Nestled into the mineral-rich Bonao Valley 45 miles southeast of the Arturo Fuente cigar factory in the Dominican city of Santiago lies a renowned tract of farmland that’s grown over the years from a mere 37 acres to more than 300. It is this farm — christened “Chateau de la Fuente” by AF family boss Don “Carlito” Carlos Fuente Junior — that changed the course of history for Arturo Fuente, and for the cigar industry as a whole.
Prior to the existence of Chateau de la Fuente, tobacco growers didn’t believe you could produce a “puro” all-Dominican cigar that could compete with the world’s best smokes. But in the early 1990s, Carlito dug in his heels, and by 1995, he proved the entire industry wrong by doing what it said couldn’t be done.
Fast-forward 26 years, and the Chateau is now famous all over the world for producing some of the very best tobaccos the cigar industry has ever seen (and smoked).
It is these tobaccos — from the Fuente family’s private reserve — that are rolled into this cigar and this vitola — the Chateau Fuente King B Sun-Grown — that make it so unique. But in addition to the exceptional blend of fillers, this Belicoso-shaped, cedar-sleeved stick boasts a sweet, ripe, sun-grown Ecuadorean rosado wrapper and a Chateau-grown binder, rendering it extremely flavorful.
Surprisingly on the milder side in terms of body, the medium-strength King B nonetheless exhibits smoky leather, chocolate/cocoa and coffee essences, with a pinch of sweet spices and a peppery/creamy finish. As the vitola with the widest ring gauge in the Chateau Fuente line, this cigar feels solid, but not heavy; the construction is immaculate, the draw is smooth, and the burn is near-perfect.
If you want to sample some of the best of what the Chateau has to offer, you can’t go wrong with these delectable, aromatic smokes.