A. Fuente Hemmingway Signature - Secret Santa Review

[rjs]

For my first Secret Santa cigar, I smoked a the Arturo Fuente Hemmingway Signature.

My overall smoking experience and rating is an 8.5.

The Fuente Hemmingway Signature is a great looking cigar. The wrapper looks average, but that long perfecto shape definitely qualifies this smoke as humidor candy.

The Signature is an easy light, as are all the Hemmingways. Perfect draw with an even burn and pure white ash without a lot of smoke. No complaints here. This is a very smooth smoke with a very refined Dominican tobacco flavor. I think that plain looking Cameroon wrapper adds the flavor necessary to make the Signature's taste complex rather than one dimensional. This is a medium bodied smoke.

This is a cigar that knows it's identity and isn't trying to imitate another personalty. Not the most sexy cigar, but a good, solid, high quality smoke that is very consistent. I could smoke one of these anytime or anywhere. An old favorite is appropriate for this nostalgic time of year. Thanks to my secret Santa.

... rjs

[cv]

rjs,

Thanks for the posting. That's one of my favourites when I feel "mild" and I don't want to get kicked in the butt... :-) Taste is to me very smooth and medium bodied, you are right on the Dominican spirit and on it being a refined cigar, and I have never disappointed as well. The only difference, I found it just lightly spicy before lighting and generally in the first third, and mine gave me more smoke than what it gave you, I guess... Maybe a matter of humidity! How do you keep them?

cv

[rjs]

cv,

At the time of that post, I was experimenting with higher humidity levels and stored them at about 72-75% RH. I have since lowered the humidity and did pick up some of the spice you mentioned. In the case of the Hemminways, the higher humidity didn't help. The draw was ok, but maybe masked the spiciness. Thanks for the post.

... rjs

[cv]

rjs,

Thanks for the post. You know, I did some experiments as well with humidity, and could be interesting to exchange results on that with other LLGs.
I think that cubans are all better around 66-67%, together with Fuentes in general; Padron like a higher humidity, around 72-74%, C.A.O.s to me are good around 67-68%, almost like cubans, they lose taste and power with higher RH; for other brands, I didn't trace so much the results, due to not having bought boxes and/or not having let them sit enough to experiment...

By the way, yesterday evening I just had a CAO Ann. Churchill, in Cameroon wrapper, and it was great!

cv

[cv]

rjs,

just to let you know what happened today, after our recent talks on H. Signature. For my birthday, I just received from my fiancè a beautiful "Presidential :-)" leather chair (I still can not believe it...! she is great :-) ), big, comfortable, (great for a slow smoke as well...) great to use when I am sitting in front of my computer desk, and to celebrate it I just light one of these babies, together with a great espresso! It was a great combination, and the Signature once more confirmed to be a great cigar, they really never disappointed me. Gotta get another box, the only sad note is that it was the last one... I have problems in letting them age!

cv

[rjs]

cv,

Sounds great! Happy birthday!

.. rjs

[cv]

Thanks, rjs! Turning 31... an old man with a cigar... :-)

cv

[rjs]

cv,

Oh to be 31! LOL Wait until you turn 48!

... rjs

[rmr]

I'm 31 but feel like I'm 48 does that count?

RMR

[cv]

...I'll hopefully be an oldER man with PLENTY of cigars!!! LOL

[kjpman]

[sjnovakovich]

Originally Posted by rjs

This is a cigar that knows it's identity and isn't trying to imitate another personalty. Not the most sexy cigar, but a good, solid, high quality smoke that is very consistent. I could smoke one of these anytime or anywhere.

... rjs

Well said! I couldn't agree more.

[redryno247]

Thanks for this review...while I'm not blown away with the Hem. Sig. I agree it's a consistent cigar that I'd go back to time and again.

[Scimmia]

woh, talk about back from the dead, this thread is over 7 years old!