Arturo Fuente Hemingway Signature

I’ve never had the Hemingway Signature before, but I’ve had many Short Stories, as they are a personal favorite. [What’s with the naming structure of the Hemingway line? Why is the Signature so much bigger than a Short Story? He must have had a whopper of an autograph!] Anyway, assuming that the Signature is the same thing blend as the Short Story, only longer, I believe I’m in for a treat. The Hemingways are pretty reliable and are smooth, with a delicious Cameroon zip. Hemingway himself wasn’t too fond of cigars because he felt they diminished his sense of smell, but he is a writing and drinking hero of mine. Let’s dig in!

Statistics

CotM: February 2012







Chosen by: insanemo

insanemo





Shape: Perfecto







Size: 6 x 46







Country of Origin: Dominican Republic







Wrapper: Cameroon







Binder: Dominican







Filler: Dominican







Color: Colorado Maduro







Strength: Medium







Price Paid: $6.00







Smoke Date: 6/29/2013

6/29/2013





Age: 2 months

Accessories Used

Cuban Crafters Perfect Cutter (Silver & Carbon Fiber), Bugatti B-2002 lighter with “pyramid” double-flame torch, Handmade English walnut ashtray made by wedgewoodrings.

Pairing

Da Yu Ling High Mountain Formosa Oolong served in a Japanese blue dragonfly teapot with matching cup. A highly floral and honeyed tea, I figured this would be a great companion to the earthy tang of the Hemingway. The stick taurned out to be much more floral than I expected, and only the butteriness of the tea really stood out, while the floral notes were overpowered.

Appearance/Nose

This Heminway has a beautiful brown Cameroon wrapper, but like every other Hemingway I’ve come across, this stick had few “snail snot” water spots. Compared to some I’ve smoked, this one was relatively low-snot. The band is the traditional Arturo Fuente band in Gold with red & black accents. I actually really like the Arturo Fuente Gran Reserva band, but it’s diminished by the fact that it is the exact same band as on the Don Carlos and a number of other Fuente sticks, with nothing on it to indicate that it is a “Hemingway” in any way. In fact, if you knew nothing of cigars and saw it out of a box, there is no way you’d know its proper name. The nose is hay, tobacco, and green tea.

Construction

The Hemingway Signature was a beautifully constructed cigar, with an excellent semi-perfecto shape. (I say semi-perfecto because it’s really just a parejo with a “nippled” foot. Traditionally, a perfecto tapers at both ends and bulges in the middle.) It felt quite springy with not hard or soft spots. The cap was applied a bit lopsided, and there were two medium veins. The ash was bright white and stayed on for about an inch and a half at a time. It would have probably stayed on much longer if I wasn’t preoccupied with making sure all the ash landed in the tray and not on my lap.

Cold Draw

A cold draw revealed hay with a hint of honey. The draw was a bit tight, as is expected from this shape.

Smoking

First third

The Cameroon “zip” was strong right from the first puff.

Mellow and smooth, but full of flavor, there was a grainy, bready note and a sweet, almost butterscotch-like flavor.

Supposedly, the “nipple” tip creates an even burn. I can’t say whether it made a difference, but the burn was sharp and perfect throughout the first third. The draw opened up to an easy drag after getting past the perfecto taper.

Second third

There was a strong taste of honey-like floral sweetness on the retrohale that had been slowly building and was carried through the middle third.

The burn remained damn near perfect. The butterscotchy, cookie-like flavor continued to delight. The Cameroon wrapper continued to give off a tangy, orange peel flavor.

Final third

In the final third, a strong nutty flavor replaced the floral notes.

The sweet cookie-dough butterscotch was constant throughout the smoke. Just before the band came off, the orange peel flavor took over and began to dominate. the citrusy flavor carried a bit of bitterness with it, but nothing overpowering.

The burn continued razor sharp as before.

Notes

Draw: Smooth and easy

Smooth and easy





Body: Medium

Medium





Primary Flavors: Cookie-dough, orange peel, butterscotch

Cookie-dough, orange peel, butterscotch





Smoke Output: Medium

Medium





Smoke Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Overall

The Hemingway Signature is a flavorful, medium stick. There is lots of sweetness, tang, and earth, with pretty much no spice. The burn was completely flawless throughout. My only complaints are cosmetic–the snail snot on the wrapper, and the lack of a distinct band from the other Fuente lines. This is a classic stick, and one that everyone should try. It is reliable, smooth, and has a lot of old-fashioned charm. These are absolutely perfect for a relaxing afternoon with a good book.

Rating