•August 20, 2012
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Redux: Arturo Fuente Hemingway Short Story Maduro (2011)

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The Arturo Fuente Hemingway Short Story Maduro has been one of the hardest cigars to find over the last fifteen years. That changed a bit last year, when it was introduced in very limited quantities at the IPCPR show in Las Vegas in 2011. As they have done with other cigars in the past, Fuente allowed accounts to purchase a single box of Short Story Maduro for every 20 boxes of regular Arturo Fuente products.  Only 1,200 boxes of 25 cigars were released to accounts, and they sold out fairly quickly.

It was largely the same situation this year at the IPCPR show, retailers were offered an opportunity to purchase a single box each of Short Story Maduro, Best Seller Maduro and 858 Sun Grown for every 20 boxes of regular production cigars they purchased. This year however, only 1,000 boxes of each special were offered.

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Here is what I said about the Short Story Maduro in my original review almost exactly a year ago in August of 2011:

I am not sure what I was expecting to taste considering the history behind this vitola and the relative rarity of it before now. While this is a very good cigar—in the end it tastes almost exactly like what it is—a smaller Hemingway Maduro vitola. Having said that, there is quite a bit more spice on the tongue than in other Hemingway sizes and the flavors seemed a bit more rich and potent, probably due to the freshness of the cigar as well as the smaller vitola. Would I rather smoke one of these then a recent Work of Art Maduro? Most definitely, but I would not pay more then MSRP on them in order to do it.

 

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But enough about that, let’s get down to business, shall we?

  • Cigar Reviewed: Arturo Fuente Hemingway Short Story Maduro
  • Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
  • Factory: Tabacalera A. Fuente y Cia
  • Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
  • Binder: Dominican Republic
  • Filler: Dominican Republic
  • Size: 4 Inches
  • Ring Gauge: 46/49
  • Vitola: Figurado
  • MSRP: $6.50 (Boxes of 25, $162.50)
  • Release Date: July 2011
  • Number of Cigars Released: 1,200 Boxes of 25 Cigars (30,000 Total Cigars)
  • Number of Cigars Smoked for Redux Review: 1
The Hemingway Short Story Maduro is a cute little vitola with a bulbous foot and a round cap. The wrapper is thicker than I remember, and has an extremely dark brown color and is quite toothy to the touch. It is just short of rock hard when squeezed and there is no oil present at all. The 2011 updated band contrasts great with the darker wrapper as well. Off the wrapper there is hay, manure, coffee and pepper.

 

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It starts out creamy and slightly sweet with flavors of strong, bitter espresso, coca powder, leather and some slight black pepper on the retrohale. There is no spice at all and the profile stays consistent for pretty much the entire cigar with the exception of an added note of earthiness that starts around the halfway point of the smoke and continues to get stronger until the end of the cigar.
Arturo Fuente Hemingway Short Story Maduro 2011
 
While the burn of the Arturo Fuente Hemingway Short Story Maduro is fine for the entire smoke, the draw is a bit tight until after the bulb, which is not unusual for a Figurado. Smoke production is above average and the strength stays at a slightly stronger than medium until the nub. Final smoking time is exactly 45 minutes before I put it down.

 

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The Bottom Line: The Hemingway blend has never been the most complex of profiles, and the Short Story Maduro is no different in that regard. However, the flavors that are present are rich and distinct with a nice creamy espresso and earthiness dominating. Construction is fine for the entire cigar. This is one of those cigars I always try and keep a box of around, for when I want that specific profile. Other than the fact that these have quite a bit less spice then when they were fresh a year ago, these are virtually identical flavors wise. A very good cigar then, and a very good cigar now, if you can find them.

 

 

Original Score: 88
Redux Score: 88

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About the author

I have been smoking cigars for over eight years. A documentary wedding photographer by trade, I spent seven years as a photojournalist for the Dallas Morning News and the Fort Worth Star Telegram. I started the cigar blog SmokingStogie in 2008 after realizing that there was a need for a cigar blog with better photographs and more in-depth information about each release. SmokingStogie quickly became one of the more influential cigar blogs on the internet, known for reviewing preproduction, prerelease, rare, extremely hard-to-find and expensive cigars. I am a co-founder of halfwheel and now serve as an editor for halfwheel.

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