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Cigar name: Añejo cigars
Wrapper: Connecticut broadleaf maduro (aged 7 years)
Binder: ?? unknown (Dominican)
Filler: Anejo blend
Released: 2000
Notes: From left to right:
(Effective January 1st, 2007 there was a minor price increase of 75¢ per cigar for all Añejo vitolas, the first increase from Fuente since 2003)
(Effective June 1st, 2009 there was a price increase of $1.00 per cigar for all Añejo vitolas, in response to the SCHIP tax on cigars).
1. No.49 (7 5/8" x 49) ....................... MSRP = $10.50 x 25 per box = $262.50
2. No.48 (7" x 48) ............................. MSRP = $9.75 x 25 per box = $243.75
3. No.55 (6" x 55) ............................. MSRP = $10.75 x 25 per box = $268.75
4. No.77 aka "Shark" (5 5/8" x 54) .... MSRP = $10.25 x 20 per box = $205.00
5. No.46 (5 5/8" x 46) ....................... MSRP = $8.25 x 25 per box = $206.25
6. No.50 (5 ¼" x 50) ......................... MSRP = $9.00 x 25 per box = $225.00
MSRP does not include state sales tax, nor state tobacco tax, the latter of which can be quite significant.
The names of the various Añejo vitolas (eg "No.48") are derived from the ring gauge of the cigar in question (except for the "Shark"; see below).
Añejo (which means "aged, refined" in Spanish) cigars were originally released in June 2000 (in a very small batch), and then again in December 2000 due to Fuente being skittish about whether enough Opus X tobacco would be available after the hurricane hit their farm in 1998.
Añejos have a blend of Opus X, Don Carlos, and Hemingway filler, with Connecticut broadleaf maduro wrappers that are cured in cognac barrels after they've been aged.
Contrary to popular belief, all releases of the Añejos have their tobacco aged/cured in cognac barrels for only 6-8 months... the bulk of the aging time is done in tightly packed bales.
The Añejo Shark was actually made and named because of Marvin Shanken (Cigar Aficionado owner) and Carlito's brother in-law, Wayne Suarez. Carlito named it the "SS Shark" because they both loved this vitola and blend; one "S" stood for Shanken and the other "S" stood for Suarez.
The "No.77" designation for the Shark comes not from the ring gauge of this cigar, as it does for the other cigars in the Añejo line, but rather from a more amusing reason altogether. Carlito took his kids to Sea World in Orlando, FL, and there noticed that some of the sharks in the tank had two pectoral fins, which looked sort of like two 7's.
Humidipaks were included in boxes of Añejo cigars beginning in 2002; there should also be a blue waterdrop sticker on post-2002 boxes to indicate the inclusion of a Humidipak.
Other Añejo cigars
Fuente has created a number of other non-regular production Añejo-banded cigars. Please browse the Rare Arturo Fuente Cigars gallery to view these cigars.
Original Release Añejos
From top to bottom:
1. No.50 (5 ¼" x 50) ......................... MSRP = $7.25 x 25 per box = $181.25
2. No.46 (5 5/8" x 46) ....................... MSRP = $6.50 x 25 per box = $162.50
3. No.55 (6" x 55) ............................. MSRP = $9.00 x 25 per box = $225.00
4. No.48 (7" x 48) ............................. MSRP = $8.00 x 25 per box = $200.00
5. No.49 (7 5/8" x 49) ....................... MSRP = $8.75 x 25 per box = $218.75
The original release Añejos have no cedar around them, and have wrappers that were aged in for 7 years (subsequent releases have the wrappers aged for varying time, generally about 3 years, and are all wrapped in cedar). Añejo No.77s (aka, "Sharks") are the exception; they were originally released in early 2001, and no regular release of the Sharks is wrapped in cedar.
Original release Añejos also have no printing on the cellophane; the subsequent releases all have "Reserva Xtra Viejo" printed in gold on the cellophane.
These cigars were originally given out to approximately 100 people at CFC 1999, a year prior to their public debut.
