#19 2024 Cigar of the Year: Arturo Fuente Rare Pink Vintage 1960’s Sophisticated Hooker
SPECIFICATIONS
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican, Nicaraguan
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Factory: Tabacalera A. Fuente y Cia
Sophisticated Hooker: 7 1/4 x 53
Price: $17.70
Sponsor: No
Samples Provided for Initial Review: No
Review: Arturo Fuente Rare Pink Vintage 1960’s Sophisticated Hooker
Appearances on Countdown (By Year/Company): 1 (2024)
The Details
Coming in at #19 on the 2024 Cigar Coop Cigar of the Year Countdown is the Arturo Fuente Rare Pink Vintage 1960’s in the Sophisticated Hooker size. Pink is a color associated with breast cancer awareness. With the Rare Pink Vintage 1960s, Fuente is raising awareness and funds for breast cancer research by donating a portion of the sales to support these initiatives. Company Chairman Carlos “Carlito” Fuente got the inspiration to support this cause from his daughter Liana, who lost both her grandmother and aunt to breast cancer. The boxes of these cigars are pink, and the bands have pink accents. The bands also have a retro vibe reminiscent of the 1960s, when Carlito was growing up.
The name Sophisticated Hooker is more innocent than it sounds. Carlito Fuente named it for a boat he was on when he attended a Cigar Family Charitable Foundation fundraiser in Key West. The ship was called the Sophisticated Hooker because of all of the fishing hooks on it. The event was so memorable to Carlito that he wanted to put the name on the Rare Pink cigar.
Like the Arturo Fuente Hemingway line, the Rare Pink line is all figurados. While some of the Rare Pink sizes are identical to the Hemingway line, the Sophisticated Hooker is unique to the Rare Pink, measuring 7 ¼ x 53. As for the blend, it features an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper over a Dominican binder and filler from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic.
The Sophisticated Hooker size brings out the best blend. The Sophisticated Hooker delivered a combination of coffee, natural tobacco, cedar, cream, hay, wood, and pepper. The strength and body started out mild to medium before progressing to medium in the second third.
This is the first time the Arturo Fuente company has landed on the Countdown. Meanwhile, if you are keeping score on the Countdown, this gives the Dominican Republic its third cigar on the 2024 Countdown.
REFERENCES
- For details on how the 2024 Cigar of the Year Countdown works, see our 2024 criteria.
- Full 2024 Cigar Coop Cigar of the Year Countdown
The Countdown pauses on December 25, 2024, for Christmas. On that day, there will be regular original Cigar Coop content. The Countdown resumes on December 26, 2024.