Cigar Review - Arturo Fuente Hemingway Bestseller

[CoachDread]

Arturo Fuente - Hemingway Best Seller

Vitola: Perfecto
Length: 4.5″
Ring Gauge: 55
Wrapper: Cameroon
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican
Pairing: Café Bustello Espresso style coffee


I picked this up about a year ago because I've always liked the Fuente cigars I've tried and, well, it's Hemingway. How could this not be a great cigar? Let's find out if it lives up to my expectations.



Fit and Finish: I really like these perfectos. Great shape and easy lighting. This one has a nice cameroon wrapper with mild veining and a visible seam but it's solid and well constructed. On the nose it is fresh hay, despite being stored in a cedar humidor for a year. Very nice.

Draw: A v-cut gives a slightly tight draw but it should be alright. All hay and cocoa on the cold draw.

Toast/Light: Toasting is very easy, as it always is with perfectos, and gives a mild pepper and leather on the first draw. Good smoke production.

First third: Pepper and leather start the show but they give way fairly quickly to hay and nuts. The smoke is creamy and sweet and the draw is just fine. A little cocoa makes an appearance, but it's mostly sweet hay, cedar and nuts making a rotation, with virtually no pepper. The pepper does make a brief return toward the end of this third but quickly disappears.

Second Third: The cedar, hay and nuts continue, with the cocoa showing up on the lingering aftertaste. The burn starts to get a little uneven at times but it self-corrects each time. The cocoa comes to the front briefly, but cedar begins to dominate as I near the final third.

Final Third: The hay is gone, and the pepper doesn't return. This cigar finishes with cedar and nuts, becoming a bit toasty (which is quite pleasant) along the way. The flavors are complimentary and it finishes smoothly.

Final Thoughts: I really enjoy the perfecto vitola and this was a very nicely done version of a Fuente cigar. Excellent flavors, not too strong (I'd put it firmly in the mild-medium strength category, just barely making it out of mild), very relaxing. The resting smoke is also quite pleasant and the burn was good throughout. The ash held well past the mid-point before I finally tapped it off to avoid the inevitable attack on my shirt. I'll definitely grab a few more and can easily recommend this one to anyone who enjoys Fuente cigars.

Total smoking time: 60 minutes

[emoney]

Nice review, I've been thinking about picking some of these up next time I need another box of stogies.

[steelman]

Thanks for the review. I really enjoy this line especially the Short Stories......

Cheers,

[AK47]

Nice review, glad to see you're still going strong with these!

[CoachDread]

Thanks! I really enjoy doing them. I've got another to do, from a cigar I picked up at a local B&M, but I forgot to take a pic. I'll try to get that one posted tomorrow.

[DarrelMorris]

Nice review. These are one of my favorite cigars.

[cbr310]

Nice review! Need to try one. So far I don't pick up on different tastes but will come in time line my pipe smoking

[emoney]

I finally caved the other day and bought a box of the Best Seller maduros

[CoachDread]

Have you had them before? I don't think there's any way you can lose with them. Either you'll love them and be glad you got them or someone will be happy to take them off your hands.

[emoney]

Have you had them before? I don't think there's any way you can lose with them. Either you'll love them and be glad you got them or someone will be happy to take them off your hands.

Nope never had one, but I like the size of them (shorter smoke, like the Nubs which are one of my favorites) plus all the reviews, including yours, say nothing but positive things