Arturo Fuente Rare Pink Staff Review
World-renowned cigarmaker Carlito Fuente introduced Arturo Fuente Rare Pink cigars in 2020 to support breast cancer awareness. Today I’m smoking a Signature, an enticing 6-by-46 Perfecto, handcrafted in small batches by the top rollers at the Fuente factory. Rare Pink cigars are meticulously produced in a collection of Figurados that mirror the bestselling Arturo Fuente Hemingway sizes.
Rare Pink cigars shimmer with an oily, reddish-brown hue, thanks to an Ecuador Habano Rosado wrapper leaf. Carlito filled out the recipe with premium Dominican and Nicaraguan long-filler tobaccos aged for a considerable period. The cigars come in glossy pink boxes and are adorned with pink-and-cream cigar bands with gold lettering. Rare Pink boxes pop off the shelf everywhere they’re displayed, and customers quickly scoop them up when they’re available. Following the debut of Rare Pink, the critics at Cigar Aficionado ranked it in their annual list of the ‘Top 10’ cigars for 2021.
When you open a new box of Rare Pink cigars, the presentation reflects Carlito’s impeccable standards for quality control and attention to detail. Once I’ve chosen a Signature from the top row and slid the cellophane off, zesty tasting notes of cedar, pepper, and mesquite layer my palate after I cut the cap and take a few cold draws. Carlito blends cigars with an impeccable balance of smoothness and strength. Rare Pink captures my taste buds with classic Fuente flavor. I prefer cutting a Perfecto with a V-cutter because a V-cut creates more surface area in the draw without removing the tapered portion of the head.
The Signature provides excellent airflow as I toast the foot and savor the first phase of this sophisticated smoke. Perfectos start slowly due to the bulbous shape of the barrel of the cigar. The draw steadily increases as you smoke beyond its thickest point. Peppery notes of nuts and coffee mingle with persistent oak and cedar flavors as the Signature progresses. Much of the cigar’s spicy character comes from its Cuban-seed wrapper. Rare Pink is an exceptionally complex smoke, with its tobaccos coming from three different countries: Ecuador, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic.
Throughout the middle section, subtle notes of clove, hazelnut, and gingerbread mingle, revealing a sharp, delicious flavor with lots of spice in the retrohale. Impressions of grilled meat and mesquite balance out the underlying foundation of coffee bean and cedar Rare Pink began with. Pair this fantastic cigar with a vintage bourbon, like Angel’s Envy Bourbon Barrel Select. Luscious notes of vanilla, maple, and ripe fruit develop with an undertone of caramel that contrasts the spicy taste of Rare Pink.
Save this cigar for a special occasion, thanks to its scarcity. It’s not an easy cigar to find, so I strongly recommend buying a box if you’re able. Since Rare Pink cigars require the most advanced rollers, small amounts are released. You’re benefiting an excellent cause when you buy them, as Carlito donates a portion of the proceeds to The American Cancer Society—Making Strides Against Breast Cancer.
The Signature lasts close to an hour. I savor the finish slowly, peeling the bands off to enjoy the nub of this flawless Perfecto for as long as possible. A meaty crescendo of cedar, leather, coffee bean, and red pepper permeates the final draws. This classic Fuente rarity highlights Carlito’s rare inclusion of Nicaraguan tobacco in a spectacular, Cubanesque profile, easily worthy of 95 points in my book. Add Arturo Fuente Rare Pink cigars to your humidor in any size you can get your hands on when they’re in stock.
