Fuente hydration packs and the little blue water droplett, When?

[fsfrancis]

At some point Fuente started putting hydration packs in all their boxes. Its a nice custom boeveda type pack that has a picture of Chateau Fuente on it, and it comes in a white envelope inside all newer full boxes of many Fuente products (specifically opus and anejo as far as I know) My question is this....when did they start putting them in there? What year? I have a box of OLD Anejo sharks that the B&M said were at least 6-7 years old because they didn't come with the hydration pack, and there's no little blue water droplet sticker on the outside of the box. I'm attempting to determine about how old these babys are, as the dealer didn't know specifically when they started adding the water packs. Any help is appreciated!

Thanks,

~~fred

 

[CigarGavin]

Fuente started putting humidipaks and the boveda symbol on the Anejo boxes in 2002; so if your box doesn't have them it's significantly older than 6 years. The sharks where first released in 2001 so there is a good chance you have original release sharks; is there writing in the cellphone or is it blank?

Pictures?

 

[StogieNinja]

Dude. You've got a box of gold there, man.

 

[javajunkie]

Fuente started putting humidipaks and the boveda symbol on the Anejo boxes in 2002; so if your box doesn't have them it's significantly older than 6 years. The sharks where first released in 2001 so there is a good chance you have original release sharks; is there writing in the cellphone or is it blank?

Pictures?

yeah, but i have seen anejo released after that '02 date without either the indicator sticker or the boveda pack itself. i don't have any remaining (and more's the shame), but i can recall opening them before '06 and not having a boveda. opus as well. i HAVE consistently seen the last five years at the very least.

anyone have a vertical of anejo they're sitting on?

more to the point, if they are three years, six, or ten past, if there is NOT an upcharge on them and it is within your means, it is almost a moral imperative that you buy them. o)

 

[MoJo]

the box of sharks I bought last year did not have the droplet sticker on the box and did not have a boveda pack inside (unless its on the bottom, I haven't removed all the sticks looking for it)

 

[D Quintero]

iirc, at one point AF stopped placing humidity packs due to the anejo mold issue .

 

[CigarGavin]

Then the only thing you can really go off of is the lettering on the cello; if its there then I can be any year, if not then its 2001

 

[fsfrancis]

I'm CERTAIN that they are not last year's Anejo. The crud on the shrink when I opened them was thick. I trust the guy that I bought them from that they were older. Not sure about the writing on the celo. Will check them out later tonight, and post pics. The draw on them seems a little tight, and smoke production was lower in the first couple of sticks, but they seem to be getting better as they dry out some. I don't think I've smoked more than 4 out of the whole box. Is a tighter draw common on older sticks? The guy at the B&M said that they "shrivel like old men" with age.

~~fred

 

[fsfrancis]

so these must be newer than the original release. I knew I wasn't THAT lucky. But there's no hydration pack, and no water droplet. So there's really no sure way to tell how old they are? There's no codes, or anything stamped or written on the box. I removed the cello from half of the sticks to see if it changed them any. I do have a few more in the wineador.

 

[javajunkie]

sorry we couldn't be of more help. FWIW fuente is notoriously bad about trying to figure out age, which is why we all pulled out obscure shit to try and help.

BUT. at the end of the day, you have a box of sharks. and if you got them for a price you felt was fair, that is always a win, man. o)

 

[Chrisso]

I may be way off here, so Sean correct me if I am wrong, but didn't Fuente pack the Anejo Sharks with cedar up to a certain point as well?

I swear the first one I ever received (gifted by TravelingJ) had cedar on it? But I imagine I am thinking of something else, cause that shape would be hard to cedar up...

Just thought that if that were the case, then that may also contribute towards an age on the box. (but I'm thinking I'm wrong on this now....)

Those sure are purdy sticks though!

-Chrisso

 

[javajunkie]

i don't believe the 77 ever had cedar. the 55, the rounded torpedo, has cedar, but not the shark. i would imagine that it would be impossible to do on a box press without snapping the shit out of the cedar wrap.

then again, this is fuente. as much as i love their lines, they leave enough glue spots sometimes that the cedar would hold...

 

[Tobacco Giant]

i don't believe the 77 ever had cedar. the 55, the rounded torpedo, has cedar, but not the shark. i would imagine that it would be impossible to do on a box press without snapping the shit out of the cedar wrap.

then again, this is fuente. as much as i love their lines, they leave enough glue spots sometimes that the cedar would hold...

Lol, ain't that the truth!

 

[StogieNinja]

BUT. at the end of the day, you have a box of sharks. and if you got them for a price you felt was fair, that is always a win, man. o)

The man has a point!

 

[Cigar_Benz_Daddy]

Dude. You've got a box of gold there, man.

Yes he does!