Publication - Arturo Fuente

Transcription

september / october 2014
54 CIG ARS RATED + UP CLOSE WITH THE ‘70s STEELERS + BEST OF IPCPR + ARTURO FUEnTE BRAnD BREAkDOWn + MORE!
Vitola 58
Casa Cuba
doble seis
COUNTRY: Dominican Republic
WRAPPER: ecuador
BINDER: Dominican Republic
FILLER: Dominican Republic
PRICE: $ 9.84 - $ 11.25
Carlos Fuente, Jr.
President
Arturo Fuente Cigar Company
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 illustrations. 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?
AVAILABLE IN 4 SIZES
TOP 3 SHOWN
Doble Cinco
(5 x 50)
Doble Seis
Doble Tres
(6 x 50)
(5 1/2 x 44)
32 | Cigar Snob | sept / oct 2014
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
arturo Fuente rosado sungrown MagnuM r
WRAPPER: ecuador
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?!”
PRICE RANGE: $ 7.25 - $ 8.00
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.
Carlos Fuente, Jr.
President
the release of the Arturo Fuente Rosado sungrown 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?
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.
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.
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.
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, depending 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 anything else you had done. How so?
The idea of that cigar was to have something balanced 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.
TOP 3 SHOWN
SWEET
CHOCOLATE
NUT
EARTH
CREAM
WOOD
COffEE
SPICE
SWEET
Vitola 44
(4 7/8 x 47)
Vitola 54
(6 1/2 x 54)
Vitola 58
(5 1/4 x 58)
CHOCOLATE
NUT
EARTH
CREAM
WOOD
COffEE
SPICE
sept / oct 2014
|
Cigar Snob
|
33
Vitola 58
Casa Cuba
doble seis
WRAPPER: ecuador
PRICE: $ 9.84 - $ 11.25
Carlos Fuente, Jr.
President
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 illustrations. 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?
TOP 3 SHOWN
Doble Cinco
(5 x 50)
Doble Seis
Doble Tres
(6 x 50)
(5 1/2 x 44)
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
arturo Fuente rosado sungrown MagnuM r
WRAPPER: ecuador
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?!”
PRICE RANGE: $ 7.25 - $ 8.00
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.
Carlos Fuente, Jr.
President
the release of the Arturo Fuente Rosado sungrown 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?
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.
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.
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.
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, depending 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 anything else you had done. How so?
The idea of that cigar was to have something balanced 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.
TOP 3 SHOWN
SWEET
CHOCOLATE
NUT
EARTH
CREAM
WOOD
COffEE
SPICE
SWEET
Vitola 44
(4 7/8 x 47)
Vitola 54
(6 1/2 x 54)
Vitola 58
(5 1/4 x 58)
CHOCOLATE
NUT
EARTH
CREAM
WOOD
COffEE
SPICE
sept / oct 2014
|
Cigar Snob
|
33
Arturo Fuente Don CArlos
No. 2
WRAPPER: cameroon
PRICE RANGE: $ 8.85 - $ 12.60
Carlos Fuente, Jr.
We’ve heard that comment from a number of consumers as well as industry insiders. How do you feel
about that? Do you have a favorite blend?
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 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.
President
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 wrapper 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?
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.
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
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 Meerapfels. 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.
TOP 3 SHOWN
SWEET
Robusto
(5 1/4x 50)
No. 3
Belicoso
(5 1/2 x 44)
(5 3/8 x 52)
CHOCOLATE
NUT
EARTH
CREAM
WOOD
COffEE
SPICE
Siglo de PaSión
Arturo Fuente Destino Al siglo grAn AniverXArio
WRAPPER: Dominican Republic
FILLER: Dominican Republic, United
states, & Nicaragua
PRICE RANGE: $ 23.22 - $ 26.58
Carlos Fuente, Jr.
President
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 tobacco 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 AniverXario 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.
TOP 3 SHOWN
SWEET
Siglo de
Pasion
(6 3/4 x 49)
Siglo de
Amistad
(5 1/2 x 50)
Siglo de
familia
(6 1/2 x 46)
CHOCOLATE
NUT
EARTH
CREAM
WOOD
COffEE
SPICE
2014
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.
Best musical
performance
Arturo SAndovAl And rocky PAtel
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 accessory
Fuente Fuente oPuSX cuFFlinkS
Best new timepiece
colibri MonzA And colibri SteAlth
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-
These are the first ever Colibri brand watches.
If you’re drawn to the classic form and modern 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.
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 ultralimited 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-akind 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.
best of ipcpr
diamond crown
Shira Martin, Scott Lewis, Eric Newman and Alan Goldfarb
The Magician, Carlos Arturo Fuente III and Liana Fuente
Carlos Sr., Carlito Jr., and jazz great Arturo Sandoval pose for a shot with the ladies.
Kara Guagliardo, Monica Bernhard, Shanda Lee and Bob Hoyord
dunhill event at lavo
Lance Mondragon, Yuri Guillen, Michael Giannini, Todd Dailey and Rich.
Victoria McKee Jaworski and Alan Willner
Drew Newman, Gianna Garofalo and Dawson Newman
best of ipcpr
sept / oct 2014
|
Cigar Snob
|
133
)
A. Fuente Destino al Siglo Gran AniverXario
)
93
VITOLA:
LENGTH:
RING:
WRAPPER:
BINDER:
FILLER:
Siglo de Amor
5 1/4
50
Ecuador
Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
$ 24.4 8
D o m ini can R epubli c
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.

Publication - Arturo Fuente

Transcription

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