Origin: Dominican Republic
Format: Belicoso
Size: 6 x 55
Ring: 55
Wapper: Ecuadorian Sun Grown Rosado
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic
Street Price: About $7 a stick; $120 a box. I got my box for $100, an exceptional deal.
About two thirds into the smoke, the wrapper threatened to unravel.
I'm discovering that I can smoke a large ring torpedo without feeling my sexual identity threatened as I might when handling a gargantuan or similar large size, non-tapered smoke. And, of course, you can more easily adjust the draw, at least in some cases.
Not all was bad. The King B had a nice, firm ash that hung for almost half the smoke - two inches plus measured.
Flavor : I know it is customary to break the review into thirds but I didn't detect enough change in the profile to make it worthwhile. The initial flavors in the first third were sweet and salt, mild to medium bodied, barnyard notes reminiscent of chicken droppings and hay - with a bit of chocolate, if I stretch my imagination. The flavor wasn't entirely unpleasant but far from my favorite in the AF line. Smoke production was average. The last third did become a bit more intense but not in a good way. I left the last couple of inches to die a lonely death.
Some age might well help round out the flavor. I really disliked the first Double Chateau I tried but that stick vastly improved after resting for a few months.
Afterward : I smoked two of these sticks before writing this review, each lasting about an hour or so. The big, ugly veins were present on both, the burn was ragged on both. I know lots of people like this stick but I likely will not be buying another box. In fact, I have doubts if I will be purchasing any more of the AF sun grown cigars. While I liked the Double Chateau line after letting them rest, I believe there are probably better cigar lines for the money.
As an example, 15 minutes after smoking the King B, I lit up a Padron Executive. The burn was clean, the flavor was full and balanced and I enjoyed it start to finish - all two hours of it. And Padrons aren't the only cigars that offer more for the money.For example the Pinar Del Rio 1878 Reserva Dominicana Oscura or the PDR Capa Maduro are a little less expensive, better constructed, and more flavorful than the King B. Note the long ash hang in the PDR below.
I'll let this box of Kings rest for a few months. If aging improves them substantially, I'll bump this review.
Format: Belicoso
Size: 6 x 55
Ring: 55
Wapper: Ecuadorian Sun Grown Rosado
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic
Street Price: About $7 a stick; $120 a box. I got my box for $100, an exceptional deal.
Grade: C
Summary : An impressive looking, well constructed cigar that falls short in construction materials and flavor.
Summary : An impressive looking, well constructed cigar that falls short in construction materials and flavor.
Appearance : This big ring belicoso is wrapped in a cedar sleeve with a black ribbon collar adorning the foot, as do all of the sticks in the Aturo Fuente Chateau Sun Grown line. While attractive, the sleeve prohibits you from cherry picking the best out of the box when shopping at your your local B&BM. On the other hand, if you want that cedar flavor, then the sleeve is necessary.
I first encountered cedar sleeves on a box of the AF Double Chateau Fuentes I purchased earlier in the year. This newbie was quite bulloxed by the packaging and was frequently frustrated in his attempts to remove the sleeve by peeling the scotch tape off the cedar. I made quite the mess in the process, not to mention getting my fingers tacky from the adhesive. My ignorance was lessened slightly when I happened across a review, in which the writer mentioned that he "slipped" the sleeve off the cigar. Aha!
Once the cigar is undressed, the cigar looks impressive - at first glance. The sungrown, Ecuadorian wrapper has a sheen but isn't quite oily. The cigar seems light in hand for its size. A second look reveals a prominent vein that runs the length of the cigar. It is so large that it can be felt through the band.
About two thirds into the smoke, the wrapper threatened to unravel.
I'm discovering that I can smoke a large ring torpedo without feeling my sexual identity threatened as I might when handling a gargantuan or similar large size, non-tapered smoke. And, of course, you can more easily adjust the draw, at least in some cases.
Not all was bad. The King B had a nice, firm ash that hung for almost half the smoke - two inches plus measured.
Flavor : I know it is customary to break the review into thirds but I didn't detect enough change in the profile to make it worthwhile. The initial flavors in the first third were sweet and salt, mild to medium bodied, barnyard notes reminiscent of chicken droppings and hay - with a bit of chocolate, if I stretch my imagination. The flavor wasn't entirely unpleasant but far from my favorite in the AF line. Smoke production was average. The last third did become a bit more intense but not in a good way. I left the last couple of inches to die a lonely death.
Some age might well help round out the flavor. I really disliked the first Double Chateau I tried but that stick vastly improved after resting for a few months.
Afterward : I smoked two of these sticks before writing this review, each lasting about an hour or so. The big, ugly veins were present on both, the burn was ragged on both. I know lots of people like this stick but I likely will not be buying another box. In fact, I have doubts if I will be purchasing any more of the AF sun grown cigars. While I liked the Double Chateau line after letting them rest, I believe there are probably better cigar lines for the money.
As an example, 15 minutes after smoking the King B, I lit up a Padron Executive. The burn was clean, the flavor was full and balanced and I enjoyed it start to finish - all two hours of it. And Padrons aren't the only cigars that offer more for the money.For example the Pinar Del Rio 1878 Reserva Dominicana Oscura or the PDR Capa Maduro are a little less expensive, better constructed, and more flavorful than the King B. Note the long ash hang in the PDR below.
I'll let this box of Kings rest for a few months. If aging improves them substantially, I'll bump this review.
