There is no doubt that Arturo Fuente Cigars is one of the most recognized brands in the world of premium cigars. The cigars they produce are staple brands in most cigar shops, and their limited and special releases like Opus X and Destino al Siglo are sought out and collected by connoisseurs everywhere. Even with all of the respect and accolades given to the brand, the Fuente family remains humble and they strive to serve whenever possible. One of the most recent examples of that service is the Rare Pink line of cigars. Essentially the Rare Pink line is a unique new blend of the famed Hemmingway line. A portion of the proceeds from every box sold goes directly to The American Cancer Society-Making Strides Against Breast Cancer.
This cigar is currently also available in the following other vitolas. Short Story – 4 x 42/49, Work of Art – 4.875 x 46/60, Happy Ending – 5.5 x 53. Additional vitolas will be released later in 2021.
Arturo Fuente Rare Pink Signature
MSRP: $9.95
Size: 6 x 46 Box Press Figurado
Origin: Tabacalera A. Fuente (Dominican Republic)
Wrapper: Ecuador
Binder: Unpublished
Filler: Nicaragua, Unpublished
Prologue
This box press figurado looks very nice, and has a beautiful reddish-brown color. The wrapper has a nice toothy surface and light oil sheen, with slight mottling in the coloration and slightly messy nipple shape to the foot. There is a slightly vegetal smell at the foot with hints of spice, while the outer wrapper has light aromas of leather and cedar. The cold draw is open, but extremely mild. I just get some hints of leather and aged tobacco.
Act I
The start is milder than expected. While I do get a tiny hint of spice, there is a sweetness there that reminds me of toffee. There are some nutty aromas and leathery notes along the way as well. I also get some fleeting creamy textures to the smoke and something that almost seems like the aroma of toasted bread. On the retrohale I get aromas that remind me of citrus and some of that toasted bread, with very little bite.
Act II
As the burn line progresses, the spice levels gradually increase and mix with leather, more of that toasted bread, and some kind of sweetness that almost seems fruity. This next thing sounds really weird, but there was a candy I remember from my childhood called Horehound candy. It has an herbal, almost floral kind of flavor with lots of sweetness. It may sound crazy but a few puffs brought me right to that kind of flavor. The retrohale is now higher on the spice meter, but not too much.
Act III
The wrapper at the burn line is pretty flaky and loose. In this final section, the spice keeps increasing but is in good company with some notes of bitter coffee, sweetness, and a faint floral note. The occasional creamy notes have all but disappeared at this point. There is a brightness now that is almost salty in nature and that really activates the salivary glands. As it closes, the retrohale has a strong note of black pepper and some molasses-like sweetness.
Epilogue
All in all, I would call the Rare Pink a successful project, not only because a good portion of the money goes to aid in research to combat breast cancer, but because the cigars are tasty. Of all the vitolas I tried this is the one I enjoyed more. It was easier to smoke and tended to have more cohesive flavor and aroma profiles. Because the ash was rather flaky, it may not be a good stick for the car, but is a very nice addition to the Fuente family of fine cigars. It is a cigar that delivers on flavor, and also gives something back to help others.
Fuente Rare Pink Signature – How Bout That Cigar?
Rating: How Bout A Box?
Overall Score: 91
PAD: +1.0 (What is PAD?)
Flavor Summary: Mild spice, Leather, Nuts, Leather, Sweetness, Floral, Fruit
Strength Assessment: Medium
Source: Cigars for this review were purchased by HBT Media LLC