Cigar Geeks - Arturo Fuente Don Carlos No. 3

Cigar Geeks Geek Critique

Arturo Fuente Don Carlos No. 3
Written by Cigar Geeks Member: Trenton Puckett (Twinky)

88
Cigar Geeks Rating

Welcome to another Cigar Geeks Critique of a cigar provided to us by our friends at Cigars Direct. Up for review this time is the Arturo Fuente Don Carlos.

Arturo Fuente Don Carlos No. 3

Brand:: Arturo Fuente
Name:: Don Carlos No. 3
Length:: 5.5
Ring Gauge:: 44
Country of Origin:: Dominican Republic
Filler:: Dominican Republic
Binder:: Dominican Republic
Wrapper:: Cameroon
Color:: Colorado Maduro
Strength:: Medium
Shape:: Corona
Average Member Purchase Price:: $9.00
Average Member Rating:: (11 Review(s))

This cigar was enjoyed with Water

Pre-Light: 17 Points of 10 Possible

This cigar feels very well put togeather, its firm, but yields to gentle pressure. The wrapper is beautifully veined and has a nice shine. Its slightly oily and has a nice heft to it. The aroma had hints of a floral, almost rose like sweetness with bits of chocolate. There is also a very faint chemical like smell on the back end. The cap came off very cleanly and with out any problem.

Lighting and Burn: 13 Points of 15 Possible

The light was effortless - it took a flame like a dream. The ash was a gorgeous white with some dark grey streaks. The burn was great, slow and steady all the way through. There wasn't alot of smoke, but it was still very pleasent. The ash fell off the first time at the start of the 2nd third, giving way to a very nice cone. As the 2nd third finished up the ash turned a darker grey than before.

Construction: 30 Points of 30 Possible

The draw was perfect. The wrapper held up perfectly. This cigar is flawlessly put together. There were no soft spots and the cap was applied better than any I've ever seen. The superb quality of this cigar was easy to see.

Flavor and Aroma: 28 Points of 45 Possible

The first third opened with rich earth and strong leather all they way through the puff. Near the end of the first third I got a bit of harsh bitterness, that evened out gradually.

As the 2nd third got underway, the bitterness disappeared and gave way to a light sweetness. Just as I thought the bitterness was gone, it snuck back up on me, but then faded quickly. I also picked up some woody notes, mostly oak, and some soft leather. The new pleasent flavors really overshadow the previous bits of bitterness. Near the end of the second third, the bitterness picked back up.

The final third started with a funny taste that I cant really describe, it wasn't unpleasent, just something I'm not familiar with. It started to pick up a bit of spice, but otherwise kept the leather and wood from the 2nd third.

Summary

Overall this was a pretty good smoke. It lasted 1:20. The off and on bitterness realy hurt this one. The complexity was there, but not in abundance. I think that this cigar could have tasted better, but I have never seen better construction.