Review: Arturo Fuente 8-5-8 Flor Fina Candela

I started a tradition a few years ago. It involves smoking a candela wrapped cigar for St. Patrick’s Day. This was the first year that I had to order some instead of going to one of my local B&Ms. Candelas continue to decline in popularity in the Unites States. But I did finally track one down- the Arturo Fuente 8-5-8 Flor Fina Candela. Despite the week of crappy weather here in Atlanta, I went out to my garage last night to continue the tradition.

The 8-5-8 Flor Fina is 6 inch long cigar with a 47 ring gauge. The binder and fillers are from the Dominican Republic and the wrapper is a USA Connecticut. The wrapper had a couple of noticeable veins, but the cap was excellent and the cigar was firmly packed. I used my Xikar to make a straight cut and lit the cigar with a match.

The cigar immediately produced a grassy and herbal aroma. I picked out the same grassy component in the flavor along with green tea and black pepper. The flavors remained consistent over the length of the smoke, and there wasn’t a whole lot of complexity. Obviously, there is a limit to what the wrapper can do in this blend, but the fillers and binder were almost as equally boring in terms of flavor. I liked the flavors I got, but it just wasn’t an exciting cigar. There was room for more flavors to join the party.

The cigar created a firm white ash, and it burned razor sharp throughout- exactly what I expect from a Fuente cigar. The cigar was medium bodied and mild in strength. I still found it to be flavorful enough to enjoy it, but I would definitely reserve it for the first half of the day smoke when the palate is clean. I would also caution on pairing this with a beverage. Almost anything will dominate the flavor of this cigar. I would stick to water or a cup of green tea to complement this cigar.

Overall I thought it was an OK cigar. I would have expected an Candela wrapper to be smoother with fewer veins. And the blend needs a little oomph. I gave the cigar an 84.

Advertisement