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Size: 6.25 x 47
Smoke time: 1 hour 40 minutes
Drink: Tap water (very glamorous I know!)
Appearance:
This stick had a slightly toothy Cameroon wrapper with very few veins and perfectly even shading. The wrapper leaf, however, seemed very thin and had a couple of minor tears, so the cigar needed gentle handling.
Construction:
A very firm stick with a well applied cap. Annoyingly, the band was stuck on to the wrapper, making it difficult to remove. Despite the issues with the wrapper, the 898 was able to maintain a razor-sharp burn, had a pleasantly open draw and produced loads of creamy smoke. The ash was perfectly conical and almost white but only held for about an inch before falling off.
Flavour:
The pre-light draw revealed a strong taste of cedar alongside a pleasant earthiness. The first third started off with rich tobacco flavours along with toast, lots of cedar and cream and this progressed into sweeter, earthier notes in the second third. There was a smooth finish with undertones of citrus and pine throughout the first two thirds, making this a very aromatic mild to medium bodied cigar. The last third, however, became very bitter so I didn?t smoke it to the nub. This isn?t the most complex cigar that you?ll ever smoke, but there was enough flavour progression for it to not get boring.
Overall:
OK, so this cigar probably won?t set the world alight, and it isn?t up to the standard of the Short Story (but then very few cigars are IMO). It is, however, a decent daytime smoke and at US prices (about $4 per stick) it represents amazing value for money. If you can get your hands on them, then 858s are a very respectable every day smoke. I?d give this stick a solid 7.5 out of 10.
Smoke time: 1 hour 40 minutes
Drink: Tap water (very glamorous I know!)
Appearance:
This stick had a slightly toothy Cameroon wrapper with very few veins and perfectly even shading. The wrapper leaf, however, seemed very thin and had a couple of minor tears, so the cigar needed gentle handling.
Construction:
A very firm stick with a well applied cap. Annoyingly, the band was stuck on to the wrapper, making it difficult to remove. Despite the issues with the wrapper, the 898 was able to maintain a razor-sharp burn, had a pleasantly open draw and produced loads of creamy smoke. The ash was perfectly conical and almost white but only held for about an inch before falling off.
Flavour:
The pre-light draw revealed a strong taste of cedar alongside a pleasant earthiness. The first third started off with rich tobacco flavours along with toast, lots of cedar and cream and this progressed into sweeter, earthier notes in the second third. There was a smooth finish with undertones of citrus and pine throughout the first two thirds, making this a very aromatic mild to medium bodied cigar. The last third, however, became very bitter so I didn?t smoke it to the nub. This isn?t the most complex cigar that you?ll ever smoke, but there was enough flavour progression for it to not get boring.
Overall:
OK, so this cigar probably won?t set the world alight, and it isn?t up to the standard of the Short Story (but then very few cigars are IMO). It is, however, a decent daytime smoke and at US prices (about $4 per stick) it represents amazing value for money. If you can get your hands on them, then 858s are a very respectable every day smoke. I?d give this stick a solid 7.5 out of 10.
cruisecontrol! The A. Fuente 858 is a fine NC stick indeed, although I would rate it a bit higher, due to it's consistency and value...say 85-90 .
As most of the old-timers probably know, the A. Fuente 858 has been a familia Coro favorite "value-stick" for many years and is always in stock in don 
TJ's massive unit - especially the natural, claro, and the maduro, in that order. And while the higher-end sungrown is a fine stick as well, it's a bit more expensive, making it less of a "value-stick," IMO. 
Perro, el Perro,
Hey el P! Intruder alert! I just saw 
Ray Jay taking the last of the 858 inventory.
don TJ and the 
Coros
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