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Stogie Reviews: Arturo Fuente Añejo No. 77

12 May 2008

The Arturo Fuente Anejo No. 77, better known as “the shark,” is one of the most sought after cigars currently in production. It is easily identified by its unique shape: a tapered pyramid that morphs from a round head to a sharply box-pressed foot.

Following on the success of their super-premium Opus X line, the Fuentes created this blend featuring a Connecticut maduro wrapper with a Dominican binder and filler. Like the Opus X, you can expect to pay a pretty penny for the Anejos – over $20 for a single stick and upwards of $30 for the “shark.”

Not content to employ a simple maduro wrapper, Fuente ages the Connecticut maduro wrapper five years, including a special aging process utilizing cognac barrels. The oily maduro is nearly veinless and the color is darker than most maduros – almost a pure jet black.

Before lighting, I notice earth, chocolate flavors, a hint of fruit, and, not surprisingly, cognac. Perhaps due to the unusual shape, the cigar felt light and not very solid in my hand. Once lit, the Anejo 77 starts off with an uncommon burst of sweetness. It then proceeded to settle into a medium-bodied smoke with chocolate and hints of black pepper spice.

The draw is easy on this five and 7/8 inch pyramid (the ring gauge is 50 by the head before widening out to 64 at the foot). As the cigar progressed it unveiled a solid white ash that held for a full inch at a time.

Around the midway point, “the shark” seemed to accelerate from medium to very full-flavored. Earth and burnt cedar notes were overflowing, along with more maduro sweetness and even hints of cinnamon. The cigar’s phsical properties continued to be impressive, with only a slightly uneven burn being a small blemish on otherwise flawless construction.

Ultimately, I found this to be a most impressive cigar. With excellent construction and rich intense flavors, particularly an abundance of sweet burnt sugar and fruit, the Anejo 77 is the ultimate maduro.

While I’d never consider a cigar with a $30 price tag to be a bargain, the cigar’s decadent flavors match the high price. For that decadence, packed into such a unique shape, the Arturo Fuente Anejo 77 earns a rating of four and 1/2 out of five stogies.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here. Cigars for this review were provided by CigarsDirect.com, and can be purchased here.]

Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

15 Responses to “Stogie Reviews: Arturo Fuente Añejo No. 77”

  1. MonkeyDan Monday, May 12, 2008 at 1:07 am #

    A wonderful smoke. It has an unique shape to compliment a great taste.

  2. furious Monday, May 12, 2008 at 1:59 am #

    Considering that I wouldn't shell out that princely sum for a Cuban let alone a Dominican, I don't think that I'm going to get around to sampling this stick. Nevertheless, I would like to try something that is barrel-aged to experience that diverse flavor profile.

  3. Padronnie Monday, May 12, 2008 at 6:58 am #

    So if I had to pick one, should I go with the OPus X or the Anejo shark?

  4. BubbaGene Monday, May 12, 2008 at 2:17 pm #

    Only Four and a half stogies? …….considering the overwhelmingly positive review, why not five?

  5. lucky7 Tuesday, May 13, 2008 at 2:13 am #

    Mouth watering review! The price is certainly a detractor but cigar smoking wise, the "Shark" is most definitely top shelf. More than likely will go down as one of the all-time greats!

  6. Cigar guy Tuesday, May 13, 2008 at 1:51 pm #

    If you pay $20-$30 for Anejo or Opus, I would consider finding a new tobacconist, no matter what the state.

  7. Dennis (The Stogie B Tuesday, May 13, 2008 at 6:12 pm #

    i dont know, the Anejo just didnt do it for me. but im definitely a big fan of the Opus X … what a great cigar!

  8. Ben M Thursday, May 15, 2008 at 9:39 am #

    I personally prefer the Anejo to the Opus X. I agree that the $30 price tag is fairly high…but I am often able to find them in the DC area for much cheaper. When the shipments come in around Christmas time, I can usually find Anejo's priced in the mid-teens and maybe low 20s for the shark. At this price, and some time aging n my humi I find them to be very worth it.

    They are actually well constructed enough that you can stand them on end w/ a couple inches of ash. Makes for a good party trick when smoking one around other people.

  9. pancho Wednesday, December 31, 2008 at 3:18 pm #

    Anejo is the most flavorful cigar I have ever smoked. Anejo is an opus x, except it has a conniticut wrapper aged in cognac barrels. The anejo is worth the money. Too bad they're only made once a year.

  10. John MDH Saturday, December 25, 2010 at 8:13 pm #

    What would you recommend pairing it with? My brother got me this for Christmas, and I don't want to even toast the foot until I have the perfect setting to give it all the tender love and care it deserves.

  11. Grant Monday, January 17, 2011 at 12:02 pm #

    got this cigar for my dad at christmas time, the guy working behind the counter had been there only a week, didn't know the price so he sold it to me for 13 bucks.. i was pleasantly surprised when i did some research on this baby…

  12. Tee Friday, September 9, 2011 at 7:14 pm #

    Shop around. I got a couple for $13 a stick. Well worth it.

  13. David Lujan Friday, December 13, 2013 at 9:51 pm #

    These are great I just bought a box of 20 at $13.00 a stick. Very happy I love this cigar

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