Arturo Fuente Anejo Reserva No. 49

....for a great celebration. Had this onboard cruise ship, after dinner, as we sailed out of Belize. Spent the day diving and celebrating my 60th birthday. Great looks and construction. Flavor matched well in comparison to the Padron 1926 I had the next night, so a better value here.

Give one of these a try. It's big, so the flavor is more mellow than the 46, and it packs a wallop. Full stomach only, I suggest. Great flavor that is balanced and mature.

Let this sit in my humidor for about 10 months. It must have lost all of it's ''spicy, cocoa, and full-bodiedness" in the humidor, because it was bland. Very once dimensional, and simple. The coarse dark wrapper was way too thick and had been used with extreme adhesive at the factory. No more Anejo's for me.

Great smoke!!! The flavor was pure love. Full bodied with multiple flavors that danced on my tongue. Presentation was like all anejos, perfect.

I think this cigar got hurt by another 12 months in my humidor. Was not nearly as good as i remember it. While decent, the flavor seems to have dulled.

Although this one is not quite as flavorful as the Anejo Shark or even the smaller 50, It is still world class. Great construction, draw, cognac hint and slight buzz. Anejos are Fuente at their best.

I bought a box of these just to see what the fuss was about, and because of the "rarity" factor. This smoke had a very unique taste profile, perhaps due to the cognac barrel aging of the wrapper. Although the filler is reportedly the same as Opus, this did not resemble Opus in taste-- the wrapper does make a difference! The first inch or so hit me with a very spicy taste and a short finish, but after that the cigar became less one-dimensional and acquired a "meatiness" to compliment the spice, and just a touch of sweetness to round out the picture. I'm sure this will only improve with age. Anejo is a nice change of pace cigar, and the presentation is luxurious. I still prefer VSG or Tatuaje, but I'll smoke one of these a month for something different. A good value, compared to VSG or other premium NCs. Oh, one last thing-- great appearance, a very oily, glistening wrapper, and perfect construction.

I fired one of these up at a local B&M with some friends. It was from a box from 2004, and had plume all over it. Attractive, rich, dark, toothy wrapper with minimal veins. Solid construction, as usual with AF, without any soft spots. Easy light. Good draw. Razor sharp burn without the need for corrections. Tons of billowy white smoke. Started immediately with a strong woody flavor. The first third combined this woodiness with a strong earthiness, charcoal and meat flavors, almost like a steak on the grill. The second third brought an enjoyable smoothness and flavors of cocoa and a hint of dark chocolate all set on the background of earth. The last third introduced dancing notes of espresso and a mild menthol flavor. All in all, this 2 hour smoke was most enjoyable, and shows me again that the Anejos are worth both the hype and the coin. Paired well with HC7 rum.

What a nice looking cigar. Hefty, beautifully rolled, solid as a night stick. I punched it and had zero draw problems. The burn was exceptional all the way down. The taste on these is hard to describe, complex in an oaky sory of way. I just read that the wrappers are aged in Cognac barrels, that makes sense, the flavor is quite unique in my experience and in a good way. I smoked this until I heated up my fingers. Very interesting, I'll get a few of these to age.

I liked this cigar better than the #48. Again, construced and looked great but too mild. Never really kicked in with the flavor you would expect. A little more cocoa then the 48. I smoke cigars not for the name but for the taste. I have had better 2.00 cigars than the two anejo's I've smoked ( but the 77 is a different story)

This is the second anejo I've tasted, and unlike the first: WOW. If this is not THE best cigar I've ever smoked, it's certainly in the top 5. Rich yet delicate flavor, excellent burn, tasty looking wrapper. I have never been a major Fuente fan, but this has earned my tremendous respect for them. A world class cigar.