Fuente Fundraiser Brings Nearly 500K For Charity
Photos/Montana Dennis
It was a cool October evening last week in Greenwich, Connecticut, and the trees along Perkins Drive still clung to their summer leaves, obscuring most of the gabled estates and gated manors along the road. This part of Connecticut, about 40 miles north of Manhattan, has a reputation for being the home to hedge fund managers, pro athletes and celebrities wanting to live outside the city—but not too far. In the middle of it all, the Burning Tree Country Club hosted one of the most exclusive cigar dinners of the season. And it raised nearly half a million dollars for charity. READ MORE
Arturo Fuente Global Impact 2024
Our annual Arturo Fuente Global Impact Day is a celebration of the Fuente Family’s commitment to give back to the community and to make the world a more sustainable and loving environment. Arturo Fuente employees, family and associates worldwide all came together as one and volunteered in their respective local communities. This was a chance to make a difference and enact change, as well as to honor Carlito & Don Carlos for their birthdays.
Tampa, Florida – Boys & Girls Club of Tampa Bay
Dominican Republic – Unidad de Niños Quemados Dra. Thelma Rosario
Nicaragua – Iglesia Macueliso
Belgium – Queen Fabiola Children’s University Hospital
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2023 Smokin Tabacco Awards: Person of the Year – Carlos “Carlito” Fuente Jr.
JANUARY 23, 2024
If you have picked up a cigar more than once in the last twelve months…or maybe even in your life, there a serious chance you have heard of Arturo Fuente or even its third generation owner, Carlos “Carlito” Fuente Jr. Carlito is perhaps the most recognized person within the industry today. Due to his never-ending passion to the craft of making premium cigars, his effort to leave no stone unturned when connecting with his fanbase, steamrolling the continued building of the monster company his grandfather started back in 1912, or his unrivaled passion of defending the industry that has given him the life he could of never even dreamt of, this is a man who I swear never sleeps and probably won’t until he is in the ground. I have had the very privilege of witnessing a small portion of his daily life back in 2022 and I can tell you he along with his sister Cynthia, Ciro Cascella, and the rest of the Fuente family and staff are a group of people unlike any other.
One of the things I know means so much to Carlito and company is their legacy as a company and part of preserving that was by way of the release of Arturo Fuente: Since 1912. This book written by author Aaron Sigmond and published by luxury publisher Assouline debuted early last year in a small quality that immediately caught the attention of the Arturo Fuente fanbase and other admirers alike. This beautiful work of art will provide many people with an understanding of who this family is, where they have been and where they are heading for years to come. One thing I know is important to them is their vision for a a future even bigger and beyond just premium cigars, but that is a story you’ll have to ask Carlito about.
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The Top 25 Cigars of 2023
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“You’re not a cigarmaker. You just assemble tobaccos,” quipped a Parisian retailer in the 1980s. He was talking to Carlos “Carlito” Fuente Jr., now owner and patriarch of Arturo Fuente Cigar Co. Back then, the company was owned by his father and the Fuentes were producing cigars with tobacco from different origins. The snide remark stuck with the younger Fuente, and he knew the problem was wrapper. Dominican wrapper was nearly nonexistent, and this became the young Fuente’s obsession.
If that derisive comment was the prologue to the OpusX story, chapter one began in the early 1990s with the ambitions of Fuente Jr. and his plan to grow quality wrapper leaf in the Dominican Republic. Conventional wisdom dictated that Dominican soils were unsuitable for growing good cover leaf. And this was for the most part true. But Fuente was on a mission, and when he finally planted the right Corojo seeds in the right plot of land in 1991, the result was a unique wrapper with a gorgeous reddish hue, enviable elasticity, big aroma and even bigger flavor. What is now known as Chateau de la Fuente is a farm located in Bonao, where the soil differs from other growing regions in the Dominican Republic. It’s lighter and loamier with a higher clay content.
Fast forward to a chilly November evening in New York City in 1995. A line of people hoping to enter a Manhattan cigar shop extended all the way around the block. It was premiere night and cigar fans of all professional stripes waited in the cold for their chance to try an OpusX. On that night, a cult classic and cigar phenomenon was born.
When OpusX was released, it was a strong cigar in a mostly mild market. Today, it has a lot more competition in the full-bodied segment, yet OpusX remains relevant—and coveted. It’s leathery and assertively spicy without being harsh. Every puff is inlaid with an opulent sweetness of baking spices, nutmeg and vanilla. The balance of power and elegance is astounding and precisely why it’s our Cigar of the Year. Because the ring gauge of the Reserva d’Chateau is somewhat slim, the wrapper plays a major role in the smoking experience. Ultimately, the story of OpusX was about a wrapper that was thought to be unfeasible. In the end, Fuente proved everyone wrong and created a stunning, all-Dominican cigar that’s much more than the sum of its parts.
Fuente Dinner Raises $335,000 For Cigar Family Charitable Foundation
Oct 16, 2023 |
Carlos Fuente Jr. had never been to Greenwich, Connecticut before last week. After the night he had at Burning Tree Country Club, it’s likely that he’s going to come back soon.
“An Opus Xodus,” a cigar dinner and charity auction thrown on October 11 by The Tobacconist of Greenwich, sold out long in advance, with 150 cigar lovers sitting down to artisanal cocktails, a surf ‘n’ turf dinner and plenty of cigars made by Tabacalera A. Fuente y Cia. in the Dominican Republic. Upon walking in, the guests each received a four-pack of smokable goodies: an Arturo Fuente Don Carlos Robusto; a Fuente Fuente OpusX Double Corona (a cigar once named Cigar of the Year); a Casa Fuente Lancero, a slim smoke that one can typically only find out in Las Vegas, at the Casa Fuente cigar lounge and bar; and a ForbiddenX Cigar in the Bottle, another rarity. READ MORE
Fuente Friday: It has been a thing for a while.
