Stogie Reviews: Arturo Fuente Double Chateau
12 Apr 2011
It’s hard to imagine a part of the country where the Fuentes are held in higher regard than they are around Tampa. You’ll find a wide array of their cigars in just about every shop on both sides of the bay.
Cigar enthusiasts speak of meeting the father or son at their Tampa Sweethearts shop in Ybor City with a tone you might expect from a golfer who went to play at a Jack Nicklaus course and found himself in a foursome with the Golden Bear. From the little contact I’ve been lucky to have with the Fuente family and employees, they well deserve the adulation.
Of course, they make some great cigars. Here at StogieGuys.com, it’s obvious that we’re quite taken with them. By my count, we have done full reviews on 18 Fuente cigars to date, from Curly Heads to Opus, as well as quite a few Quick Smokes and other mentions. I’ve personally written more than once about how much I enjoy the Double Chateau Sun Grown.
Recently, I have been smoking its sibling, the natural Double Chateau with the distinctive green band at the foot. Like all of the sticks in this line, they are encased in a thin cedar sleeve, which can do double duty as a spill in lighting your cigar. At 6.75 inches long with a ring gauge of 50, natural Double Chateaus are generally available for around $6-7 apiece.
What you get for your money is an hour or more of pure pleasure. From the first view of the lovely blonde Connecticut wrapper to the final deposit in the ashtray, the Double Fuente is a medium-strength marvel. It also has the common characteristics of Fuente’s premium cigars: smooth, creamy smoke; blending that leaves no trace of harshness; attention to detail in presentation and construction; and an excellent burn. It’s the sort of smoke you can linger over, picking out flavors as you go along, or simply sit back and enjoy.
It is, I suppose, a testament to how our tastes change. While I’ve smoked these off and on for years, it’s only lately that I feel I have come to really appreciate how good they are.
Not all of us are able to afford some of Fuente’s high-dollar specials and rarities. But that doesn’t meanwe’re precluded from enjoying great Fuente cigars. Just light up any stick in this line. I rate the natural Double Chateau four and a half stogies out of five.
[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here.]
photo credit: Stogie Guys
Patrick Ashby
Co-Founder & Editor in Chief
Patrick Semmens
Co-Founder & Publisher
George Edmonson
Tampa Bureau Chief
I like these but I have one problem with them. The wrapper is about the most fragile I've found. It cracks very easily. By the end they often look like an exploding cigar.
Just to clarify a little bit, the father and son at Tampa Sweethearts are not the same father and son that own and operate Tabacalera A. Fuente. Tampa Sweethearts is a retailer not a manufacturer.
Yes, Tampa Sweethearts is a retail operation. The Fuentes operate it in their old Ybor City factory to sell their cigars. The opening page on their TS site — written by Arturo Fuente Sr. and Jr. — explains all this, as does the radio ad you can play.
I was just trying to clear up the misconception that Tampa Sweethearts is a retail outlet for Tabacalera A. Fuente. That is not the case. They are family but both operate separate businesses. Your article gives the impression that when you go to Tampa Sweethearts you meet the family that makes the cigars and that is not the case.
The only reason I bring it up is because when I first started in this hobby I thought it was the same family as well. I learned the hard way one year at the Big Smoke when I asked Carlos Fuente when he was going to be back at his store, thats when he informed me they don't have a store, his brother did. It's kind of a blurring of the lines thing if you think about it.
The first cigar I ever smoked was an Arturo Fuente and I have loved their consistency ever since. You can't beat it for the price point and selection. Nice review
What is the difference in taste in the Fuente double chateau natural vs sun grown?