Unorthodox Cigar of the Year 2025 – Don Carlos 90 Años

The Unorthodox category within our annual Exceptional Awards typically reeks (pun intended) of tobacco manipulation—sweeteners, infusions, flavoring, pipe tobaccos… you know, the funny business. This is not the case with Arturo Fuente’s Don Carlos 90 Años, which employs a unique wrapper application that may just be a first for the industry. Unsurprisingly, the project was the brainchild of Carlos Fuente Jr., being made to honor what would have been his father’s 90th birthday in 2025 (Carlos Fuente Sr. passed away in 2016 at the age of 81). The plan was simple but all too intriguing: craft a standard Don Carlos cigar in a 5¾” x 47 format, age it, add another wrapper, and age it again. Yes, the cigar includes the entire core recipe of a regular Don Carlos (which is a fantastic recipe, by the way), including Dominican binder/fillers finished with an African Cameroon wrapper. The cigars then age for a full year before being sent back to the rolling floor, where they receive a second wrapper, which is rolled over the already-finished cigars. This leaf is Dominican Corojo grown on the Fuentes’ Chateau de la Fuente farm, being similar (if not the same) as what is used on the OpusX line. Finally, the twice-wrapped Don Carlos 90 Años cigars are sent back to the aging rooms for an additional year prior to their release. In our experience, the cigar was oddly familiar (go figure) with a twist. It’s a medium-bodied smoke, opening with mild baking spices, natural sweetness, and fresh-cut cedar. There’s that signature Fuente maple quality, accented by white pepper and mineral, coming across sweeter and creamier than the conventional Don Carlos while showing a noticeable increase in complexity thanks to the added age.

Don Carlos 90 Años Breakdown

Short Link: