Arturo Fuente Don Carlos No. 3 - Box of 25

A classic Corona proportion that punches considerably above its size, and one blind reviewer specifically called box-purchase worthy after a single sample. No. 3, at 5.5 x 44, carries the same ten-year-aged Dominican binder and filler and select African Cameroon wrapper found across the Don Carlos line, this time in a dark Colorado-toned leaf with a subtle, oily sheen that sits comfortably in the hand.

The first puff delivers a bold, immediate profile: cedar, a hint of vanilla, and the unmistakable earthiness of quality aged Dominican tobacco, with smoke that reads noticeably creamy and dense on every draw. The opening third is friendly and rich, sweet notes, wood, nuts, and leather building alongside a gentle touch of spice, before the second third deepens into cinnamon, roasted coffee, and a hint of dark cocoa. Cigar Aficionado rated the blend 90 points, describing it as considerably spicy in character with a corona that draws and burns evenly, quite powerful but building steadily in intensity as the smoke progresses, a description that matches exactly what most reviewers experience across the roughly 45 to 60-minute session.

The real personality shows up in the final third, where the sweetness shifts from cocoa and cinnamon toward something closer to dark fruit, raisins or dark cherries, as leather fades and earthiness takes over, closing on a peppery finish with a touch of nutmeg that several longtime smokers specifically say only amplifies with proper humidor aging. Construction earns consistently strong marks, a crisp wrapper with tight seams, a balanced draw, and a burn that holds strong and consistent well into the second half. For a cigar this size, the sheer amount of flavor complexity packed in is genuinely remarkable, and more than one reviewer describes finishing one and immediately wanting to light another.

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Flavor progression:

1. Opening: cedar, vanilla, and earthiness lead the way, sweet notes, wood, nuts, and leather building alongside a gentle touch of spice
2. Mid-smoke: cinnamon and roasted coffee deepen the profile, hints of dark cocoa emerging as the intensity builds steadily
3. Close: the sweetness shifts toward dark fruit like raisins or dark cherries as leather fades, closing on a peppery finish with a touch of nutmeg

Key Features:

1. Brand: Arturo Fuente
2. Line: Don Carlos
3. Named for: Don Carlos Fuente Sr., Fuente family patriarch
4. Blender: Carlos Fuente Sr.
5. Recognition: 90 points, Cigar Aficionado; Best Full Bodied Cigar, Cigar Insider (line-wide); Top 25 Cigars, multiple years
6. Founded: 1912, by Don Arturo Fuente
7. Factory: Tabacalera A. Fuente, Santiago, Dominican Republic
8. Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
9. Wrapper: African Cameroon (Colorado tone)
10. Binder: Dominican Republic
11. Filler: Dominican Republic (aged 10 years)
12. Construction: Handmade
13. Vitola: Corona
14. Size: 5.5 inches x 44 ring gauge
15. Strength: Full
16. Flavor Profile: Cedar, vanilla, nuts, leather, cinnamon, roasted coffee, dark cocoa, dark fruit, nutmeg, pepper
17. Rating: 90 points, Cigar Aficionado
18. Smoke Time: Approximately 45 to 60 minutes
19. Box Count: 25 cigars
20. Price per Cigar: approximately $9.00