Arturo Fuente Hemingway Signature (VRRW/F)

[Low]

I might be a little biased with this one since these are my favorite figurados, Cuban or otherwise. That's not to say that I can't be won over by something better, I just haven't had the chance to sample all of what Cuba has to offer in this size. This bad boy was purchased in 2020, so at 3 years these are right where I like them. Straight cut, soft flame, paired with ice water and The Wire.

Pre-light - Aroma off the wrapper is salted chocolate, pre-draw is Chocolate and nuts. 

First Third - Wood, leather, nuts, and pepper. It's not typical black pepper but more floral, like white or green pepper, this is why I let em sleep. The smoke output is unusually low, so I hit it with the Perfecdraw and it opens way up. Very rare to have any sort of construction issue with a Fuente, but I suppose it happens. Body is medium.

Second Third - Chocolate is front and center, different blends of wood, leather, roasted nuts, pepper is closer to black pepper now. Occasional hit of Hoyo cream, which is a nice surprise. I think my favorite thing about figurados is that they take no effort to light correctly. Just flame the pointy end, and it's lit. Just a touch above medium at this point. 

Final Third - Chocolate is darker, wood is charred, leather is deeper, nuts are still roasted, the pepper is now fully black but has taken a backseat, while a small bit of saltiness has joined the fray. I'm sad to say, the Hoyo cream is gone. Finishes in the same spot as the second third.

91/100 - A true staple in my humidor. These are the prototypical medium bodied Dominican in my opinion.  As stated above, my sweet spot is three years and I smoke about 5-6 a year, so I keep a nice rotation of 15-20. They will never go under a 90, but they will also rarely if ever go above a 93. One of the most reliable NW cigars on the market.

[Ford2112]

Big fan of Cameroon Fuentes

[JohnS]

I'm a big fan of the Arturo Fuente Hemingway line also.

[ChangBang]

Just bought a box - how do you think it is fresh vs aged, just the black pepper vs the green you described or other nuances? 

[Low]

1 hour ago, ChangBang said:

Just bought a box - how do you think it is fresh vs aged, just the black pepper vs the green you described or other nuances? 

Really smooths out the edges. Wood, leather, and pepper that are usually harsh when they're young become much more palatable. I've had them up to six years old, and they'll continue to mellow out, I just prefer them to still have a little Fuente bite