enough strength to make me take notice and a pepper profile that was a stark contrast to the Java I had at lunch time. These were a great 1-2 combo today. And this one paired every bit as well with my coffee. It was a fantastic after-dinner cigar.
Total smoking time: 80 minutes
Vitola: Corona
Length: 6.0″
Ring Gauge: 47
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican
Pairing: Café Bustello Espresso style coffee
To finish off the month I thought I'd smoke one of the cigars from the first box I ever bought. It's been aging for 4 years and I'm hooping it will be like visiting an old friend.
http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u452/renasia527/Flor%20Fina%20858%20Maduro%20Small_zpsvczo3z3j.jpg
Fit and Finish: Dark and toothy, there are visible veins and a slightly visible seam. It's got a bit of a barnyard smell to it that I don't remember. Slightly sweet but a bit of funk underneath.
Draw: A v-cut handles the smaller ring gauge just fine and it's got a slightly tight draw but not too bad. On the cold draw it's sweet tobacco.
Toast/Light: It's been resting a while at 65% and it's a smaller ring gauge so the toasting is easy and it's quickly lit. I have apparently pissed it off by bringing it out of its resting period, as it promptly hits me in the mouth with a blast of pepper.
First third: It starts out with heavy smoke production and a serious pepper presence. Underneath is a creamy cedar and tobacco. But those are on the finish as it's all pepper up front. As it progresses the pepper fades a bit but never completely leaves and it's the cedar and then coffee (mild coffee flavor, not harsh or bitter at all) that dominate and a sweet cream under it all. It stays pretty consistent throughout this third with the coffee coming and going but the cedar and pepper remaining and that sweet cream finish. It's burning straight and the ash holds well for 1 1/2 inches.
Second Third: The pepper fades a bit more and now a little cocoa begins to creep in. It's getting a little sweeter as well. Each seems to come to the forefront in turn, the cocoa, cedar and then mild coffee, but all three are really present all the time. It's as if the focus just shifts as the burn goes along. It remains creamy and the burn is perfect right along.
Final Third: It remains this way through the first part of the final third and then the pepper comes back with a vengeance. It really ramps up but the other flavors don't get buried. They seem to intensify right along with it. I don't remember this part of it before but maybe the aging has changed things or maybe it's just my palate developing. It's really a nice change up and I enjoy it right down to about an inch. I never had to touch it up or worry in the least about it going out.
Final Thoughts: The Flor Fina 8-5-8 was one of the first non-flavored cigars I ever tried and at the time it was a bit much for me. Still, I knew there was something there to like and I bought a box. I am so glad I did. Tonight it was a deliciously creamy cigar with a great mixture of cedar, coffee and sweet cocoa/tobacco that had enough strength to make me take notice and a pepper profile that was a stark contrast to the Java I had at lunch time. These were a great 1-2 combo today. And this one paired every bit as well with my coffee. It was a fantastic after-dinner cigar.
Total smoking time: 80 minutes