For the third year in a row, Fuente will bring Casa Cuba to the IPCPR trade show and convention; but for the first time it will not be hidden, it will be talked about and most importantly, it will be sold. It’s been two years since we broke news about the project and the company has suffered a myriad of setbacks for a blend that was relatively finalized the last time the cigar industry gathered in Las Vegas.
First came a late summer fire shortly after the trade show in 2011 that forced the company to adjust plans for its 100th anniversary in 2012. But then came an announcement shortly before last year’s trade show that the cigars were once again delayed due to another unspecific issue.
The Casa Cuba uses an Ecuadorian wrapper over Dominican fillers, blended by family patriarch Carlos Fuente Sr. In total, the company will debut four sizes: a 5 x 50 Robusto that was first seen at IPCPR 2011, a 5 1/4 x 44 Corona that made an appearance at last year’s trade show, a 6 x 52 vitola and a 4 1/2 x 54. Pricing is said to top out at $10.00 with the 6 x 52 size.
Despite having around 600,000 Casa Cubas in storage, Fuente isn’t selling many of them right now. Fuente will introduce Casa Cuba as part of its IPCPR trade show special. For every 25 boxes of regular production Fuente products, retailers will have the opportunity to purchase four earmarked boxes, one of which is Casa Cuba.
The other three are the 858 Sun Grown, something that has been offered before under this promotion, and two special Fuente Fuente OpusX blends in Destino al Siglo livery. The cigars are neither Don Arturos Destino al Siglos—a totally different blend Fuente is planning on introducing in four sizes later this year—nor, the Destino al Siglo-banded OpusX cigars Prometheus began selling last year, which were regular release cigars with special bands. Rather, this year’s special version will be a tweaked Fuente Fuente OpusX blend offered in Fuente’s Phantom Lancero size (7 1/2 x 41) and Super Belicoso (5 1/2 x 52). A spokesperson for the company declined to elaborate how much the blend has been modified, although hinted the change was minor.
Retailers are said not to have a choice in which size they will receive, Fuente expects to ship around 1,200 total boxes of Casa Cuba between all four sizes, a number the company has used previously with the show specials. If all goes to plan, the cigars will make their retail debut in August. The company has promoted the fact it is the first time it has not used the family name on a band.
Casa Cuba is expected to become a regular production release, although the company has no concrete plans for the product right now.
Elsewhere, the company is releasing its first 6 x 60 in the Chateau line, it will be offered in all three wrapper options.