Futuro Selección 109

In May, Warped announced the impending release of a brand new cigar that was produced in collaboration with Max Fernández Pujals of Casa Fernández and AGANORSA fame. Named Futuro, the new release is composed of a Nicaraguan corojo 99 wrapper covering a Nicaraguan criollo 98 binder along with Nicaraguan corojo 98 and corojo 99 filler tobaccos. Two sizes are available, one picked by Fernández and and the other picked by Warped owner Kyle Gellis.

The initial launch of Futuro includes two different vitolas, both of which are sold in sliding-lid boxes of 20: Fernández chose the Futuro Selección 109 (6 x 52, $9.75) while Gellis decided on the Futuro Selección Suprema (5 5/8 x 46, $8.75). While the release is not specifically a limited edition, only 400 boxes of each vitola were sold to retailers at the 2015 IPCPR Convention & Trade Show and it is not known if they will be made in the future, or in what amounts.

• Futuro Selección Suprema (5 5/8 x 46) — $8.75 (Boxes of 20, 175)
• Futuro Selección 109 (6 x 52) — $9.75 (Boxes of 20, $195)

The Futuro cigars are rolled at Tabacos Valle de Jalapa S.A. (TABSA) in Estelí, Nicaragua, which is owed by the Fernández family. In addition, both Casa Fernández and Warped will be handling distribution for the new release.

• Cigar Reviewed: Futuro Selección 109
• Country of Origin: Nicaragua
• Factory: TABSA
• Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo 99
• Binder: Nicaraguan Criollo 98
• Filler: Nicaraguan Corojo 98 & Corojo 99
• Size: 6 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 52
• Vitola: Toro
• MSRP: $9.75 (Boxes of 20, $195)
• Release Date: August 2015
• Number of Cigars Released: 400 Boxes of 20 Cigars (8,000 Total Cigars)
• Number of Cigars Smoked for Review: 3

Covered in a mocha brown wrapper that has a noticeable reddish tint, the Futuro also sports a 109 cap and a clean cut foot. There are multiple veins present running up and down the length of the cigar, but none of them are overly distracting, and the wrapper is silky smooth to the touch. Aroma from the wrapper is a combination of rich vanilla, cinnamon, clay, earth, leather and oak, while the cold draw brings flavors of the same cinnamon, creamy oak, leather, chocolate, nuts and black pepper.
The flavors in the Futuro start immediately after lighting, with a dominant spicy oak note interspersed with flavors of rich milk chocolate, earth, baker’s spices, cinnamon and creamy almonds. There is some nice vanilla sweetness on the retrohale, along with a significant amount of black pepper, and I am picking up some noticeable spice on my tongue, although it seems to be receding as the first third continues. The draw is excellent so far, and while the burn is not razor sharp, it is far from needing any correcting. Strength-wise, the Futuro struggles to hit the medium mark by the end of the first third, and smoke production coming off of the foot is about average.

There is a bit less vanilla sweetness in the profile in the second third of the Futuro, along with less pepper on the retrohale. The profile becomes noticeably smoother, with a dominant creamy almond flavor replacing the oak note at the forefront, followed by flavors of dark chocolate, oak, barnyard, hay and bitter espresso beans. The cinnamon from the first third is definitely still present, but mostly on the finish, and it combines nicely with a touch of spice on my tongue. Construction-wise, the Futuro still features an excellent draw with just the right amount of resistance, and while I have to touch up the burn a couple of times, it is far from problematic. The overall strength does hit the medium mark around the halfway point, but it seems to stall out there, and I am doubting that it will go much further.

The final third of the Futuro features the same creamy almond as the dominant flavor, but it is accentuated by an interesting orange citrus note on the retrohale that combines with black pepper and a touch of spice. Other flavors of coffee, sweet milk chocolate, leather, earth, hay, and oak flit in and out, and the cinnamon note from the first two thirds has receded just a bit, although it is still very noticeable in the profile. The burn has evened up nicely and the draw continues to impress, while the smoke production remains fairly constant. The strength level does rise just a bit past the medium mark, but not much beyond that by the time I put the nub down with about an inch left.

Final Notes

• This tastes almost nothing like a Casa Fernández blend to me, so if that was one of their goals, they nailed it as far as I am concerned.
• I really love the logo on the band for this release, it reminds me of a modernized version of the logos that were used in the old World’s Fair exhibits.
• Interestingly, there is no indication on the band about who makes the cigar, where it comes from or what vitola it is.
• The distinct cinnamon note is consistent during the entire experience of the cigar, from the cold draw to the actual profile of the cigar itself.
• After being virtually unheard of outside of Cuba for years, the 109 cap — a cross between a belicoso cap and a normal cap — is making a strong comeback in various recent releases. In addition to the Futuro, Crux incorporates the cap into three of its five core lines, Illusione incorporateed it into its Cruzado Marelas Supremas and Tatuaje used it into both last year’s and this year’s Monster Series release.
• You can see our coverage of the Warped booth at the 2015 IPCPR Convention & Trade Show here.
• Warped just shipped its newest release, Corto.
• The ash is extremely well constructed, and stayed on the foot of the cigar for more than an inch before falling off any any point.
• The final smoking time for all three samples averaged one hour and 35 minutes.
• The cigars for this review were purchased by halfwheel.
• If you would like to purchase Warped Futuro cigars, site sponsors Atlantic Cigar, Elite Cigar Cafe (972.661.9136), JR Cigars, Serious Cigars and STOGIES World Class Cigars have them in stock.