Casa Fuente

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06-17-2015, 01:31 PM
garublador

Casa Fuente

We'll be heading to Las Vegas in a month and one of the stops will be Casa Fuente. We'll likely be super happy with what they recommend there, but I'm having a bit of trouble really deciphering what cigars will be available. They seem to have at least one or two house cigar lines and presumably all of the normal cigar lines there as well. Can anyone who's been there recently give a quick rundown of what's available with short descriptions to help me agonize over my decision of what to smoke while I'm there for the next month?

I'll be going with a friend who also smokes cigars with about the same experience as I do (~1.5 years, ~30 cigars per year) and my brother in law who's smoked a cigar or two before, but is otherwise clueless (and probably more of a lightweight than either of us). Our plan is to go a little after lunch on a Saturday or Sunday. Does anyone have any tips about when to go, what to look for (seating, specials, ect.), or what's absolutely worth trying or ignoring? My thought is to smoke one there and then grab a couple (probably exclusives) to take home. Is there anything there that I'd be a fool not to buy or is it more that whatever I pick will be great?

Disclaimer: I'm not super worried about doing or buying anything wrong, I'm mostly just excited and am looking for a reason to talk about it.

Also, my birthday is also coming up and I'm planning on smoking the Ashton VSG I got for Christmas. I've never had one before. What whisky/beer do you guys recommend to pair with it?

I see Glenlivet 18 recommended often but I'm not willing to buy some just for this one occasion (I've had it and it's good, but I don't want to drop $90 on a bottle at the moment). I could probably get some Balvenie 12 yr. Double Wood or Glenfiddich 15 for something similar, though. I also have Talisker 18, Benromach 10, Ardbeg 10, Springbank 10 and Yamazaki 12 on hand, but any recommendations will help.

On the beer side I'm much more likely to buy whatever sounds like the best recommendation, assuming I can find it relatively easily. I lean towards the creamier stouts when I smoke and I have a Founder's Breakfast Stout on hand. Dragon's Milk was my other thought.

Same disclaimer applies: not trying to overthink it, just want to talk about it.

Thanks in advance!
06-17-2015, 01:34 PM
jhedrick83

I have never been, just have had people be my mules. You have to try the Casa Fuentes with the orange foot band. Fantastic cigars, all sizes. The lancero is the best IMO if they have them in stock.
06-17-2015, 01:42 PM
StogieNinja

Ditto, never been to the place myself, but have had a few of the Casa Fuentes over the years. The Lancero is absolute magic.

Prevailing wisdom seems to be that it's uber-expensive, and you should stick to a few of the Casa Fuente cigars, and leave the rest as they're cheaper elsewhere.
06-17-2015, 02:02 PM
Zeede

Regarding when would be a good time to go, try emailing them. They should be able to tell you when the peak crowded hours are.

I live 3.5 hours away from Vegas. I really should go again sometime, now that I'm in this hobby :)

(I've also never heard of Casa Fuente until this thread. Arturo Fuente I've heard of, but not this one)
06-17-2015, 02:19 PM
garublador

Quote:

Originally Posted by StogieNinja

Prevailing wisdom seems to be that it's uber-expensive, and you should stick to a few of the Casa Fuente cigars, and leave the rest as they're cheaper elsewhere.

That's my assumption, too and definitely worth pointing out. Rest assured that I won't go there and smoke an $18 Hemingway.
06-17-2015, 04:54 PM
samiam2007

Can't speak to Casa Fuente, but I can push out some recommendations for your Ashton VSG cigar. I would stay clear of stouts and porters, they will overwhelm the sungrown wrapper. Save those for your maduros.

I would go for a Double IPA like Green Flash, 2XIPA or 90 minute IPA. If you don't like IPAs, which I totally get, you should go for a Highland or Speyside Scotch. So your Balvenie 12 yr. or Glenfiddich 15 would work well.
06-18-2015, 12:06 AM
grapplefu

I would stick with buying the Casa Fuente line since that is one of the only places you can get them. IMO, the Casa Fuente Lancero ($22) or the Don Carlos Lancero ($18) are the only ones worth paying the premium for. They usually only allow you to purchase 2 Casa lanceros per day, but I've been able to buy more before.

They have rare Forbidden Opus but expect to pay double msrp. BBMF ($125), Destino Al Siglo 13 ($120), Chili Pepper ($75), etc. I've been told they are the same blend as regular Opus just with different packaging.
06-18-2015, 08:18 AM
garublador

Quote:

Originally Posted by samiam2007

Can't speak to Casa Fuente, but I can push out some recommendations for your Ashton VSG cigar. I would stay clear of stouts and porters, they will overwhelm the sungrown wrapper. Save those for your maduros.

I would go for a Double IPA like Green Flash, 2XIPA or 90 minute IPA. If you don't like IPAs, which I totally get, you should go for a Highland or Speyside Scotch. So your Balvenie 12 yr. or Glenfiddich 15 would work well.

