Arturo Fuente Cigars: World-Class Superiority

What is an aficionado? The word is of 19th century Spanish origin, and derived from a noun for ‘amateur’ and a participle meaning ‘to become fond of’. Today, the word is commonly used to denote someone who is very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about an activity. In the tobacco world, the word is most commonly associated with the magazine Cigar Aficionado, a lifestyle magazine devoted the topics of cigars and the luminaries who enjoy smoking them. Cigar Aficionado is well known and respected for its treatment of cigars, its comparison of various brands, and its rankings of different cigars. One family of cigars, one that consistently graces the pages of, and earns high rankings by, Cigar Aficionado, is the American-based, eponymous brand of Cuban émigré, Arturo Fuente.

The Arturo Fuente brand of cigar is celebrated around the world for its medium to full-bodied taste, and the unparalleled excellence with which the company cultivates its wrapper leaf and filler tobacco. The brand has been around for over 100 years, and for U.S. cigar-smoking purchasers, following the Cuban embargo, the brand has provided readily available access to a traditional Cuban-type cigar, without violating trade law. The Fuente family continues to keep tight control of the company, and the cigar production process, in the same meticulous manner that allowed the operation to grow from a husband-wife hand-rolling cigar enterprise into what is now one of the most critically acclaimed cigar makers in the world.

One experience with an Arturo Fuente cigar and even the most amateur of smokers will understand what it means to become truly fond of something, to be an aficionado. Whether one is seeking a power smoke, or a more subtle flavor, Arturo Fuente offers several different lines of cigars guaranteed to satisfy any taste, ranging from the inexpensive to the premium. Try the Arturo Fuente Rosado Sungrown Magnum R Vitola Forty-Four, hailed the No. 5 Cigar of the Year by Cigar Aficionado, wrapped in Ecuadoran leaf and filled with a spicy yet mellow blend of tobacco. Or allow the popular Hemingway series of perfecto cigars to delight the senses with its rich earthy tones and woody aroma, emerging from its exquisite blend of Dominican filler and Cameroon wrapper. Or experience the flagship cigar of Arturo Fuente, the Gran Reserva series, an internationally hailed superior cigar, crafted through each step of the cigar making process by hand workmanship, blended with carefully selected high quality vintage tobacco, grown on a private reserve, and gracing the smoker with a tangy aroma and a smooth chocolate-laced coffee palate.

Whether one is seeking a cigar for his or her own personal pleasure or to bestow upon another as a gift, selecting Arturo Fuente cigars demonstrates that the buyer is knowledgeable about tobacco, quality, and tradition. These cigars can be purchased online or at tobacco shops around the world, are available in individual units, sampler sizes, or boxes, ranging in price from a couple dollars to several hundred. To smoke cigars like a true aficionado, the choice of brands is clear: Arturo Fuente.

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History of the Cuban Cohiba Cigar

The Cohiba cigar originated from a man named Eduardo Ribera in Cuba in the mid 1960’s. He had perfected a special blend of tobaccos and special leaves to make this excellent cigar. He gave the cigars to family and friends and was not marketing them. One day a bodyguard of Fidel Castro gave him one of the cigars. Castro inquired about the blend of the cigar and was told it came from a friend who makes the cigar for his personal use only. He was told, however, Mr. Ribera gave the cigars to special friends and family members. Fidel Castro ordered the man to be found and brought to him. After meeting with Ribera a factory was created in a small house.

The original cigar was called the Fuma in 1963. In 1964 a small factory was made to produce the cigar. In 1966 the El Laguito Factory was created to enable the cigar to be produced on a larger scale. The cigar originates in the Vuelta Abajo region in Cuba. It is sent through a strong fermentation process which makes this one of the finest cigars in the world. In 1966 the Fuma cigar was officially named the “Cohiba” and maintains that name to this day.

The first US Registered brand of the Cohiba Cigar was in 1978. It has been produced in the Dominican Republic on a large scale since 1997. The history surrounding the cigar is very interesting. It is rumored that tight security was necessary during the early years of the Fuma or Cohiba. It is said that the CIA experimented with exploding cigars in an attempt to assassinate Fidel Castro, Rau Castro and Castro’s protégé Marxist revolutionary, Che Guevara. The cigar was never perfected to achieve the assassination and the rumor has never been proven to be a true fact. However, strict security was imposed at the factory while producing the cigars for Mr. Castro.

In 1982, the Cuban Cohiba brand was introduced at the World Cup in Spain. Three sizes were available at that time, the Paneta, the Corona Especial and the Lancero. In 1989 three more cigars were added to complete the Clasica Linea or Classic Line, the Robusto, the Exquisito and the Esplendido. Cohiba cigars are known worldwide as one of the most magnificent cigars ever made. It is produced in Cuba and was the absolute favorite of Fidel Castro. As a matter of fact, the cigar gained its popularity when Castro started giving the cigar as gifts to diplomats and dignitaries when they visited Cuba. In the early years, only a few hundred were produced annually, thus, making this one of the most sought after cigars on the planet. At one time the only way to obtain a Cohiba was as a gift from Fidel Castro.

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