I was gifted an Arturo Fuente Reserva Corona Hemingway Signature a few weeks ago from a very dear and close friend. It was my choice for my own personal Independence Day smoke. As this year’s 4th of July is in the middle of the week, I opted to make it a low-key day. I decided to stay in my lovely air-conditioned abode, dodge the inevitable mid-afternoon-to-evening storm (I had planned on grilling some food, but storm axed that idea) and enjoy the view from my windows and patio. I wandered out to attempt to grill some food(and got soaked for it), and do some physical exercise, but generally I waited for nightfall to enjoy my cigar, a glass of wine, and a fantastic view of fireworks around the Tampa Bay area.
Since this stick was a gift, I won’t be able to fairly say where it was purchased. Instead, I will offer you a bit of insight and nostalgia on friendship. There are some that think that there’s a soulmate for everyone, I believe that everyone has more than one soul mate. There are likely people in your lives that mean nearly everything to you, and it doesn’t always have to be a romantic relationship. Love should come to all of us in many guises, and a full life should include more than one type of affection in one’s life. I have been blessed to have friends for whom my soul would be less. My dearest, closest friends may not always been in my same zip code, but they reside in my heart, always. So, for Independence Day, I wish you the ability to recognize the love of those who have supported you, and that you are in a position to be supportive to those you care most about.
Enough blabber, let’s get to the cigar!
Arturo Fuente has a stellar reputation, and this cigar is certainly evidence as to why. Dominican filler around an aromatic Cameroon wrapper lends this cigar a unique puffability. The smoke from this cigar is almost like airy cotton candy– it doesn’t smell sweet, but it’s got a swirl to it which makes smoking this stick even more enjoyable and relaxing. It rises slowly, and lingers in the air around you, providing a lovely aroma of this medium body cigar.
The draw on this isn’t just smooth, it’s downright easy. I don’t usually subscribe to the ‘long foot’ methodology of ashing my cigar, but this particular cigar lends itself well to allowing the smoker to draw smoothly and easily without needing to ash right away. There’s notes of a light coffee, and a hint of a vanilla in the exhale. The cigar actually is very consistent– there’s no new nuance of flavor from the beginning to the end of the smoke.
Overall, I would recommend this medium to light-ish side of cigars to just about anyone looking to have a pleasant and relaxing smoke before a good evening or at the end of a long day.