SMOKE RINGS
www.smokeringscigarbar.com
It started at Camp David
Carlos “Carlito” Fuente, Jr. reminisces about his meeting with Cigar Aficionado’s Marvin Shanken at Camp David in the hills above Santiago in the Dominican Republic. During that meeting, a bond was formed to support each other in their love for cigars and all the industry has to offer. Marvin’s advice to Carlito and his father was that “success in life brings responsibility to give back to others that are not as fortunate”. This is truly a philosophy that the Fuente’s have adopted through their community support most notably the Cigar Family Foundation School of the Cigar Family Charitable Foundation in Bonao where over 400 students from preschool through high school are receiving a free education at the non-profit, privately funded charter school.
During a recent trip to the Dominican, our group from Smoke Rings Cigar Bar had the opportunity to stay a few nights at Camp David, located in the Northern Andes overlooking the city of Santiago. We learned about the cultural and historical landscapes of this breathtaking area.
Among its attractions, there is a collection of cars from the 1950’s and 1960’s that belonged to the family of the dictator Rafael Leonidas Trujillo, the leader and former president of the Republic.
Twenty-six years ago, Marvin had a vision for the cigar industry with the conception of Cigar Aficionado. He believed that once people understood about the craftsmanship of cigars, how to select, cut, and light them, they would become passionate about smoking them; and he was right! As Carlito Fuente stated, cigars are about people…people are truly a blessing. The beauty of smoking a cigar is that it brings people together and that is the reward.
SMOKE RINGS 