Type: 2005 Double Robusto by Carlito
Dimensions: 5.7 x 50
Wrapper: Cameroon
Tobacco: Dominican
Strength: Medium-Bodied
Price: $22.00 to $24.00; $200.00 for a box of 10

A couple of days ago, a communique arrived on my desk marked “Urgent”. Only one person marks items with urgency, and that’s “The Boss”. Opening the note, I read the following:

“A collection of captured targets is en-route to your location. Target “GoF” is considered Priority Alpha and should be handled with extreme prejudice.” – Agent 15

Only one cigar that I am aware of has the initials of “GoF” and that is the God of Fire. Specially made in small batches by Carlos and Carlito Fuente, I have heard rumors that these can be an expensive and somewhat elusive target to find, especially in most local shops. Needless to say, I was quite excited to find that I had one inbound.

As soon as package arrived, I took the targets downstairs. While the rest of the selection went into my humidor for later questioning, the God of Fire was immediately prepped for interrogation. Its veiny, cameroon wrapper gave off an almost dullish brown aura. Only a tiny glob of glue prevented the wrapper from being without flaw. I think the cameroon wrapper really helped highlight the attractive band: red and gold highlights with a depiction of Prometheus tied to the rock, prominently shown on the main band. The second, slimmer band, donned the name of Carlito, in honor of one of the creators. Finally, the cameroon wrapper emitted a light, woody scent. Subtle, but it was there.

Using a punch and butane lighter to begin the cigar, I was greeted with an incredibly easy draw. Two flavors came to mind immediately when smoking this cigar: Cinnamon, to me, was the prominent flavor. It hit the back of the palette and was quite noticeable in its burned fragrance. That light, woody flavor took a backseat the cinnamon, but it was nearby, politely adding to the overall collection. The cinnamon did get slightly stronger as the cigar burned on, but nothing to where it was overpowering. Overall, I felt it turned out to be an excellent balance of flavors.

The finish on this cigar was short; I didn’t feel that the strength of the cigar, medium-bodied, stay on the smokers palette for a long length of time. What I did find was that the aroma of the cigar did hang in the air for quite some time. That slight-cinnamon fragrance will still detectable in the room where I smoked even a day after.

I found no issues with the burning of the cigar; it burned evenly throughout the 2 hour, 20 minute smoke time. The God of Fire gave a solid, whitish ash. You can see in the below picture how well the ash held, even after I felt time to release the ash. Besides the fragrance of the smoke, the smoke was pretty average in terms of volume and thickness.

Recommendations: This is a great smoking cigar, no question about it. A nice balance of woody and cinnamon flavors. A great draw and burn. Everything you could possibly ask for in a cigar…except for the price. $22.00 for a single stick is very high; $200.00 for 10 is barely better. Personally, this cigar is not something I could afford on a regular basis. I would consider this a once or twice a year treat, or even a cigar to purchase on vacation, so you are justified in spending for it (the Casa Fuente Club in Las Vegas comes to mind – and they do have these available at the club). All in all, I do think the price for this cigar is correct; you always pay more for premium products (steaks, cars are my first thoughts), cigars are no different. If you get the opportunity to try one, don’t hesitate to do so.

A special thanks goes out to “The Boss” (Agent 15 aka @dcamacho) for sending along a great collection of cigars.