2 February, 2022 • Cigaryard.com
Don Carlos Fuente followed the footsteps of his father Arturo in what proved to be a challenging and tumultuous road, paving the way for his son and other generations to come. The Fuente family has fought through trials and tribulations, overcoming numerous challenges to stand as strong as they do today. Through hard work and determination, Carlito (as his friends call him) or Carlos Fuente Jr. and his tight-knit family now carry on with one of the most respected and reputable brands in the world.
Arturo Fuente cigars are consistently found amongst the highest rankings in all magazines, blogs, and smokers’ personal favorite lists. Their reputation for unparalleled quality, production consistency, and brand individuality is what has brought them to remain at the pinnacle of the cigar world.
It’s not uncommon to see cigar industry names grow to a level of global appreciation within the cigar community, however, Carlos Fuente Jr. has risen to a general world-wide spotlight like no other in the industry, attaining production partnerships with world renowned brands such as Hublot watches, co-branding luxury products, and besieging himself with celebrities. The secret behind Fuente Jr.’s continued success as a brand and as a collective, is the humility behind his generous persona and the amazing team that surrounds him.
The Fuente brand has advanced tremendously, established in nearly every country where cigars are found and occupying space in most humidors around the world. Fuente Friday was a trend before social media caught onto it, and we believe it’s important to highlight a tradition in our industry that extends beyond brand preference and transcends into a movement. Let this phrase be heard all over the world, spreading the good word of premium cigars crafted with the uttermost care and attention so that others can continue to follow and grow in the same way. Read The Original
My Favorite Cigar
Cigar Aficionado Online By Kenneth Shouler
Journalist Jeff Greenfield is cigar loyal by a new measure. The news organizations he’s worked for—including CBS, CNN, ABC, Time, The New York Times, and now Politico—far surpass his cigar loves, numbering three. “If I had my druthers, the cigar I would smoke more than any other is the Fuente Fuente OpusX,” he says. “With or without the Angel’s Share,” a milder version of the brand.
Greenfield met its storied creator long before the Angel’s Share emerged. “I was at a Cigar Aficionado dinner at the ‘2’1 Club and sitting next to Carlos Fuente Jr., who told me he was working on this masterpiece.” Seven years later, the masterpiece emerged. “I like the mildness of it, the flavor. It’s almost impossible to find. Two friends and I occasionally go to one of the friends’ homes and talk about whatever we feel like—sports, politics, movies—in a nice garden. We exchange cigars and shoot the breeze. That’s where I do most of my smoking. The other cigars I’ve enjoyed are the Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure No. 2—which is a good size and mild—and the other is Ramon Allones.” With three such legendary smokes, why even try to make it five or eight or ten?
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OPUSX THE UNDEFEATED
I’m guessing there have been more than a dozen Freedom Samplers released by Cigar Rights of America (CRA), an industry trade group. Typically, these samplers contain 10 cigars from 10 different companies. During the last five or so years, the samplers have almost always contained cigars from the same 10 companies, all of which serve as CRA’s main benefactors. Those companies are:
- Alec Bradley
- Arturo Fuente
- Ashton
- J.C. Newman
- La Flor Dominicana
- My Father Cigars, Inc.
- Oliva
- Padrón
- Rocky Patel Premium Cigars, Inc.
- Tatuaje
JOSÉ BLANCO PROMOTED TO WORLDWIDE BRAND AMBASSADOR
Arturo Fuente Cigars has promoted José Blanco to the position of Worldwide Brand Ambassador. José previously served as Arturo Fuente’s Director of Sales in the Eastern Hemisphere. In his new role, José will be working closely with Carlito Fuente to represent and promote Arturo Fuente cigars throughout the world at events, trade shows, in retail stores and in the digital realm. Carlito and José are planning a new series of retail events in the U.S. during 2023-2024. Jose will continue to represent the Arturo Fuente brand to retailers and distributors in the Eastern Hemisphere. José will also be a mentor and resource for the entire Arturo Fuente global sales team. Fuente is honored to continue its relationship with José, who brings over 50 years of sales expertise to the company. Carlito Fuente said, “José brings knowledge of the old school tobacco industry and blends it in with a passion for the new opportunities the Arturo Fuente brand has around the world. I value his experience and appreciate his enthusiasm for the brand and the industry as a whole.”
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This New Coffee Table Book Chronicles the History of Beloved Cigar Brand Arturo Fuente
Robb Report – The New York-based publisher will release a new coffee table book dedicated to Arturo Fuente next month. Entitled Arturo Fuente: Since 1912, the massive tome charts the history of the revered brand and attempts to illustrate why it’s still going strong over a century after its founding.
Those with only a passing knowledge of cigars have probably heard that the finest hail from Cuba, but true aficionados know they can be found elsewhere. For proof of this, all you need to do is look at (and smell) the top-notch, hand-rolled smokes Arturo Fuente has produced since it was founded in West Tampa, Fla., in 1912. A lot has happened since that humble beginning, though. The brand relocated to the Dominican Republic, a country it has become synonymous with, and has become one of the largest family-owned cigar companies in the world, rolling some 30 million stogies per year. It’s little wonder there was enough material for a whole book. READ MORE
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