Arturo Fuente Unnamed Reserve 2013 Toro

In 2012 Arturo Fuente launched the first Unnamed Reserve cigar.  While it was not only a cigar that is “unnamed”, it was a cigar that had a cloud of mystery around it as there really isn’t much that was known about it – other than it was a 5 3/4 x 48 Toro.  Fast forward to 2013, and Arturo Fuente has once again released the Arturo Fuente Unnamed Reserve. This time the cigar returns in a new blend in both a robusto and toro format.  Like the 2012 version, the Arturo Fuente Unnamed Reserve 2013 edition also has a cloud of mystery around it.  Today we take a closer look at the toro version of the Arturo Fuente Unnamed Reserve 2013.  Overall, I found the cigar to be an excellent cigar.

As mentioned, the Arturo Fuente Unnamed Reserve is in two formats – a toro and a robusto.  Both frontmarks are packaged together in a single box of 20 consisting of 10 cigars of each size.  Our Stogie Geeks team was very high on this and it ended up finishing #8 on our Stogie Geeks Composite list for 2013.  This rating was based on the robusto format.  From a personal standpoint, this was a cigar blend I had not smoked – until now.

Without further ado, let’s break down the Arturo Fuente Unnamed Reserve 2013 Toro and see what this cigar brings to the table

Blend Profile

No specific details on the blend of the Arturo Fuente Unnamed Reserve 2013 have been disclosed:

Wrapper: Not disclosed
Binder: Not disclosed
Filler: Not disclosed

Vitolas Available

As mentioned above, the Arturo Fuente Unnamed Reserve 2013 come in to sizes – a toro and vitola.  The two frontmarks are packaged in boxes of 20 consisting of ten cigars in each size. This year’s toro is slightly larger in ring gauge than the Unnamed Reserve 2012.

Robusto: 5 1/4 x 48
Toro: 5 3/4 x 50

Appearance

The wrapper to the Arturo Fuente Unnamed Reserve 2013 Toro is a light brown color that I would classify as one to two shades darker than an Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade wrapper cigar.  Upon closer examination, there are some darker spots on the wrapper.   The wrapper has some light oil on the surface.  The wrapper seams and wrapper veins are well hidden.  The cigar itself has a square-press shaped to it.  The square-press is firm with no soft spots.

The band to the Arturo Fuente Unnamed Reserve 2013 is a classic Arturo Fuente cigar band – that is a combination of red, gold, and white on the upper part with black and gold on the lower portion. The band features a white shield in the middle with the letters “AF” in gold font sitting on a red circle in the middle of the shield.  The shield is surrounded by gold and sits on a larger red circular background. In gold font is the text “A. FUENTE” and “GRAN RESERVA” on the top and bottom of the red circular background respectively. There is a variety of gold adornments that surround the red circular background.  On the lower left and lower right of the band is the text “HAND” and “MADE” respectively – both in gold font sitting on a black background.  There is a red ribbon on the footer.

Preparation for the Cigar Experience

Prior to lighting up my Arturo Fuente Unnamed Reserve 2013 Toro, I went with a straight cut to remove the cap.  Once the cap was removed, I moved on to the pre-light draw phase.  The dry draw was vintage Fuente as I was treated to a mix of hay, black pepper, and natural sweet tobacco.  Overall I considered the pre-light draw of the Unnamed Reserve 2013 Toro to be excellent.  At this point, I was ready to light up the cigar and see what the smoking phase would deliver.

Flavor Profile

The Arturo Fuente Unnamed Reserve 2013 Toro started out with a blast of black pepper.  Once the black pepper settles down, the flavors became similar to what was on the pre-light draw – a mix of black pepper, hay, and natural sweet tobacco.   There was no dominant flavor in these opening stages.   I also was able to detect the pepper on the retro-hale throughout the smoking experience.

Toward the end of the first third, the sweetness moved to the primary flavor.  The natural tobacco sweetness now had some caramel sweetness mixed into it.  The pepper and hay notes receded to secondary flavors.

In the second half, the hay and pepper notes resurfaced again into the forefront while the natural tobacco/caramel sweetness slightly receded.  Once again there was a combination of the sweetness, hay, and pepper with no real dominant flavor.  This is the way the flavor profile held until the end.  The resulting nub was excellent – firm to the touch and cool in temperature.

Burn and Draw

When it came to the burn, the Arturo Fuente Unnamed Reserve 2013 Toro was really a tale of two stories when I smoked it.  Early on the burn was uneven and on the flaky side.  However, by the end of the first third, the burn would straighten out, and the flakiness would also no longer be a problem.  The ash had a salt and pepper color.  As for the burn rate and burn temperature – both were ideal.

Burn of the Arturo Fuente Unnamed Reserve 2013 Toro

The draw to the Arturo Fuente Unnamed Reserve 2013 Toro was excellent.  It was not too loose and not too tight.  I found it very easy to derive flavors from this cigar when puffing on it.

Strength and Body

From a strength perspective, I found the Arturo Fuente Unnamed Reserve 2013 Toro had a nice kick to it.  I assessed this cigar as falling into the medium to full range of the strength spectrum.  As for the flavors, there definitely was some weight to them on the pallet.  I assessed the flavors as being full-bodied throughout the smoking experience.  When balancing strength versus body, I gave the edge to the body.

Final Thoughts

In the cigar media, many will often get frustrated when a company does not disclose blend information. While I would always prefer to know the tobaccos used in a blend, I also think that it creates a nice element of mystery during the smoking experience.   With the Arturo Fuente Unnamed Reserve 2013 Toro, I’ve been told by many that the Robusto is an even better cigar than this one.  This must mean that the Robusto is one heck of a cigar because I really enjoyed the Arturo Fuente Unnamed Reserve 2013 Toro.  The only negative was the burn issues that this cigar had early on.  It’s a cigar I’d probably steer toward a more experienced cigar enthusiast.  As for myself, it is a cigar I would smoke again – and it’s definitely box worthy based on this size alone.

Summary