CigarSnob_1014 - page 4

34
|
Cigar Snob
|
sept / oct 2014
Arturo Fuente Don CArlos
No. 2
cameroon wrappers have played a key role in some
of Fuente’s most significant releases. What is it that
you love about that wrapper?
I inherited that love from my father because he was
using Cameroon back in the ‘70s. He used it on some of
the very finest cigars we made. My father would say,
“This is the best blending wrapper in the world. It’s like
a loose woman; she’s sweet and she’ll get along with
anyone.” He loved it. It was the most expensive wrap-
per and back then there weren’t that many wrappers
available. But Cameroon built our business. Before it we
were making Cazadores Deluxe, Selección Privada No.
1, and so on. Just like everyone else after the embargo
began, we were making a lot of different cigars.
Then, I think it was in 1975, my father came out with
the 8-5-8 with a Cameroon wrapper in honor of my
grandfather and it was different than any blend we
had ever done. That really started it for us; it was like
“pan caliente” (loosely translates to “it sold like hot
cakes”). We were a little sleepy company that nobody
knew about outside of Cubans living in Miami, Tampa,
and New Jersey. And it was the 8-5-8 that really took
off. And that evolved into the Hemingway Series, and
then the Don Carlos.
so your father made the 8-5-8 in honor of his father.
Did you blend the Don carlos in honor of your father
as well?
Yes. The Don Carlos blend I made in honor of my father
and I made it originally for Europe because it was a
brand that we started in Nicaragua and then it was
taken off the market. In 1986 I started working with
Rick Meerapfel on securing special wrappers for the
blend. And the blend evolved from the Hemingway
blend, which evolved from the 8-5-8; that’s how I was
taught. But it was heavier and fuller than those other
cigars and today people might think that it’s medium
compared to everything else but back then it was a
pretty hearty blend. Some people just think it’s the best
cigar that we make.
We’ve heard that comment from a number of con-
sumers as well as industry insiders. How do you feel
about that? Do you have a favorite blend?
I don’t think there’s such a thing as the best cigar we
make. I think Don Carlos is among the best cigars we
make, if that’s the taste you want. The one thing I CAN
say is that they are extremely consistent. I believe they
are as consistent as humanly possible. We try very
hard. We do everything possible because that has my
father’s name. But those blends are like my children; I
can’t pick favorites.
You mentioned Rick Meerapfel earlier. I think today’s
newer generation of cigar smokers lacks awareness
of the contributions that the Meerapfels—namely
Rick—have made to the cigar business. You and Rick
were extremely close, but since his passing, do you
still purchase your cameroon from the Meerapfels?
Every leaf of Cameroon that we use is from the Meer-
apfels. It’s really the best that we can get. It’s the most
difficult tobacco in the world to secure and it cost
Richard his life.
It was his birthday and he was at my house. He came
to see me and then he was going back to Miami to see
his wife and have dinner with Jorge and Beba Padron.
While he was at my house he got a call that his whole
company, I’m talking millions and millions of dollars, was
taken over by the government. Everything was locked
down; all the shipments, everything. I remember we had
shipments coming over and after he got off the phone he
tells me, “Don’t worry brother, I’m going to pull through
for you, it’s not going to be the end of the world.” He
went to Miami that day and I got the call from Jorge,
he said, “Carlito, I have bad news. I was going to pick
up Rick and I got a call that he had a heart attack and
he’s in the hospital. They say he’s not going to make it.”
He was like my brother and my closest friend.
AVAILABLE IN 7 SIZES
TOP 3 SHOWN
CHOCOLATE
SWEET
SPICE
EARTH
NUT
WOOD
CREAM
COffEE
Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
cameroon
$ 8.85 - $ 12.60
COUNTRY:
WRAPPER:
BINDER:
FILLER:
PRICE RANGE:
Carlos Fuente, Jr.
President
Arturo Fuente Cigar Company
Robusto
(5 1/4x 50)
No. 3
(5 1/2 x 44)
Belicoso
(5 3/8 x 52)
1,2,3 5,6,7,8,9,10
Powered by FlippingBook