Arturo Fuente Hemingway Natural Classic - BOX OF 25

When the Fuente family arrived in the Dominican Republic in 1980, shaped cigars had virtually disappeared from the premium market. Carlito Fuente made a deliberate decision to bring the perfecto format back, not out of nostalgia, but because he understood something a straight-sided parejo simply can't replicate: a tapered foot concentrates flavor through the opening draws, while an expanding ring gauge lets the blend unfold in a deliberate, developing progression. Hemingway Classic, at 7 x 48, is the fullest expression of that idea, and Cigar Aficionado rewarded it with a 93-point rating, among the highest scores anywhere in the Fuente catalog.

The construction wraps aged Dominican binder and filler in a select African Cameroon leaf, prized for a natural sweetness and aromatic depth that never turns cloying. Pre-light notes of spice and cedar stand out immediately, with the cold draw revealing softer earth and raisin character underneath. Once lit, the first puffs deliver black pepper and cinnamon, sweet cedar notes poking through as the cigar slowly heats up, and once the flame works past the tapered foot's small nipple, the profile genuinely opens up, coffee undertones and strong earth notes taking center stage as the spice gradually mellows. By the back half, the Cameroon wrapper's sweetness intensifies further, reading almost like candied orange peel against a backdrop of dark cedar and leather, with a long, complex finish that lingers well after the last draw.

Reception across decades of reviews is overwhelmingly enthusiastic, more than one buyer calls this among the best cigars they've ever smoked, a permanent fixture in their top ten, and it's a cigar several longtime smokers specifically reach for when handing cigars out at an event. It's fair to note a small number of reviews describe individual sticks running a bit tarry or bitter by the final third, or occasionally tasting stale after extended humidor storage, genuine but uncommon exceptions in a lineup this consistently well-regarded. For most, this remains exactly what Carlito Fuente set out to build: a mild-to-medium bodied cigar of impeccable construction, honoring "The Old Man and the Sea" himself with a shape and a flavor arc built to be savored slowly.

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Flavor progression:

1. Opening: spice and cedar on the pre-light aroma, soft earth and raisin on the cold draw, black pepper and cinnamon leading the first puffs as the cigar heats up
2. Mid-smoke: coffee undertones and strong earth notes take center stage as the flame passes the tapered foot, spice mellowing while sweet cedar builds
3. Close: the Cameroon wrapper's sweetness intensifies into candied orange peel against dark cedar and leather, a long, complex finish lingering to the last draw

Key Features:

1. Brand: Arturo Fuente
2. Line: Hemingway
3. Vitola: Classic (Perfecto)
4. Introduced: 1980s, by Carlito Fuente, reviving the perfecto shape
5. Founded: 1912, by Don Arturo Fuente
6. Factory: Tabacalera A. Fuente, Santiago, Dominican Republic
7. Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
8. Wrapper: African Cameroon
9. Binder: Dominican Republic
10. Filler: Dominican Republic (aged, long-filler)
11. Construction: Handmade, tapered Perfecto foot
12. Size: 7 inches x 48 ring gauge
13. Strength: Mild to Medium
14. Flavor Profile: Cedar, black pepper, cinnamon, coffee, earth, raisin, chocolate, cream, cashew, orange peel
15. Rating: 93 points, Cigar Aficionado
16. Smoke Time: Approximately 1.5 hours
17. Box Count: 25 cigars
18. Price per Cigar: approximately $8.50