2021 CA Report: Top 5 Best Rated Arturo Fuente Cigars
Famous Customer Picks: 5 Best Arturo Fuente Cigars
Before we talk about which of Fuente’s cigar creations are top-rated, it’s important to know how they’ve earned the respect and admiration of so many smokers. They’ve done it by taking things slowly.
A brief history of Arturo Fuente Cigars
The Arturo Fuente name is synonymous with quality. Whether we’re talking about the meteoric success of the luxury Opus X line, or their everyday blends…even their thriftier smokes…it really can’t be argued that “only Fuente is Fuente.”
The company opened shop way back in 1912. Back then, a humble Arturo Fuente only had a four-person team for blending and rolling cigars: himself, his wife Cristina, and his two sons – Carlos and Arturo Oscar. From the onset, AF was focused on quality. Their cigars were never fast-tracked to keep up with competitors, and from this birthed their moniker, “We will never rush the hands of time.”
Carlito Fuente has taken the reins today, and while the Dominican Republic-based company has grown by leaps and bounds, their traditions and respect for the process hasn’t changed. A testament to this – try to find an Opus X right now. I’ll wait.
And speaking of Opus – we won’t be including them, simply because we can’t find them either, and if we did, we’d rather you get the chance to smoke it.
How we choose our Arturo Fuente Picks
We don’t choose them. You do. We’re putting the power to decide in your hands – the selections below are based on Famous Smoke Shop customer reviews.
As with previous entries to our Top-Rated Series, two qualifications must be met by each Arturo Fuente Cigar featured.
Be sure to share your experience with Arturo Fuente at Famous Smoke Shop or leave us a comment below!
Arturo Fuente Hemingway Short Story – 4.5 Stars across 100 Reviews
Josh in Kitland AFB says: “Even though it’s a shorty, it’s still a solid 45-minute smoke.”
One hundred reviewers can’t all be wrong, and it’s this triple digit number that lands Arturo Fuente Hemingway Short Story at the top of the cigar ratings list. Long before NUB was around, these were the original shorter, yet full-length (as Josh pointed out above) sticks. And that instantly recognizable 4” x 48 Perfecto size has remained one of the most popular in Fuente’s portfolio. I found lots of cedar, cream, and aromatic notes of roasted coffee from the blend of Dominican tobaccos and a genuine African Cameroon wrapper. Don’t take my word for it…check out all those reviews and see if Short Story earns a spot in your humidor.
Arturo Fuente 8-5-8 Flor Fina Natural – 4.5 Stars across 52 Reviews
George in ID says: “It draws compliments from even those who don’t care for cigar smoke!”
8-5-8 s are Fuente 6”x 47 sizes that immortalize the 85-year legacy of Arturo Fuente Sr. And none is more popular than the Arturo Fuente 8-5-8 Natural. Like the Hemingway above, the Flor Fina showcases African Cameroon tobacco at its best. It’s surprisingly rich for a medium-bodied cigar, but it never strays outside the lines. It’s a taste-bud pleaser with big notes of coffee, a hint of caramel, and a truckload of floral sweetness that surely helped earn it high customer ratings. And like your favorite movie – the one that you’ll sit down to watch any time it’s on, 8-5-8 Natural has ‘classic favorite’ written all over it.
Arturo Fuente Sun Grown Royal Salute – 5.0 Stars across 18 Reviews
Khalid in Dubai, UAE says: “It is one of my best five cigars.”
Fuente may be famed for its expertise in blending with a Cameroon Leaf, but their Sun Grown-wrapped prove they’re anything but a one-trick pony. The wrappers we’re talking about were grown in Ecuador in full tropical sun which makes them sweeter and darker than a traditional tobacco leaf. Almost like a Maduro, but not quite. The flavors I get range from caramel to light coffee with a zippy layer of baking spices. Arturo Fuente Sun Grown Royal Salute is a solid medium-bodied burner that excels as an after-work treat whn you’re not quite ready for something with a ton of body, but still prefer to give your palate a little excitement.
Arturo Fuente Don Carlos No. 2 – 4.5 Stars across 25 Reviews
CJ in TX says:
“I’ve smoked every one ‘til my fingertips burned!” The Instagram smokers want Opus X. The real Fuente fans reach for Don Carlos. And that’s because they’re in on the secret I’m about to share: Don Carlos is on par…if not better than Opus…and you can actually find it. Yeah…I said it. And when you’re done screaming at the screen, give it a puff and find spicy, sweet, nutty notes drizzled with dark wood, earth, sweet cedar, and peppers. Not only is it all in for flavor but balanced enough to smoke smooth whether you’ve paired it with your morning coffee or an after-dinner bourbon. Light one up. And then apologize to your screen.
Arturo Fuente Especiales Cazadores – 4.5 Stars across 9 Reviews
Bob in OH says: “For the price, these cigars can’t be beat.”
All right…I cheated. This only has 9 reviews, but I’m making an exception purely based on the price. These Arturo Fuente Especiales Cazadores (which tied with the Conquistador size) really have no business earning top-ratings at under $4, right? On paper, I’d usually agree, but we’ve seen before that some companies can make magic out of a much lighter budget. Especiales are the same story. Wrapped with a similar leaf to their Sun Grown series, the blend includes estate-grown tobaccos from Fuente’s farm in the Dominican Republic for notes of oak, sweet tobacco, and mellow spice. Simply put: an authentic Fuente experience at a knock-off price.