Thanks for the advice! I'm not familiar with sun grown wrappers adn most of what I've had and really appreciated have been AJ Fernandez that seem to go well with porters, so I don't have much to go on in terms of personal experience.

Quote:

Originally Posted by grapplefu

I would stick with buying the Casa Fuente line since that is one of the only places you can get them. IMO, the Casa Fuente Lancero ($22) or the Don Carlos Lancero ($18) are the only ones worth paying the premium for. They usually only allow you to purchase 2 Casa lanceros per day, but I've been able to buy more before.

They have rare Forbidden Opus but expect to pay double msrp. BBMF ($125), Destino Al Siglo 13 ($120), Chili Pepper ($75), etc. I've been told they are the same blend as regular Opus just with different packaging.

The Casa Fuente's are what I was planning on getting, so that's nice to know. My guess is I'll pick something in a Churchill to smoke there and then grab 2-3 lanceros (I can come back the next day if needed) to take home.
06-18-2015, 10:05 AM
Cigars4Troops

Enjoy a Mojito, buy something to smoke while there and stick to Casa Fuentes if you want to take stuff home.
06-18-2015, 12:18 PM
mi000ke

Was there last spring. Agree on buying the house brand.
They were out of the lanceros, but I was able to buy the last CF sampler they had in stock. This is a pretty good deal for Vegas. It cost me $150 for 7 cigars, and you get to try all the CFs except the lancero.
06-18-2015, 11:06 PM
OtismyMan

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cigars4Troops

Enjoy a Mojito, buy something to smoke while there and stick to Casa Fuentes if you want to take stuff home.

Their Mojitos are a must!!!
06-19-2015, 01:14 PM
gunnermcgee

Quote:

Originally Posted by samiam2007

Can't speak to Casa Fuente, but I can push out some recommendations for your Ashton VSG cigar. I would stay clear of stouts and porters, they will overwhelm the sungrown wrapper. Save those for your maduros.

I would go for a Double IPA like Green Flash, 2XIPA or 90 minute IPA. If you don't like IPAs, which I totally get, you should go for a Highland or Speyside Scotch. So your Balvenie 12 yr. or Glenfiddich 15 would work well.

Totally agree! I had an Ashton VSG a couple of weeks ago with a dram of Old Pulteney 12. They were excellent together, the salted caramel of the highlander mixed with the pepper/spice/nuttiness of the VSG was perfect. Like samiam2007 says, your Balvenie or Glenfiddich will go well with it. The Islays, no so much. Enjoy!
07-13-2015, 08:45 AM
garublador

Quote:

Originally Posted by samiam2007

Can't speak to Casa Fuente, but I can push out some recommendations for your Ashton VSG cigar. I would stay clear of stouts and porters, they will overwhelm the sungrown wrapper. Save those for your maduros.

I would go for a Double IPA like Green Flash, 2XIPA or 90 minute IPA. If you don't like IPAs, which I totally get, you should go for a Highland or Speyside Scotch. So your Balvenie 12 yr. or Glenfiddich 15 would work well.

Well, I had my VSG last weekend. I got a bottle of Dalwhinnie 15 for my birthday and grabbed a bottle of Stone Points Unknown IPA (DIPA mixed with Belgian tripple). Both paired wonderfully! I was skeptical about the IPA because of the strong finish they have but it didn't interfere with the cigar at all (or vice versa). They worked together really well.

The Dalwhinnie was great with it, too. As @gunnermcgee pointed out, the vanilla/sweetness of the Highland scotch worked super well with the pepper and nuttyness of the cigar. Thanks for the great recommendations!
07-13-2015, 09:06 AM
samiam2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by garublador

Well, I had my VSG last weekend. I got a bottle of Dalwhinnie 15 for my birthday and grabbed a bottle of Stone Points Unknown IPA (DIPA mixed with Belgian tripple). Both paired wonderfully! I was skeptical about the IPA because of the strong finish they have but it didn't interfere with the cigar at all (or vice versa). They worked together really well.

The Dalwhinnie was great with it, too. As @gunnermcgee pointed out, the vanilla/sweetness of the Highland scotch worked super well with the pepper and nuttyness of the cigar. Thanks for the great recommendations!

Great to hear!
07-22-2015, 09:18 AM
garublador

Phase 2 complete!

Casa Fuente was pretty much exactly as described. Great Mojitos and a nice, relaxed atmosphere. We went there on a Sunday afternoon so it wasn't too busy, but not dead, either. We all had the "orange band" house cigar and enjoyed it. They may have been a bit wet, but that's expected when you're trying to keep a humidor steady in a dry environment with lots of people walking in and out all day. The draw on mine was a bit tight and it burned a bit hot after about halfway though, but that didn't really take much away from the experience.

Thanks again for all of the help!
07-22-2015, 11:51 AM
Zeede

You can buy the house cigars and bring them home, right?
07-22-2015, 12:03 PM
jhedrick83

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zeede

You can buy the house cigars and bring them home, right?

Yes!