For those of you that don’t know…

Last month (that would be April), Jesus Fuego started sending out samples of his newest creation, the Sangre de Toro, which roughly translates to Bull’s Blood. It is a Nicaraguan puro that gets its name from the dark, reddish wrapper, which has nothing to do with bull fighting.

In fact, in a Twitter post, Jesus Fuego had this to say:

“(The Wrapper) was also the name used in Cuba for the dark and rich Colorado wrapper like the one I used here.”

J. Fuego won our “Best Cigar for Under $2″ last year with his amazingly priced Origin Originals, so I was extremely eager to see what he could do with this blend…

The Sangre de Toro comes in 4 different vitolas and prices at this point and time, all in boxes of 21…They are:

• Belicoso — (5 1/2 x 52) — $6.95
• Robusto — (4 7/8 x 49) — $5.95
• Toro — (6×50) — $6.75
• Corona — (5 1.2 x 46) — $5.75

The boxes for the the Sangre de Toro look like this…

(photo courtesy of J. Fuego)

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But, enough of that, let’s get down to business, shall we?

• Cigar Reviewed: J. Fuego Sangre de Toro Robusto
• Country of Origin: Honduras
• Factory: Tabacos de Oriente
• Wrapper: Nicaraguan Colorado
• Binder: Nicaraguan Criollo
• Filler: Nicaraguan Corojo & Criollo
• Size: 4 7/8 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 49
• Vitola: Robusto
• MSRP: $5.95 (Boxes of 21, $124.95)
• Release Date: May 2011
• Number of Cigars Released: Regular Production
• Number of Cigars Smoked for Review: 1

The cigar itself seems perfectly rolled, with a very dark reddish brown wrapper that is slightly rough to the touch, and have some oil on it. The wrapper smells strongly of sweet wood, peppermint, spice and yes, pickles (see Final Notes below.) It is just a bit on the hard side when squeezed, but not overly or annoyingly so. Predraw Notes include strong dark chocolate, oak and black pepper.

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The cigar starts off with a strong sweetness, flavors of wood and chocolate, with a bit of leather thrown in. It was not a pepper bomb by any means, but there was some nice spice on the tongue that stayed around for pretty much the whole smoke.

The sweetness stayed fairly strong until the end of the cigar, but other flavors ebbed and flowed for the whole smoke…Along with the flavors above, I picked up notes of vanilla, oak, leather, (sweet) earth, creamy coffee, roasted nuts and dry coca…The finish was also excellent, and I loved that the pepper and spice remained in the profile, albeit at different strengths, until the end of the smoke.

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Final Notes:

• I was a little surprised when I read Brian Hewitt’s review of this cigar and saw that he said there was, “a distinct pickle scent” to the wrapper. However, after smelling mine, I have to say he is right on…This is the first time I have smelled anything close to a pickle on a cigar wrapper, but it really is easy to pick (ahem) out the scent.
• I am astounded by the price point on these with boxes of 21, a box of the Robustos is $112.50 (before taxes, of course) and a box of the Coronas is only $108.50.
• The burn was just a bit erratic (nothing major) but the draw was excellent for the whole stick.
• There was quite a bit of smoke that came off this cigar, despite the size, which is something I love.
• The Final Smoking Time was 1 Hour and 5 Minutes.

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The Bottom Line: The J. Fuego Sangre de Toro has been getting rave reviews everywhere you look, and for good reason. This cigar is literally loaded with great flavors, is extremely balanced, and draws like a dream. At a price point under $6 each (for the Robusto), it is easily one of the best smokes in that price range. I will be buying a box (if I can get my hands on one) without a doubt.

Final Score: 91