Last month, 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 four different vitolas and prices at this point and time, all in boxes of 21.

  • J. Fuego Sangre de Toro Belicoso (5 1/2 x 52) — $6.95
  • J. Fuego Sangre de Toro Robusto (4 7/8 x 49) — $5.95
  • J. Fuego Sangre de Toro Toro (6 x 50) — $6.75
  • J. Fuego Sangre de Toro Corona (5 1/2 x 46) — $5.75

J. Fuego Sangre de Toro Robusto 1.png

J. Fuego Sangre de Toro Robusto 2.png

  • 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 well 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. It is just a bit on the hard side when squeezed, but not overly or annoyingly so. The cold draw includes strong dark chocolate, oak and black pepper.

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

J. Fuego Sangre de Toro Robusto 3.png

The sweetness stays fairly strong until the end of the cigar, but other flavors ebb and flow for the whole smoke. Along with the flavors above, I pick up notes of vanilla, oak, leather, sweet earth, creamy coffee, roasted nuts and dry coca. The finish is also excellent and I love that the pepper and spice remain in the profile, albeit at different strengths, until the end of the smoke.

J. Fuego Sangre de Toro Robusto 4.png

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 up.
  • I am astounded by the price point on these with boxes of 21, a box of the Robustos is $112.50 and a box of the Coronas is only $108.50.
  • The burn was just a bit erratic, 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 just one hour and five minutes.
91 Overall Score

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

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Brooks Whittington

I have been smoking cigars for over eight years. A documentary wedding photographer by trade, I spent seven years as a photojournalist for the Dallas Morning News and the Fort Worth Star Telegram. I started the cigar blog SmokingStogie in 2008 after realizing that there was a need for a cigar blog with better photographs and more in-depth information about each release. SmokingStogie quickly became one of the more influential cigar blogs on the internet, known for reviewing preproduction, prerelease, rare, extremely hard-to-find and expensive cigars. I am a co-founder of halfwheel and now serve as an editor for halfwheel.