Arturo Fuente Cuban Corona

In case you didn't notice, this is a review on Fuente's Cuban-Perfecto style Hemingway Signature cigar - a stunning 6x47 perfecto, rolled old-school Cuban style. Just as the name "perfecto" implies, virtually everything about this cigar is perfect, and by god, this is THE cigar which will make your fingers cry - you just can't do anything else than smoke this beauty until (a very) bitter end! Believe me when I tell you this cigar is just about impossible to put down.

The entire Hemingway line is based on the classic style cigar era in the days of THE Arturo Fuente (Carlos Fuente Jr's Grandfather - namesake of the A. Fuente cigar line). Back in the 1920's and 30's, perfecto cigars were extremely popular, and were rolled employing a difficult Cuban rolling technique VERY tough to master - The cigar's had a blunt shaped torpedo style cap with a special foot (lighting end) rolled such that the cigar's broadest ring size (about 1 inch from the foot) would actually taper down to about 1/4 it's suze AT the foot - Take a look at the Fuente Website picture of the Hemingway's to see this:
http://www.cigarfamily.com/images/hemingway/line/hemingway_glamour.jpg Carlos Fuente Jr. decided to bring this special Cuban tradition back, manifested in the guise of a Gorgeous little Dominican Perfecto series known today as Fuente Hemingway. The cigars consist of a flawless blend of Dominican filler, binder and a dark oily cameroon wrapper that will knock your socks of on appearance and aroma alone.

The signature is just a perfect size perfecto (no pun) standing at 6 inches by 47/64 ring, this cigar makes for a wonderful 40-45 minute session SOO Soo packed with flavor and smoothness, it just may redefine the very foundation of what you love about cigars- this is NO understatement either. The Signature is one of the big brothers to another legendary Hemingway, the Short Story (MUST SEE review: http://www.epinions.com/content_2853871748

Like The Short Story, the Signature is loaded with complexity and flavor - it is truly a pinnacle of ALL cigars, not just perfectos. Of all the Dominican lines, Fuente has a remarkable advantage over a vast majority of the cigar market- with Opus X more recently, Fuente has really cornered the market, however the Hemingway AND Don Carlos series have proved themselves to be some of the best. My personal favorite however, is still the Hemingway line - and the blend is just so remarkably perfect, the cigar is just a timeless work of art.

Construction (like everything else about the cigar) is just perfect. A v cut is my preference, despite the blunter shaped end (not a pointy belicoso style, but a blunter torpedo style) the V works just right...Draw is easy and relaxed - every puff yielding a dense and chewy mouthful of rich, intoxicating smoke. The aroma alone, will send people reeling - and unlike many other cigars which may even be viewed as offensive, I have literally NEVER ONCE gotten and negative remarks from ANYONE while smoking a Hemingway (and trust me, I smoke ALOT of cigars, so I've gotten plenty of megative remarks!). The aroma is so gentle yet intoxicatingly inviting, one whiff and any innocent bystander will be hooked - ESPECIALLY a cigar person! And make no mistake- jealousy WILL become evident, because ALL hemingway cigars are VERY VERY hard to find... So hard in fact, that price gouging has become the norm! While a Signature should sell for in the realm of 6 - 7 dollars, unless you've found a rare tobacconist who hasn't succumbed to greed, expect to pay well over 9-10 dollars a stick - STILL WELL WORTH IT- SERIOUSLY.

The Flavor on the Signature is absolute bliss - A bold and rich caramel and coffee base with notes of peppercorn, cedar, roasted chestnut and sporadic hints of various nuance-flavors like olive rhind and peppermint... This cigar is just a fabulous example of everything a damned-good cigar should be. Burn is near flawless - the only thing you may have to look out for is just after lighting - since the narrow foot flares out to the widest part of the ring gauge in only 1 inch of cigar (the perfecto shape) sometimes the burn will become a bit off in that transitional 1 inch - however it will correct itself on its own. Nevertheless, I simply keep an eye on this after lighting, and IF the burn gets ahead on a side, I correct with a quick hit of fire and there's no more worry - just 45 minutes of bliss!

I can't stress enough that this is just a BENCHMARK PERFECT CIGAR. As I mentioned at the begining of this review, your fingers will be in agony, because it's just about impossible to put this cigar down until your fingertips are on fire! I'd like to also sum it up in the colorful words of my best friend Jon, who had never smoked any Hemingway until a few months back...I treated him to a Signature aged to perfection in my Elle Bleu- he literally smoked it until there was almost nothing left (as did I) but he looked over and said one of the funniest cigar remarks I've ever heard: "This friggin thing should come with a roach clip!!!"

The Hemingway Signature is one of my all-time favorite cigars, and my readers KNOW how rare that comes out of my mouth! Accordingly Hemingway Cigars have taken up a substantial piece of real estate in my Elle Bleu and just get better and better! This is a must try cigar and should by coveted at all costs - a true legend!