Arturo Fuente Don Carlos No. 4 - Box of 25

The smallest and shortest figurado in the entire Don Carlos family, and one that several reviewers specifically describe as more robust than its larger siblings despite the compact size. No. 4, at 5⅛ x 43, carries the same African Cameroon wrapper and ten-year-aged Dominican binder and filler that defines every Don Carlos vitola, a toothy, light sandpaper-textured brown leaf with a few visible veins and a slightly oily sheen, genuinely handsome even at this smaller scale.

The flavor arc opens with oak, earth, and leather, mild pepper joining alongside the signature spicy character Cameroon wrappers are known for. Almonds, cocoa, vanilla, and citrus zest surface periodically as the smoke progresses, and by the final third, the oak either transitions into or melds with a cedary character, wood remaining one of the continuous, dominant notes throughout the session. One reviewer, notably not an easy convert to the Fuente name generally, called the construction on this particular size exemplary: a perfect draw, solid smoke output, a consistent, even burn line, and a tight gray ash that held on solidly from start to finish.

Given its short, compact format, this isn't a cigar built around dramatic flavor evolution the way the longer Presidente or Doble Robusto are, and more than one reviewer notes the balance of flavors more than compensates for that relative simplicity. What you get instead is straightforward, classic Cameroon character delivered efficiently: rich, bold, and consistently in that medium to medium-full strength range all the way down to the nub, with genuine "oh wow" moments along the way despite the smaller size. For anyone who wants the full Don Carlos identity without the longer sizes' time commitment, this is the most direct way to experience it.

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Flavor progression:

1. Opening: oak, earth, and leather lead the way, mild pepper and the Cameroon wrapper's signature spicy character setting the tone from the first draw
2. Mid-smoke: almonds, cocoa, vanilla, and citrus zest surface periodically, wood remaining a consistent, dominant thread throughout
3. Close: oak transitions into a cedary character by the final third, a sweet burst rounding out the finish alongside floral notes from the wrapper

Key Features:

1. Brand: Arturo Fuente
2. Line: Don Carlos
3. Named for: Don Carlos Fuente Sr., Fuente family patriarch
4. Blender: Carlito Fuente
5. Recognition: Top 25 Cigars of 2015 (94 points); #1 Cigar of the Year, 2017 (line-wide)
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
10. Binder: Dominican Republic
11. Filler: Dominican Republic (aged 10 years)
12. Construction: Handmade, short Belicoso (figurado)
13. Vitola: No. 4
14. Size: 5⅛ inches x 43 ring gauge
15. Strength: Medium to Medium-Full
16. Flavor Profile: Oak, earth, leather, almonds, cocoa, vanilla, citrus zest, cedar
17. Smoke Time: Approximately 45 to 55 minutes
18. Box Count: 25 cigars
19. Price per Cigar: approximately $7.00