There are certain names in the premium cigar industry that immediately command attention, and Arturo Fuente is certainly one of them. The Don Carlos line has long occupied a special place within the company’s portfolio, traditionally showcasing the marriage of Dominican tobacco with African Cameroon wrapper.
The Don Carlos Sangre de Toro takes that familiar name into decidedly different territory. Instead of Cameroon, Fuente turned to a Mexican San Andrés wrapper, pairing it with Dominican binder and filler tobaccos. That alone made the Sangre de Toro an intriguing release and one I was eager to put through the Stogie Press testing process.
For this review, I sampled 3 of the Sangre de Bestia No. 2, a 6 1/4 x 52 expression of the blend, which were gifted to me my an awesome Brother of the Leaf.
The company describes the blend as:
- Wrapper: Mexican San Andrés
- Binder: Dominican Republic
- Filler: Dominican Republic
The cigars are made at Tabacalera A. Fuente y Cia., Dominican Republic and come packaged in beautiful 20-count boxes and have an MSRP of $16.75/cigar. Unfortunately, many sites have jacked up the retail as high as $50.00/cigar which is something I hate seeing, but it is what it is.
Pre-Light Examination
The Arturo Fuente Don Carlos Sangre de Toro Sangre de Bestia No. 2 presented with a slightly oily, medium-brown wrapper displaying a mild tooth and just a few minor veins. The cigar was firmly packed from head to foot and finished with a well-applied simple cap.
The cigar is dressed with two elaborate bands that bridge Fuente tradition with the considerably bolder personality of Sangre de Toro. The large primary Don Carlos band is classic Fuente—ornate red, black, and gold artwork loaded with embossed medallions, decorative flourishes, and the familiar Don Carlos crest.
Beneath it sits the more aggressive Sangre de Toro band, featuring large metallic lettering, Carlos Fuente’s signature, and a charging bull set against a dramatic red-and-black background. Its irregular gold edging gives the band an almost torn or scorched appearance. Together, the bands make for an unmistakably Fuente presentation while visually signaling that Sangre de Toro is something quite different from the traditional Don Carlos.
Running the cigar beneath the nose, I picked up a mildly pungent aroma along the barrel, while the foot offered something considerably more intriguing. There was a distinctive sweetness that was difficult to immediately pin down. It seemed to fall somewhere between a candied sweetness and a sweet barnyard character.
I used a straight cut just above the shoulder to open the cap and proceeded with some cold-draw puffs. The cold draw offered notes of sweet bready cracker and cinnamon spice.
The spice continued to build the more I cold-puffed the cigar. With each successive puff, the cheeks and tongue warmed further from the cinnamon-like spice, providing an early indication that the Sangre de Bestia No. 2 might have some bite once the flame was introduced.
The Journey
First Third
With the cigar fired up, the draw started with a medium volume of smoke to get the journey underway. The opening delivered a pleasant dose of peppery spice, while a light grey (almost white) ash began forming above a thin char line. The pepper really hit the back of the throat during the opening salvos, giving the cigar an assertive introduction. Very early in the burn, a salty note appeared on the palate. Combined with the pepper, it gave the cigar a somewhat savory opening.
After about an inch, however, the profile began to settle and take on a bolder umami character accompanied by an evolving fruit essence.
As the Sangre de Bestia No. 2 approached the second third, dark chocolate began to develop. This wasn’t the sharper bitterness I associate with an 85-percent cacao chocolate. Instead, it reminded me more of a 70-percent dark chocolate, carrying enough inherent sweetness to work nicely with the cigar’s natural tobacco sweetness.
Second Third
As the cigar moved through the second third, the earlier fruit began to better define itself as stone fruit, while the dark chocolate continued to linger pleasantly on the palate along with a touch of cedar. Near the midway point, a cashew note joined the mix, adding another dimension to the developing flavor profile. The ash continued to build impressively before eventually falling in a huge chunk, revealing a decent burn cone beneath.
Deeper into the second third, a mild licorice note entered the profile while the spice became noticeably more refined. The combination began to establish itself as the core of the experience. Meanwhile, a distinct maple syrup aroma began wafting from the cigar, providing an enjoyable aromatic sweetness that contrasted nicely with the darker flavors developing on the palate.
As the second third wound down, the cashew notes reemerged, adding a creamy nuttiness alongside the licorice and refined spice.
Final Third
Moving into the final third, the ash once again built solidly from where the previous chunk had dropped, continuing the cigar’s fine combustion performance. The flavor profile shifted as earthy notes began to evolve, bringing a darker character to the experience. At the same time, a refined spice developed on the palate, as the Sangre de Bestia No. 2 worked its way toward the finish.
The cigar finished at medium-to-full strength, with a total smoking time of 1 hour and 35 minutes.
Final Analysis
The Arturo Fuente Don Carlos Sangre de Toro Sangre de Bestia No. 2 delivered an interesting journey that began with considerably more edge than it ultimately finished with. The early combination of pepper, throat spice created an assertive opening before the profile settled into the deeper and more savory character of umami and fruit.
For me, the cigar really began to distinguish itself as the dark chocolate developed. The comparison to roughly 70-percent cacao is important here. There was darkness and depth without becoming excessively bitter, while the cigar’s underlying tobacco sweetness helped round out the chocolate. From there, the profile continued to evolve through stone fruit, cashew, licorice and refined spice, with that intriguing maple syrup aroma adding another layer to the experience. The return of cashew late in the second third was also a welcome transition before the cigar moved toward its earthier and spicy conclusion.
Construction was generally solid. The ash demonstrated impressive structure, particularly through the second third, and while the early burn cone was somewhat flat and slightly off center, subsequent ash drops revealed improved combustion and a well-formed cone.
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the Sangre de Bestia No. 2 is how different the journey feels from what one might traditionally associate with the Don Carlos name. The blend brings a darker personality to the famous line, with the dark chocolate, savory umami, licorice, earth and refined spice playing particularly important roles.
At medium-to-full strength and providing 1 hour and 35 minutes of smoking time, the Arturo Fuente Don Carlos Sangre de Toro Sangre de Bestia No. 2 proved to be an evolving and distinctly flavored addition to the Don Carlos family. If you can find these close to MSRP of $16.75 grab a or split a box with a friend. I would also let a few age.
