september / october 2014
Casa Cuba
doble seis
Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic Dominican Republic ecuador
$ 9.84 - $ 11.25 COUNTRY:
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Fuente has owned the casa cuba brand for so many years. Why was the brand never really brought to market earlier?
Casa Cuba was a brand that my father bought way back during the early days of the embargo. The gentleman who owned the brand and a small factory, was very good friends with my grandfather. He was very old and his children were not interested in the business, so my father bought the brand.
I have to tell you, it was one of my all-time favorite labels. It was an old-world label with beautiful illustra- tions. It represented the fusion of Cuba and America—
Lady Liberty on one side and the goddess of the Siboney (native Cuban tribe) on the other. It represented a lot to me as a young man and that label was very important, so we saved it. It was particularly important in the ‘70s, when my grandfather always said, “When we go back to Cuba…” So that was a brand that I saved thinking that we would be back in Cuba someday making that brand. And time goes by; my grandfather passed away in 1973 and the situation in Cuba remains the same.
so what changed? Why did you decide that now would be a good time to release it?
One day, a couple of years ago, I get to the factory and I see some boxes that were put together with cigars in them being prepared to be shipped. So I asked what
these cigars were and why they were packaged. They told me they were shipping to our headquarters in Tampa so the sales team could see them because they were going to be distributed. I said “What the F is this?!”
It turns out that my father had gotten one cigar maker for each of four sizes. And over the last year and a half he had this little private project that he had been working on and making cigars and setting them aside in the aging rooms. He did all this without me being aware and wanted to release the cigar for the 100th anniversary. I stopped it. I was not happy with the label or the packaging, and I thought it was not the right time.
Now, so many people had tried the cigar and kept telling me how amazing it was, and how it was my father’s pet project, and how he’s 79 years old… I finally asked him, “Dad, why didn’t you tell me?” And he said, “Because all these years I’ve been letting you do this, but I want you to know that the old man is still the one that steers the horse and he still can blend.”
And he made an amazing blend.
What is different about your dad’s style of blending?
It’s the way that was taught to him by his father. It’s old-school blending, which favors complexity, balance, and flavor. It’s a cigar that, when you get to the end of it, you want to light another one. It fills you and satisfies you, but doesn’t hurt you. It’s enjoyable. He said he wanted to go back to blending and make that cigar because he saw everything going the other way and he wanted to do something different. We now joke around about his project, but he still doesn’t tell me the blend. When I ask him about it he just kind of smirks and laughs. And you know what? People really like it. And it is different than any other Fuente, but it’s still Fuente.
It’s amazing that, after so many premium brands and sub-brands and lines, we could still continue to make so many different flavors that are all Fuente. It just proves again that my father, who is my hero, is the greatest.
If I’ve accomplished anything in this life, it’s because my father has taught me. And he still outperforms me every day; there’s no question about it.
AVAILABLE IN 4 SIZES
CHOCOLATE SWEET
SPICE EARTH NUT
WOOD CREAM
COffEE
TOP 3 SHOWN
Doble Cinco (5 x 50)
Doble Seis (6 x 50)
Doble Tres (5 1/2 x 44)
Carlos Fuente, Jr.
President
Arturo Fuente Cigar Company
Carlos Fuente, Jr.
President
Arturo Fuente Cigar Company
arturo Fuente rosado sungrown MagnuM r
Vitola 58
the release of the Arturo Fuente Rosado sun- grown Magnum R in late 2009 went completely against the grain. the cigar market was in the midst of a surge in power and you launched a creamier, more balanced and nuanced cigar. What kind of smoker were you targeting with this brand?
Honestly, I don’t think that way. I just try to make a great cigar. Magnum R was something that I thought there was a need for in the market at that time. I just thought that, with the great tobaccos that we had, and with the experience that I’d had up to that point, Magnum R was a cigar that was important to introduce. It was different than anything else I had done. It was an accumulation of all of the teachings.
When you said you “thought there was a need”
for Magnum R in the market at that time, what did you mean by that?
The market was going toward very, very young tobacco. Very strong. Like you should get a buzz after the first three puffs. The market went that way, but my teaching was always that a cigar needs to be balanced. It’s a cigar that doesn’t bite you, and it’s just enjoyable. So when I saw the market going to strong, strong, strong, I thought, “that’s not good for the business.” It’s not good for the retailer and it’s not good for the manufacturer.
