Tabacalera A. Fuente y Cia.

Tabacalera A. Fuente y Cia. is arguably the most acclaimed cigar factory in the world. After losing their operations in Nicaragua and Honduras in the '70s, the Fuente's established a 12,000 square foot facility in Santiago, Dominican Republic. It is here that Arturo Fuente developed into the juggernaut that cigar enthusiasts now adore.

Today, the Fuentes' manufacturing operation has grown to include four facilities, churning out more than 30 million hand-rolled cigars each year. This includes the Fuentes' own brands, as well as near-equally hailed contract brands such as Ashton and J.C. Newman's Diamond Crown. In 2015 Carlos "Carlito" Fuente, Jr. set out to redesign Tabacalera A. Fuente y Cia. from the ground up, custom-making every aspect of the compound to take on a grandeur unlike anything else the world over—described as a Disney Land or Willy Wonka's Chocolate factory for cigars.

Like nearly all of the world's most respected cigar-making operations, Arturo Fuente benefits from complete vertical integration, handling the process from seed to ash. This is best evidenced by the company's Fuente Fuente OpusX brand, first debuting in the early '90s as, what many consider, the first Dominican puro. Like this industry-changing cigar, Tabacalera A. Fuente y Cia. operates under the watchful eye of Carlito Fuente, a true visionary in the modern space of premium cigars.

Highlights

  • First established in 1980
  • Managed by Carlos Fuente, Sr. and Carlos "Carlito" Fuente, Jr. until Carlos Senior's death in 2016
  • Known for hand-rolling cigars for Arturo Fuente, Ashton, and J.C. Newman's Diamond Crown brands
  • Part of a vertically integrated operation owned by the Fuente family that includes the famed Chateau de la Fuente farm, curing and fermentation facilities, distribution, and more
  • Hand-rolls over 30 million cigars each year
  • Began factory renovation in 2015 with the aim to be completed in 2019
  • Known for pioneering barrel-aging tobacco
  • Known for quality craftsmanship and artistically designed cigar shapes and patterns, producing highly limited cigars that are sought after by collectors, being among the world's most valuable cigars
  • Known for a wide variety of smoking profiles, primarily centering around Dominican tobaccos

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