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2023 Smokin Tabacco Awards: Person of the Year – Carlos “Carlito” Fuente Jr.

2023 Smokin Tabacco Awards: Person of the Year – Carlos “Carlito” Fuente Jr.

JANUARY 23, 2024 BY MATTHEW TABACCO 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. READ MORE

The Top 25 Cigars of 2023

Watch Video “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

Fuente Dinner Raises $335,000 For Cigar Family Charitable Foundation

Oct 16, 2023 | By David Savona 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.

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

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? Read Article
OPUSX THE UNDEFEATED

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
Typically, these samplers are split roughly half and half between cigars that you could purchase outside of the sampler and cigars that would be either very difficult or impossible to otherwise purchase. While Arturo Fuente has consistently provided harder to find cigars—usually an OpusX though there’s also been Casa Fuente and Rare Pink cigars used—they’ve been cigars you could purchase outside of the sampler. As part of the CRA Freedom Sampler Spring 2023 that began shipping in February, Arturo Fuente created a new cigar that, to my knowledge, is not available any other way. It’s called the Fuente Fuente OpusX The Undefeated. The company never provided any information about the cigar itself, but it would appear to be a 6 x 56 toro extra version of the regular OpusX blend, which is made entirely of tobaccos from the company’s Chateau de la Fuente farm in Caribe, Dominican Republic. The history of OpusX has been as documented as much as any non-Cuban cigar. It all began when the owner of Boutique 22, a store in Paris, told Carlos “Carlito” Fuente Jr. that he was not a cigar maker because Arturo Fuente didn’t make a product made entirely of tobaccos the company grew itself. That comment stuck with the younger Fuente, who began to wonder how he could go from a “cigar assembler” as the retailer called him to a “cigar maker.” The answer was to grow his own wrapper, which wasn’t as easy as it would seem. At that time, many believed that it wasn’t possible to grow good cigar wrapper in the Dominican Republic. Angel Oliva Sr. of the Oliva Tobacco Co. took Fuente to a farm the Olivas owned in a small town outside of Bonao called Caribe. In 1991, Fuente planted a crop of tobacco under cheese cloths on the land that the Olivas still owned. In 1992 that first crop was harvested as part of Project X from Planet 9, the internal code name for what became OpusX. Today, that land is owned by Arturo Fuente and called Tabacalera A. Fuente y Cia., seemingly the most famous tobacco farm in the cigar industry. Fuente Fuente OpusX debuted in 1995, the first succesful Dominican puro that would lead the way for cigars like the Davidoff Puro d’Oro, La Aurora 100 Años and La Flor Dominicana’s Litto Gomez Diez series, all Dominican puros that came after OpusX. Today, there is now a family of OpusX brands, the original OpusX blend has been offered in shapes ranging from a lancero to a football, and there’s so many different OpusX-themed accessories that, at times, there have been three different accessory companies with licensing agreements to produce OpusX cutters. If OpusX was its own company, that company would be a sizeable player in the cigar industry. Read Entire Article on Halfwheel

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.” Download the press release  
This New Coffee Table Book Chronicles the History of Beloved Cigar Brand Arturo Fuente

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

Title: Arturo Fuente Rare Pink Vintage 1960’s Séries Sophisticated Hooker Awarded #10 in Cigar Aficionado’s Top 25 Cigars of 2022

Title: Arturo Fuente Rare Pink Vintage 1960’s Séries Sophisticated Hooker Awarded #10 in Cigar Aficionado’s Top 25 Cigars of 2022

Cigar Aficionado – The name is certainly curious. And if you’re familiar with Carlos Fuente Jr.’s sense of humor, it won’t surprise you that there’s a double entendre here. Sophisticated Hooker refers to the name of a fishing boat (“hooker” being a term for a fisherman) the Arturo Fuente owner and blender remembers from his younger days. It’s the largest size in the Rare Pink line, a series of shapely figurados, much like Fuente’s Hemingway series. Only this blend is completely different from that found in Hemingways. It’s also a cigar with a social cause. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of every box goes to fund breast cancer research, hence the bright pink boxes. Pink is the official color of the breast cancer awareness movement. The brand had only four sizes when it was launched in the spring of 2021, and this wasn’t one of them. Later that year, at the first Big Smoke Meets WhiskyFest, the seminar audience puffed a sneak preview of the Sophisticated Hooker. It’s in the market now, but still in limited production. The cigar is as intriguing as the name. First puffs are cedary and herbal, but the cigar takes on a nutty, graham cracker sweetness showing big notes of red meat, black pepper and caramel before the sweet-and-nutty finish. READ MORE
Arturo Fuente Ships 2022 Batch of Rare Pinks Including Two New Sizes

Arturo Fuente Ships 2022 Batch of Rare Pinks Including Two New Sizes

Arturo Fuente has begun shipping the 2022 batch of its Rare Pink Vintage 1960’s line, which now has a total of six sizes. The company has expanded the line with two new sizes—both of which were announced in 2021—the Queen of Hearts (3 3/4 x 54) and Sophisticated Hooker (7 1/4 x 53). Like the rest of the sizes in the line, both new vitolas are perfectos. The cigar uses an Ecuadorian wrapper from Oliva Tobacco Co. over a Nicaraguan binder and fillers from the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua. READ MORE

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