I also think about farming; the plant gives you only so many leaves. Whether it’s 12, 14, or 16, depend- ing on how you harvest and what you do, there are only so many of the leaves that really give you
that strength. And those leaves have to be aged for many years for them to reach their optimal taste and sweetness, otherwise it’s “crudo” (raw).
There’s a reason why the old school cigars are blended a certain way. It’s part of our philosophy and our teaching, which was taught to me by my father and my grandfather, which was taught to them by the previous generation. That’s why I wanted to do Magnum R.
You also said that the Magnum R was unlike any- thing else you had done. How so?
The idea of that cigar was to have something bal- anced and flavorful, but different. With a little spice and everything that I find in another brand we make but not as “in your face.” You get all the flavors you’re looking for but when you finish that cigar, you want to smoke another one. It leaves you with that, “I want more.”
I compare it to women. You know how when you’re young and you’re in love and you… you know what I mean? If, afterwards, you say “I don’t want to see you for a week,” that’s not good. But if you say,
“let’s have a glass of wine and go for some more”…
I think, in a cigar, that’s ideal.
I think we get it.
Now, on the surface, the biggest difference with Magnum R is that the wrapper is incredibly thin.
What is the reason for that?
It is very thin and delicate. It’s very fragile. It’s an Ecuador Habano that is grown for us by the Oliva family (Oliva Tobacco Co.).
The Oliva family, John and Angel Oliva… their family has been our backbone for generations. They grow that tobacco for us, but in order to get the proper balance for the Magnum R, we have to re-select the tobacco and try to find the leaves that are not as hearty, a little thinner. Not the heavier leaves like we use for the Sun Grown or brands like that.
Now, keep in mind these are all judgment calls by humans as they go through all of the tobacco by hand, but that’s what we try to achieve. And I find that, for that blend, that works a little better.
AVAILABLE IN 5 SIZES TOP 3 SHOWN
CHOCOLATE SWEET
SPICE EARTH NUT
WOOD CREAM
COffEE Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic Dominican Republic ecuador
$ 7.25 - $ 8.00 COUNTRY:
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Vitola 44 (4 7/8 x 47)
Vitola 54 (6 1/2 x 54)
Vitola 58 (5 1/4 x 58)
Casa Cuba
doble seis
Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic Dominican Republic ecuador
$ 9.84 - $ 11.25 COUNTRY:
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PRICE:
Fuente has owned the casa cuba brand for so many years. Why was the brand never really brought to market earlier?
Casa Cuba was a brand that my father bought way back during the early days of the embargo. The gentleman who owned the brand and a small factory, was very good friends with my grandfather. He was very old and his children were not interested in the business, so my father bought the brand.
I have to tell you, it was one of my all-time favorite labels. It was an old-world label with beautiful illustra- tions. It represented the fusion of Cuba and America—
Lady Liberty on one side and the goddess of the Siboney (native Cuban tribe) on the other. It represented a lot to me as a young man and that label was very important, so we saved it. It was particularly important in the ‘70s, when my grandfather always said, “When we go back to Cuba…” So that was a brand that I saved thinking that we would be back in Cuba someday making that brand. And time goes by; my grandfather passed away in 1973 and the situation in Cuba remains the same.
so what changed? Why did you decide that now would be a good time to release it?
One day, a couple of years ago, I get to the factory and I see some boxes that were put together with cigars in them being prepared to be shipped. So I asked what
these cigars were and why they were packaged. They told me they were shipping to our headquarters in Tampa so the sales team could see them because they were going to be distributed. I said “What the F is this?!”
It turns out that my father had gotten one cigar maker for each of four sizes. And over the last year and a half he had this little private project that he had been working on and making cigars and setting them aside in the aging rooms. He did all this without me being aware and wanted to release the cigar for the 100th anniversary. I stopped it. I was not happy with the label or the packaging, and I thought it was not the right time.
Now, so many people had tried the cigar and kept telling me how amazing it was, and how it was my father’s pet project, and how he’s 79 years old… I finally asked him, “Dad, why didn’t you tell me?” And he said, “Because all these years I’ve been letting you do this, but I want you to know that the old man is still the one that steers the horse and he still can blend.”
