Arturo Fuente
Arturo Fuente Hemingway Short Story
Mild to Medium Body · 49 x 4" (Figurado/Perfecto)
The world's most beloved short smoke has been converting non-smokers and delighting veterans for over thirty years. The Cameroon wrapper is the secret weapon, and the perfecto shape is the delivery system.
Rating Breakdown
Flavor Profile
Tasting Journey
Aroma
Sugar cookie, raisin, sweet earth, floral Cameroon warmth, cedar, mild spice
Flavor
Sugar cookie sweetness, earth, raisin, black coffee, chocolate, pepper, cream, cedar, maple
Finish
Length: Short-Medium (35-45 minutes)Intensifying baking spices, dried fruit, toasted nuts, black pepper, concentrated flavor at the nub
Specs
Price / Value
MSRP: $8
Your Rating
Click to rate
Our Score: 91/100
Pairings
Food
- Croissants
- fruit and cheese plate
- crème brûlée
- vanilla ice cream
Beverage Pairings
- Coffee with cream
- champagne
- light amber ale
- Irish cream liqueur
Our Verdict
The Hemingway Short Story proves that great things come in small packages. Thirty years of production haven't dulled its appeal—the Cameroon wrapper's unique sweetness and the perfecto shape's flavor concentration make this the undisputed champion of the short smoke category. At $8, it's practically a public service.
Ernest Hemingway wrote with economy—every word earned its place. The Arturo Fuente Hemingway Short Story follows the same philosophy. In roughly forty minutes, this perfecto-shaped marvel delivers a complete, satisfying, multilayered cigar experience that many full-sized sticks fail to achieve in twice the time. It is, quite possibly, the most perfect lunch-break cigar ever created.
The African Cameroon wrapper is the star of the show. It's a delicate, toothy leaf that imparts a sweetness completely unlike anything in the Nicaraguan or Ecuadorian playbook—think sugar cookies, raisins, and a floral warmth that is instantly recognizable and utterly addictive. The perfecto shape, with its tapered head and closed foot, was revolutionary when the Hemingway line debuted, as most manufacturers had long abandoned the difficult format.
The first third lights easily despite the closed foot and immediately delivers that signature Cameroon sweetness: sugar cookie, earth, raisin, and a touch of mild spice. It's gentle and inviting, the kind of opening that puts even nervous new smokers at ease. There's nothing aggressive here—just warmth and welcome.
The second third introduces depth: black coffee, chocolate, pepper, and cream emerge for balance, alongside cedar and maple notes that add a woody sophistication. The beauty of the Short Story is how much evolution it packs into such a compact format—each minute brings something new, rewarding attention without demanding it.
The final third sees baking spices intensify with dried fruit, toasted nuts, and black pepper building toward the nub. The tapered end concentrates the smoke beautifully, delivering the most flavorful puffs right when many cigars start to get hot and bitter. Hemingway would have approved of the ending.
At roughly $8 per stick, the Short Story is one of the few cigars that absolutely everyone recommends regardless of experience level, preferred strength, or budget. It belongs in every humidor. No exceptions.
