Cigar Review: Casa Fuente Lancero

Lancero, 7.5" x 41 ring gauge / $26, Casa Fuente

This was another one of those cigars that I picked up on my wife and my trip to Vegas last month. This cigar can only be purchased at the Casa Fuente lounge in Cesar's Palace in Vegas. I usually try to pick up a couple of them every time I go. I don't think I had seen the lancero size before but I had heard others talk about the cigar so I decided to give this one a try. The cigar is comprised of a Dominican filler and binder that is said to be a tweaked Opus X blend, all covered in a Cameroon wrapper. You are only able to purchase two singles per day and at that price I don't know if I'd be able to purchase more than that anyway. The cigar I smoked for this review was the first one I had.

The first thing you notice once you take it out of the cellophane is, well cedar. The cedar wrap covers everything from the foot to the bottom on the band with only a small amount of the wrapper showing above the band. The band and orange foot ribbon are exactly like you'd see on the other sizes of the Casa Fuente. This size does depart from the others in having a pigtail cap. Once you remove the cedar wrap you get a good look at the wrapper. It is a medium dark brown in color and has some darker mottling to it. It also has a good amount of oil to it, which is something I normally don't see in a Cameroon wrapper. There is also some tooth along with some medium and fine veins as well. When I gave the cigar a squeeze it is fairly firm and there are a couple minor soft spots. Putting my nose to the wrapper I don't get much aroma or from the foot as well. After clipping it and taking a cold draw on it I get notes of chocolate and leather with a tight draw.

Once I light up the cigar it starts off with what I call the "Cameroon spice" along with some leather on earth. There is some red pepper spice on the retrohale as well. As I progress through the first third I started getting some cedar and earth flavors with a slightly creamy finish. The draw is very tight and the burn is slightly wavy. The off-white ash held on for about three quarters of an inch before needing to be tapped off.

As I moved into the second third the cigar evened itself out, and the draw opened up a bit, but still not to where I like it. The flavors were of leather, cream, earth with the Cameroon flavor dominating the other ones. The spice was still present on the tongue and retrohale. Towards the end of this third I started noting some cinnamon and a sweetness on the finish. I would classify the cigar as medium bodied and strength through this third.

The final third didn't bring much change from the second third as construction concerned. The flavors changed slightly and I got notes of leather, earth, cedar and an almost nougat like flavor on the finish. The cigar didn't build in body or strength like I've experienced with the larger ring gauge versions of this cigar.

Overall I thought this was an ok cigar. I wouldn't say there was anything bad about the cigar though, it all comes down to preference. I would have preferred that the draw was more open and I don't particularly like the flavor of most Cameroon cigars. I will note that I very much do like the larger ring gauge Casa Fuente's and I pick up a couple every time I go. It makes sense that the wrapper would dominate this cigar and that flavor would come through. I would highly suggest that if you ever do make it to Las Vegas and you get a chance to hit up Casa Fuente that you give this cigar a try as it is a rare and enjoyable cigar, especially with one of their signature drinks.

Body: 7/10
Strength: 6/10
Complexity: 7/10

AFP Scale
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 1.5/2
Flavor: 3.5/5
Value: .5/1
Total: 7.5/10