And he made an amazing blend.
What is different about your dad’s style of blending?
It’s the way that was taught to him by his father. It’s old-school blending, which favors complexity, balance, and flavor. It’s a cigar that, when you get to the end of it, you want to light another one. It fills you and satisfies you, but doesn’t hurt you. It’s enjoyable. He said he wanted to go back to blending and make that cigar because he saw everything going the other way and he wanted to do something different. We now joke around about his project, but he still doesn’t tell me the blend. When I ask him about it he just kind of smirks and laughs. And you know what? People really like it. And it is different than any other Fuente, but it’s still Fuente.
It’s amazing that, after so many premium brands and sub-brands and lines, we could still continue to make so many different flavors that are all Fuente. It just proves again that my father, who is my hero, is the greatest.
If I’ve accomplished anything in this life, it’s because my father has taught me. And he still outperforms me every day; there’s no question about it.
AVAILABLE IN 4 SIZES
CHOCOLATE SWEET
SPICE EARTH NUT
WOOD CREAM
COffEE
TOP 3 SHOWN
Doble Cinco (5 x 50)
Doble Seis (6 x 50)
Doble Tres (5 1/2 x 44)
Carlos Fuente, Jr.
President
Arturo Fuente Cigar Company
Carlos Fuente, Jr.
President
Arturo Fuente Cigar Company
arturo Fuente rosado sungrown MagnuM r
Vitola 58
the release of the Arturo Fuente Rosado sun- grown Magnum R in late 2009 went completely against the grain. the cigar market was in the midst of a surge in power and you launched a creamier, more balanced and nuanced cigar. What kind of smoker were you targeting with this brand?
Honestly, I don’t think that way. I just try to make a great cigar. Magnum R was something that I thought there was a need for in the market at that time. I just thought that, with the great tobaccos that we had, and with the experience that I’d had up to that point, Magnum R was a cigar that was important to introduce. It was different than anything else I had done. It was an accumulation of all of the teachings.
When you said you “thought there was a need”
for Magnum R in the market at that time, what did you mean by that?
The market was going toward very, very young tobacco. Very strong. Like you should get a buzz after the first three puffs. The market went that way, but my teaching was always that a cigar needs to be balanced. It’s a cigar that doesn’t bite you, and it’s just enjoyable. So when I saw the market going to strong, strong, strong, I thought, “that’s not good for the business.” It’s not good for the retailer and it’s not good for the manufacturer.
I also think about farming; the plant gives you only so many leaves. Whether it’s 12, 14, or 16, depend- ing on how you harvest and what you do, there are only so many of the leaves that really give you
that strength. And those leaves have to be aged for many years for them to reach their optimal taste and sweetness, otherwise it’s “crudo” (raw).
There’s a reason why the old school cigars are blended a certain way. It’s part of our philosophy and our teaching, which was taught to me by my father and my grandfather, which was taught to them by the previous generation. That’s why I wanted to do Magnum R.
You also said that the Magnum R was unlike any- thing else you had done. How so?
The idea of that cigar was to have something bal- anced and flavorful, but different. With a little spice and everything that I find in another brand we make but not as “in your face.” You get all the flavors you’re looking for but when you finish that cigar, you want to smoke another one. It leaves you with that, “I want more.”
I compare it to women. You know how when you’re young and you’re in love and you… you know what I mean? If, afterwards, you say “I don’t want to see you for a week,” that’s not good. But if you say,
“let’s have a glass of wine and go for some more”…
I think, in a cigar, that’s ideal.
I think we get it.
Now, on the surface, the biggest difference with Magnum R is that the wrapper is incredibly thin.
What is the reason for that?
It is very thin and delicate. It’s very fragile. It’s an Ecuador Habano that is grown for us by the Oliva family (Oliva Tobacco Co.).
The Oliva family, John and Angel Oliva… their family has been our backbone for generations. They grow that tobacco for us, but in order to get the proper balance for the Magnum R, we have to re-select the tobacco and try to find the leaves that are not as hearty, a little thinner. Not the heavier leaves like we use for the Sun Grown or brands like that.
