There are cigars that are good. There are cigars that are great. And then there are cigars that have transcended the category to become reference points — the ones every cigar smoker eventually returns to as a measuring stick. The Arturo Fuente Hemingway Short Story is one of those cigars.
Released in 1983 as a tribute to Ernest Hemingway, the Short Story is the smallest vitola in the Hemingway line — a tightly-wrapped Cameroon perfecto that delivers, in 45 minutes, a complexity that many full-size cigars never reach. Carlos Fuente Sr. designed the line to evoke the cigars Hemingway smoked in Cuba in the 1950s, and four decades later, the cigar has earned its own legend.
I keep these in regular rotation, particularly for shorter smoking windows when I don’t have time for an hour-long Toro but still want something with character.
- A genuine classic that has stood the test of time
- Distinctive perfecto shape provides a unique smoking experience
- Cameroon wrapper offers nuanced sweetness without heaviness
- Smokes beautifully right out of the box
- Travels well as a short, satisfying premium option
- Persistent supply shortages can drive prices well above MSRP
- The closed foot can be a challenge for inexperienced lighters