Fratello Arlequin Corona Gorda

It looks like we are expecting over 50 straight days of 100+ degree, dry weather. While my grass would love some rain, the dry heat makes for great smoking weather in my covered patio. This week I am relaxing out back with a Fratello Arlequin Corona Gorda.

The Good Stuff:

A few years back Fratello cigars released the Arlequin line which was widely boasted as a favorite within the cigar community. Fratello has continued to expand on the line and had recently added a new Corona Gorda format to the portfolio. The 5 1/8 x 48 box pressed cigar features the same blend which utilizes a Mexican San Andres wrapper over an Ecuadorian Habano binder, and filler tobaccos from Peru and Nicaragua. Produced at the Joya de Nicaragua factory in Esteli, Nicaragua the Corona Gorda joins 5 other formats in the Arlequin line: Perfecto (6 x 58), Gordo (6 x 58), Toro (6 1/2 x 54), Robusto (5 1/2 x 52), and the original Arlequin (6 x 50). The Corona Gorda comes packaged in boxes of 20 and run $10.50 per cigar. Learn more about Fratello Cigars here, and more about the Arlequin here.

• Size: 5 1/8 x 48
• Wrapper: Mexican San Andres
• Binder: Ecuadorian Habano
• Filler: Peruvian and Nicaraguan
• Body: Medium/Full
• Strength: Medium
• Price: $10.50

Prelight:

The Fratello Arlequin Corona Gorda starts out with a darker brown wrapper which has a bunch of scattered light brown and orange/brown splotches throughout out the cigar. The wrapper itself feels very hard and dense while the entire cigar is very heavy and tightly packed with no soft-spots at all. The wrapper’s texture showcases a whole ton of oils and just a bit of toothy grit. There are some larger veins running from the cigar’s foot, up through its hard box-pressed body to its round, double-wrapped cap. The cigar is then polished off with a gorgeous blue, white, and red band with the Arlequin crest on the front.

The wrapper on the Fratello Arlequin Corona Gorda gives off lots of musk and a bit of a cologne-esque aroma while the foot of the cigar is more nutty, earthly and spicy. The cap cut clean and easily using my Xikar XO double bladed cutter. The cold draw produces notes of sweet spice, pepper, and a whole mess of earthiness.

First Third:

The Fratello Arlequin Corona Gorda starts out with a great splash of sweet spice and cinnamon over notes of black cherry and musk backed by lighter notes of vanilla and earthiness. This is a great flavor combination especially considering there is this awesome flavor that pokes its head in every so often that I can only describe as “Dr. Pepper”. Let me be hung for that one, but it’s the best representation of the flavor in my mind. The draw is perfect as each little puff kicks out huge clouds of thick, dark gray ash while the cigar releases only a small amount of stationary smoke while it rests in my ashtray. The burn line is super solid and dead even leaving behind a trail of very tightly compacted white ash that held on for almost an inch before falling into my ashtray.

Second Third:

Into the second third of the Fratello Arlequin Corona Gorda and the flavor profile is just rockin’. The cigar still leads with a ton of sweet spice, over musky wood, vanilla, earthiness, and that badass Dr. Pepper flavor. I am really liking the flavor profile in this cigar. The retrohale brings out a ton of the spice in a more sharp manner. I close out the second third with nothing in terms of a nicotine kick.

Finish:

The Fratello Alequin’s body starts to really ramp up into the final third as the woodsy/musky flavors take over backed by the sweet spice, Dr. Pepper, earthiness and some light vanilla. This cigars burns very fast, as it took me an hour to take this cigar down to the nub. I experienced no harshness, no extended heat, and I never once had to reach for my lighter to touchup or relight the cigar. I close out with a very minor nicotine kick.

Overview:

I have been a longtime fan of Fratello’s offerings and the Fratello Arlequin Corona Gorda is one of the best cigars I have smoked from the company. The flavor profile is just incredible, unique, complex, and almost tailored for my own personal palate. The cigar burned perfectly and the price point is very affordable. Hit on all marks here. This is a box-worthy cigars and I will absolutely keep numerous on hand to make sure they are always available for my daily rotation.