B_Dub___Cigar_Ambassador Posted November 22, 2003 Share Posted November 22, 2003 ARTURO FUENTE Special Selection Curly Head Deluxe 6.5" x 43RG Wrapper: Ecuador/USA/Connecticut Binder: Dominican Republic Filler: Dominican Republic ----------------------------------------------------------------------Handmade in Santiago, Dominican Republic. Arturo Fuente learned the art of growing and processing tobacco and the making of premium, handmade cigars in Cuba at the end of the 19th century, producing his own line in 1912. Today, his son Carlos and grandson, Carlos, Jr. oversee the more than 500 rollers who manufacture more than 24 million cigars every year. Their line offers a medium-to-full bodied taste, with the celebrated Hemingway series a little mellower, thanks to an additional 140 days of aging. Many of the natural-wrapper cigars (including the Hemingway series) feature Cameroon leaves, with Connecticut leaf used for maduros.----------------------------------------------------------------------I'll make this review short and to the point. I bought a box of these after smoking one that I got from The Tobacco Leaf in Stockton, CA. That one was probably well-aged, and smoked beautifully. I remembered it to be a fairly sturdy, thin cigar, and a medium smoke. After getting my box delivered all the way from Florida, I broke the rules and smoked one right away. It seemed kinda dry and burned hot, like one might expect after a long summer's journey. After sitting in my humidor for a couple weeks, others were not much better. So I was a little disappointed - and didn't pull out another one until they had been resting for a couple months. What a difference a little time in the humidor can make! I decided to pick out two cigars for a garage smoke, while reading the newest issue of Cigar Aficionado. So I grabbed the Fuente Curly Head (which I wanted to smoke first, as it was a medium smoke) and an Onyx Reserve Mini Belicoso (rated 94 by CA, almost black, and a much spicier, fuller smoke). After smoking the Fuente, I decided it was no longer necessary to smoke the Onyx, so I put it back. The Fuente redeemed itself so nicely... it was an unexpected surprise! The burn was more even this time, and it took a long time to smoke. There was an element of leather, and a subdued but pronounced element of white pepper. It was definitely a medium-to-full bodied smoke, which is just what I was looking for. It was definitely Fuente tobacco. I would give this cigar maybe a 6 out of 10, and I expect it to get a little better with age. ----------------------------------------------------------------------Take heed my friends! Always let your stogies rest for a month or so before smoking, for best results. Don't wait until you're out of cigars before making another order, and you'll always have some nicely conditioned sticks ready for your consumption. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MurphyDawg Posted November 22, 2003 Share Posted November 22, 2003 I have really enjoyed all the Fuente cigars I have tried so far, so I may have to add this one to my list to try. And now the obvious question you knew I would ask: What exactly is a curly head??TomC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B_Dub___Cigar_Ambassador Posted November 22, 2003 Author Share Posted November 22, 2003 You might just get one of these sooner than you think. The "curly head" is a different type of cap. It is also called a "pig's tail" because that is what it looks like. Normally, a roller will paste a crescent-shaped piece of wrapper around the head of a cigar a couple times to form a cap. For a curly head or pig's tail cap, the wrapper is simply left too long and then twisted up at the end to form the cap. After twisting, it is trimmed down a bit. The end result is a cute little curly tail on the head of the cigar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MurphyDawg Posted November 22, 2003 Share Posted November 22, 2003 Well, thats actually pretty kewl! All this mention of how the cap is affixed has made me realize that I guess I havent really spent as much time as I could be looking at the construction of the cigars I have. This may make for some interesting investigation. Thanks for the idea.TomC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B_Dub___Cigar_Ambassador Posted November 22, 2003 Author Share Posted November 22, 2003 Yeah, there is a lot to notice about the appearance and construction of a cigar. Here's something you may not know: the wrapper is not always wound in the same direction! Half the time it goes left, and half the time it goes right. There usually ends up about half and half in a box of cigars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted November 23, 2003 Share Posted November 23, 2003 The Fuente curly head cigars are actually made by the apprentice rollers in the factory and are mixed filler, so that's why they are so cheap, but a good smoke for the price Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B_Dub___Cigar_Ambassador Posted November 23, 2003 Author Share Posted November 23, 2003 Yep. All true. Same great Fuente taste though.Sidenote: The A. Fuente Curly Head cigar has a real curly head, but the A. Fuente Curly Head Deluxe does not. Also, the latter is less expensive than the former. Funny contradictions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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