Now, keep in mind these are all judgment calls by humans as they go through all of the tobacco by hand, but that’s what we try to achieve. And I find that, for that blend, that works a little better.
AVAILABLE IN 5 SIZES TOP 3 SHOWN
CHOCOLATE SWEET
SPICE EARTH NUT
WOOD CREAM
COffEE Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic Dominican Republic ecuador
$ 7.25 - $ 8.00 COUNTRY:
WRAPPER:
BINDER:
FILLER:
PRICE RANGE:
Vitola 44 (4 7/8 x 47)
Vitola 54 (6 1/2 x 54)
Vitola 58 (5 1/4 x 58)
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:
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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)
Arturo Fuente Destino Al siglo grAn AniverXArio
Siglo de PaSión
AVAILABLE IN 4 SIZES TOP 3 SHOWN
CHOCOLATE SWEET
SPICE EARTH NUT
WOOD CREAM
COffEE Siglo de
Amistad (5 1/2 x 50)
Siglo de Pasion (6 3/4 x 49)
Siglo de familia (6 1/2 x 46)
Would you share with us the story behind the making of the Don Arturo Destino al siglo?
I never in my life thought that I would live to see the 100th anniversary of our company. Not because of my age, but because you just don’t think of those things.
You think about the day-to-day and surviving and that kind of stuff. But one night, a little more than 10 years before the 100th anniversary, it hit me. I had the idea that I wanted to do something special for it using a Chateau de la Fuente Sun Grown wrapper. I wanted to come out with a cigar called Destino al Siglo, which meant destiny to a century or destined to reach the century.
The idea was that, on the 90th anniversary, I would come out with a box with 90 candle-shaped tubes. I even designed the tubes so it was going to be like a birthday cake with 90 tubes of these cigars instead of candles. And every year leading up to the 100th we would come out with the next box so that one would have 91 tubes, then 92 tubes, and so on till you get to the century, hence destiny to the century. So I got the tobaccos and we started making cigars little by little for 2 years leading up to the 90th anniversary (2002). By the time the 90th rolled around we were so busy that we just could not do it. Those cigars ended up being the original Destino al Siglo 13, a cigar that we now give away at events for Cigar Family Charitable Foundation.
so at this point in the chronology you’ve missed the 90th but the 100th anniversary is the focus. so what were your plans at this point?
What I envisioned was that for the 100th anniversary I
would celebrate my grandfather’s life and our history with a cigar with 4 different tobaccos. Dominican tobacco, a hint of tobacco from Nicaragua, a hint of tobacco from the United States, and Cuban tobacco.
Back then I thought that by the year 2012 Cuban to- bacco was going to be available to manufacturers and that would close the circle. It would be the culmination of the origins, the places, and the history where my family has made cigars. And I had tobacco saved that was 35 to 40 years old and it’s hard to say this because people say all kinds of stuff but plenty of people got to go there and see the tobacco. I was saving it for the 100th anniversary. We were going to have a big party in Tampa and invite the world and it was going to be a huge thing. Well, before the 100th anniversary, as you know we had the fires in 2011 that burned down two of our buildings and I lost ALL of that tobacco. Gone.
Well instead of coming out with another cigar, we just said let’s wait. Things happen in life and it just makes us stronger. I had the example of my dad and my grandfather who overcame hardships of their own.
Don’t get me wrong; it was very, very painful to see it go up in smoke. But sometimes things happen for a reason and you get inspiration from it. For example, the Angel’s Share was a project that was inspired by the fire.
We started seeing the Destino al siglo Gran An- iverXario arrive in stores in late 2013. What does the final product represent for you?
The cigar represents the Fuente story, the heritage, the love for the family and friends, the love for our supporters, our neighbors, it represents everybody.
That’s what I tried to compose. That’s why even the sizes are Siglo de Amistad (Century of Friendship), Siglo de Passion (Century of Passion), Siglo de Amor (Century of Love), and Siglo de Familia (Century of Family). It’s a special cigar with a special meaning.
There are a lot of symbols and messages all over the label. Even the color is significant – why blue?
Because my grandfather’s original label, the one that I remember when I was a little boy, had the shield with AF the same as we have today, but instead of being red it was blue. It was that [shade of] blue. I was the one who changed the shield to red, probably back in the late 70s. So I thought it would be appropriate to go back to my grandfather’s original color for this label.
Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic Dominican Republic, United states, & Nicaragua Dominican Republic
$ 23.22 - $ 26.58 COUNTRY:
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PRICE RANGE:
Carlos Fuente, Jr.
President
Arturo Fuente Cigar Company
We combed (and smoked) through every inch of the cigar industry’s annual trade show to find you the very best of what the cigar industry has in store for the coming year.
2014
Best musical performance
Arturo SAndovAl And rocky PAtel
After a few days of just about any kind of trade show, the whole thing starts to wear on you.
That is, until something unexpected happens, and the show feels fresh again. That’s what hap-
Best accessory
Fuente Fuente oPuSX cuFFlinkS
We know! It’s not exactly a cigar accessory, but how could you not love these? They debuted last year, but were only being made in an ultra-
limited quantity.
This year, we learned that production is being continued with the Santayana family of jewelers, who are based in Miami. Made from ten molded pieces and hand-painted, each is a one-of-a- kind piece. These aren’t being sold directly to consumers. So if you want to get your wrists on a pair, just ask your neighborhood tobacconist to get in touch with their Fuente representative.
pened when Rocky Patel’s corner of the IPCPR universe turned into a party. Trumpet legend Arturo Sandoval had wandered from his buddy Carlito Fuente’s booth and was compelled to get on Rocky Patel’s keyboard when he heard Rocky banging on his cajón, a musical instrument whose name translates literally to “big box.” It was the perfect way to bump up the tempo, especially since Rocky’s cajón doubles as perhaps the
coolest dual-purpose humidor around.
Best new timepiece
colibri MonzA And colibri SteAlth
These are the first ever Colibri brand watches.
If you’re drawn to the classic form and mod- ern functionality of Colibri accessories, you might just be the kind of guy who wants one of these London-designed watches on his wrist.
Both designs are sporty, seemingly inspired by high-tech auto racing designs, but maintaining a certain understated cool factor (although you might opt for one of the funkier band colors).
The Monza sells for about $195, while the Stealth (a chronograph watch) will set you back $250.
Excellent gifts for the punctual smoker.
diamond crown
dunhill event at lavo
best of ipcpr best of ipcpr
best of ipcpr best of ipcpr
Victoria McKee Jaworski and Alan Willner
Lance Mondragon, Yuri Guillen, Michael Giannini, Todd Dailey and Rich.
The Magician, Carlos Arturo Fuente III and Liana Fuente Kara Guagliardo, Monica Bernhard, Shanda Lee and Bob Hoyord Drew Newman, Gianna Garofalo and Dawson Newman Carlos Sr., Carlito Jr., and jazz great Arturo Sandoval pose for a shot with the ladies.
Shira Martin, Scott Lewis, Eric Newman and Alan Goldfarb
Project6_Layout 1 8/28/14 6:46 PM Page 1
Espinosa LoungE Launch at smokE inn
Margate, Fla.
EVENTS
Elizabeth, Carlos and Betsy Espinosa Posse
Nelson Ruiz and Allan Kaye Emilio Perez and Michelle Simone
The Espinosa Cigar team, including Erik and Erik Jr., who was celebrating a birthday, joined fans of the brand and Smoke Inn staff to mark the opening of the very first Espinosa lounge.
That the company’s first ever lounge is part of a Smoke Inn facility is a sign these guys have achieved a new level of success. There was a DJ on hand to provide the tunes and, of course, plenty of Espinosa products to enjoy.
MIAMI INTERNATIONAL MALL 1455 NW 107th Ave. UNIT 396 MIAMI, FLORIDA 33172 305.594.9126 305.594.9127 1.866.342.6424
VITOLA:
WRAPPER:
LENGTH:
BINDER:
Siglo de Amor
Ecuador 5 1/4
Dominican Republic 50
Dominican Republic RING:
FILLER:
DOmINIcAN REPuBLIc
$ 24.48
An exquisitely complex and flavorful cigar with a big, round flavor profile highlighted by notes of cedar, milk chocolate, sweet cream, and nuts. This perfecto has a slight press and is covered with a thin and flawless wrapper.
