PCA | December 15, 2023 – The long-awaited Fuente y Padrón Legends Cigar Project is on its way … but there’s been a delay. Today, Arturo Fuente and Padrón announced that one of the two shipping containers that contained this special cigar was extensively damaged during transit. While the other container was not damaged, the Arturo Fuente and Padrón Cigars teams decided that it was better to err on the side of caution and will now hand-inspect each master carton box and its contents, one by one.

The two containers left port in the Dominican Republic during the week of Thanksgiving, bound for Florida. This shipping timeframe was chosen to get the Fuente y Padrón Legends Cigar Project in the hands of eager cigar enthusiasts in time for the 2023 holiday season. The extensive damage to the cargo was discovered when the cigars arrived at the Florida warehouse late last week.

“Unfortunately, after years of planning and work, we have had a setback in our Legends project. I am extremely disappointed we will have to delay its release,” said Jorge Padrón. “While these adverse situations are nothing new for either of our companies, I will look at this as a learning experience for the younger generations in our families. Our families are responding the way we were taught, working together to ensure that we see this project through to its
completion being nothing short of what the two men being honored deserve.”

“Each chest, each individual cigar, each portfolio simply has to be perfect,” declared Carlos “Carlito” Fuente Jr. “In my entire life, I’ve never encountered a shipping catastrophe the likes of this. This project is about three things: passion for a shared, time-honored craft, family—two families, and integrity, honoring two great men. This project is so much bigger than simply one thing, which is why, again, each element has to be flawless.”

The Fuente y Padrón Legends Cigar Project was announced in 2020 and unveiled at the Las Vegas 2022 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) trade show. At this year’s PCA trade show and international convention, the nearly final version of this much-anticipated collaboration was on display by both families.

Delivery of the Fuente y Padrón Legends Cigar Project to retailers will be delayed until the hand inspection is complete and replacements for the damaged units can be soured and assembled. Retailers that are expecting this cigar in their stores do not currently have a defined new shipping date; the companies expect retailer delivery to happen sometime in 2024.

Arturo Fuente and Padrón Cigars will provide updates as they have them.