Jesus Fuego is the man behind some of the world's best cigars including J Fuego Cigars. Made in limited edition, his flavor-packed boutique cigars have received some of the highest tasting scores by the consumer cigar media. In addition to his talents as a master blender, Jesus Fuego holds a graduate degree in Agriculture (he did his thesis on fermentation), and has spent many years researching, developing and growing some of the best Corojo tobacco for his blends.
Born in Pinar del Rio, Cuba in 1971, Jesus was raised on the family farm. The Fuego's emigrated to Cuba from Spain in 1876 and settled in the Pinar del Rio region where they grew tobacco and sold it to brokers who, in turn, sold it to makers of Cuban cigars. Eventually, Jesus's grandfather bought a piece of the original "El Corojo" farm, named the lot "Corojo No.1," and began sorting and fermenting his own tobacco, which he could sell directly to the factories. (It's also no coincidence that Jesus named one of his best cigars "Gran Reserva Corojo No.1," after the family farm.)
In 1998, Jesus went to work for a cigar company in Honduras. Honduras became his new home, where he also worked for a couple of other cigar factories doing leaf sorting and fermentation. As an agriculturalist, Jesus was always busy experimenting with tobacco, and thanks to the Plasencia family, with whom he was very close (they were neighbors back in Cuba), they let him work a few plots to cultivate his own Criollo and Corojo leaf hybrids.
With help from the Plasencia family on the manufacturing side, in December of 2006, Jesus moved to Miami, started his own company, which would later become Tabacos S.A., and began to realize his dream of making cigars under the J. Fuego name.
Gran Reserva Corojo No.1 cigars are the best-known among smokers of J. Fuego's blends. They get their complex profile from a marriage of prime, long-aged Nicaraguan, Honduran, and Costa Rican long-fillers wrapped in a tawny, 5-yr.-aged Corojo wrapper leaf. The smoke is full in body and flavor with a marvelous balance and an appealing sweetness. Notes of wood, coffee and some spiciness can also be found in the mix. The result is a cigar that Jesus says offers "power without the harshness.
For his J. Fuego Heat cigars, Jesus has combined Ecuadorian Sumatra and Nicaraguan Criollo leaves for the filler, bound them in a Nicaraguan Corojo leaf, and rolled them in a Honduran Corojo wrapper. More medium-bodied in strength, the amount of flavor this selection delivers is remarkable. The smoke is dominated by a natural sweetness with a modicum of creaminess and pepper sneaking-in during the journey.
Origen by J. Fuego cigars are another great-tasting example of J. Fuego's blending genius. This is an all-Corojo leaf blend using fillers from Honduras and Nicaragua, a Costa Rican binder, and a Brazilian wrapper. If you like to buy cigars made with Corojo wrapper, Origen offers a perfectly balanced, medium-bodied banquet imbued with a mellow, earthy-woody character and a satisfying serving of sweet spice.
The Judge by J. Fuego cigars have a full-bodied blend that includes a 4-nation filler & binder combo rolled in a very dark, rustic-looking Brazilian wrapper. Although the core blend has been kept under wraps, Fuego must've used some of his trademark Criollo and Corojo in there, while an educated palate may be able to detect some Nicaraguan and Honduran leaf in the mix. The smoke is very creamy and goes from a medium-bodied start to an earthy, full-flavored power ball in the second and third acts. Reviewers have remarked on its complexity citing such flavors as dark roast coffee, almonds and cocoa.
If you're a stickler for full-flavored, complex cigars made with first-rate construction, discover the wonderful world of J. Fuego cigars online now!
