My Weekend Cigar: God of Fire Don Carlos 2006

Just over a month ago, Keith Park of Prometheus International was paying a visit to Famous Smoke Shop and he was generous enough to hand me a God of Fire Don Carlos 2006, a special, limited edition selection made exclusively by Arturo Fuente. As he handed it to me, I told him that I'd never had a God of Fire (gasp!), so I would be happy to include it in one of "My Weekend Cigar" reviews - and away we go!

Now, these two year-aged cigars rolled to 5¼" x 50 ain't exactly cheapos. A box of 10 will cost you around $190, so you can appreciate my glee in getting one gratis. The God of Fire Don Carlos 2006 sports an Ecuadorian wrapper leaf cured to a gorgeous, brick-hued patina that encases an all-Dominican filler & binder tobacco blend. The cigar was perfectly packed and the cap clipped off in a neat little disc. The pre-light flavor was earthy, woody, and leathery with no trace of spiciness, and drew effortlessly.

The foot lit evenly across and the smoke remained in-line with the pre-lit flavor; just a lot more earthy and leathery, with notes of sweet cedar, oak, and in terms of texture, extremely creamy. I paired the cigar with a bottle of spring water because I wanted to make sure I tasted as much of the flavors in the cigar as possible, and I was glad I did.

As the cigar burned past the first inch, it hedged a little off-track, but quickly righted itself. By the halfway point, an appealing nutty flavor began to creep in. Up to this point, the cigar was very consistent in terms of it's character and strength, which I would have to classify as full-bodied, but not in the overpowering sense.

By the third act, I detected a little grassiness and a note of tea in the smoke, but it did not detract from the predominantly woody and leathery flavors that lingered on the palate. If anything, it just made the cigar that much more interesting.

This was quite a "sophisticated" cigar, and I can only imagine now how well it would be complemented by a glass of The Macallan or a very fine vintage Port.

I smoked the cigar down to about an inch, and it held up beautifully. Here again, we have another cigar that's worth the investment for those very special occasions.

For more information on these cigars, visit the God Of Fire website, and thanks once again to Keith Park for turning me on to this rare and wonderful treat.

~ Gary Korb