BACKGROUND: The Arturo Fuente Magnum R Series was first featured on the Stogie Fresh 5 podcast in Episode 233 on Sunday, August 8, 2010. These cigars have been resting peacefully in my humidor for a total of 1 year, 4 months and I gave them their final spin this past week. I say final, because I pulled out my last 2 samples of this batch for this postscript review.

The Fuente Rosado Magnum R Series was several years in the making. Perhaps the single most unique thing about the cigar is the extremely old Ecuadorian wrapper culled from the lower primings of the plant. This wrapper leaf was grown 11 years ago when Fuente first created their Sun Grown line. According to Carlos Fuente Jr., the wrapper is the original John Oliva wrapper from Ecuador that was set-aside at the same time they created the [Arturo Fuente] Sun Grown line.

While many of the Fuente Sung Grown cigars are made with mid to upper primings of Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper, the wrappers used on the Rosado Magnum Series are from much lower on the plant, the second and third primings, which accounts for its more mild character.

Carlito said he intended to move away from the power trend that he helped create and come up with a balanced and elegant smoke. According to Fuente, these cigars are flavorful and complex.

The Rosado comes in three sizes, today's featured stick is the 5-inch by 52 ring, R52 Robusto.

TASTING NOTES: The cigar starts with a toasty cedar flavor and the tingle of white pepper on the lips and tongue. The retrohale brings a sweet, tangy spice that is very Cuban-esque in character. The flavor and body profile immediately suggest that this cigar would be a great match with a fine scotch.

The burn and draw on this Robusto were both excellent, though the burn line was a bit blistered. The ash held firm and allowed me to tap off in regular 1-inch chunks.

This cigar was medium in body and medium-full in flavor. It is fairly light as regards strength, but that is of little import, given the rewarding flavors and performance. An extra year of aging has not diminished the enjoyment of this cigar. The flavors are still pronounced and pleasant and, if anything, this cigar is more balanced and complex now than it was a year ago. That said, I believe that the Magnum Series Robusto will show its best features during the first 2 years after purchase.

FINAL THOUGHTS: This is an elegant and tasty smoke and at $5.40 per stick, is worth every cent. It displays a strong cedar character with both cedar and white pepper dominating the finish. I believe this cigar will appeal to a wide range of cigar smokers. It is medium in body and strength, full in flavor and is a well-constructed smoke. I say give these cigars and try and you might just find yourself another cigar for your regular smoking lineup.

~Doc