Arturo Fuente Cigars: History, Lines & Ratings

The story

Arturo Fuente is one of the oldest and most respected family brands in the world, and the maker of the legendary OpusX. Founded in 1912 in Tampa by Arturo Fuente, it is now run by the fourth generation of the family in the Dominican Republic. It is a story of perseverance, craft and pride that seems to run through every one of their cigars.

A family dynasty and the creators of the legendary OpusX.

Origins

Cuban immigrant Arturo Fuente began rolling cigars in 1912 in Tampa, Florida, then the heart of the American cigar industry. The company was nearly destroyed several times by fires and economic crises, but the family always got back on its feet. Its real flourishing came once production moved to the Dominican Republic, where the company is based to this day.

History

The brand was raised to the very top by Carlos Fuente Sr. and his son Carlito, who turned the family workshop into a name that rings out across the world. In 1995 they achieved what was thought impossible: growing a quality wrapper leaf in the Dominican Republic itself. The result was the Fuente Fuente OpusX — the first Dominican "puro" and one of the most sought-after cigars ever made.

How & where it's made

Fuente is made in the Dominican Republic, where the family farms its own plantations, including the famous Chateau de la Fuente estate that grows the tobacco for OpusX. The cigars are renowned for precise rolling and a wide range from mild to full. Alongside OpusX, the flagship lines include the perfecto-shaped Hemingway and the more affordable Gran Reserva.

Style

On the palate Fuente covers the whole spectrum — from the creamy, cedar and nutty notes of the everyday lines to the complex, spicy and deep flavour of OpusX. That very range makes the brand a favourite of beginners and collectors alike: everyone finds their own Fuente.

Did you know

The family founded the Cigar Family Charitable Foundation, which built a school and a health clinic in the Dominican Republic for children from tobacco-growing regions. A Fuente cigar is thus also a piece of philanthropy — and smokers know it well.

Arturo Fuente

Highlights from the Arturo Fuente range