Stogie Reviews: A. Fuente Rosado Sungrown Magnum R 52

11 Jan 2010

Fuente fans can be a ravenous bunch. Between Opus X, Hemingway, Anejo, and others, Fuente has a loyal following for its expertly-blended, full-flavored smokes.

Fuente Rosado Magnum R For that reason I was somewhat surprised by the lack of buzz surrounding the launch of Fuente’s new Rosado Sungrown Magum R line. Maybe the blend’s billing as a more medium-bodied smoke left it a few notches below what many hardcore Fuente fans like best.

Rosado Sungrown Magum R debuted in early December with three sizes: 52 (5 x 52), the 54 (6.25 x 54) and the 56 (5.6 x 56). Carlos Fuente Jr. said these cigars were rolled over a year ago and have been aging ever since.

According to Fuente, the Ecuadorian wrapper was grown 8-10 years ago by John Oliva when Fuente first created their Sun Grown line. The Magunm R’s wrappers, however, are from much lower on the plant, which accounts for its milder character.

The wrappers on the thick, robusto-sized 52s I sampled for this review had a reddish hue, but were not particularly shiny or oily. Curiously, I noticed a smear of glue on the bottom of both , though the construction was otherwise excellent. Of particular note was a perfectly solid snow-white ash that accompanied a flawless burn.

Much as advertised, I found the Magnum R to be very balanced. It began as a mild-medium smoke with light cedar, roasted nuts, and cream flavors. There were also some slightly less enjoyable damp earth notes.

There wasn’t much evolution as the cigar progresses. But as the burn inched closer to the ornate, gold-trimmed band, it did become a bit more medium-bodied, as a subtle pepper spice kicked in along with some tannic flavors.

All in all, while the Sungrown Magnum R is not the most interesting smoke from Fuente, it does provide a pleasant flavor profile—albeit not as lively as some of my favorite Fuente smokes. And it does so at the very reasonable price of under $7 per stick. That combination earns the Arturo Fuente Rosado Sungrown Magnum R 52 a rating of three and a half stogies out of five.