This cigar was enjoyed with Pocono Lager
Pre-Light: 16 Points of 10 Possible
This Hemingway is a great looking cigar! The dark color and semi-unique shape and form beg for it to be lit. The feel of the cigar is extremely firm, maybe a little too firm. The strong wrapper is dry and vein-free, and the color is an attractive maduro hue with no flaws whatsoever. The cap is sturdy and strong, which means it should hold up to my constant turning in my mouth, occasional biting and chewing and frequent inspection. The pre-light aroma did not really offer much. It was really difficult to get a sense of what kinds of aroma, once lit, the cigar would present. What I could gather was slight hints of coffee beans and cedar. Cutting this stick was exceptionally easy. My blade slid right through the cap with one quick motion. The pre-light draw was a little tight, but did allow for some rich falvors to really get the anticipation flowing.
Lighting and Burn: 12 Points of 15 Possible
There was absoutely no problem at all getting the Hemingway lit and going. The small, nippled end probably had quite a bit to do with that. The burn throughout the cigar was fairly steady. I really only got an hour from this cigar, unlike some of the others who got 90 minutes, or even two hours of smoking time. The burn time was pretty average compared with most other cigars. I wasn't disappointed at all that it only lasted about an hour. There weren't any major burn issues, just the very minor fact that evenness was off through most of the smoke. The ash was very solid, with the first quarter turning a dark golden color. The rest of the way, the ash turned the usual and traditional mixed light and dark gray colors. The Hemingway allowed for a very generous volume of smoke to be enjoyed with each and every draw.
Construction: 28 Points of 30 Possible
The construction of this cigar was nearly flawless. The tobacco was wrapped extremely tight, and the wrapper itself was smooth and veinless. As mentioned earlier, the cap was sturdy and strong, and the wrapper was a beautiful, dark maduro color. The only real problem with the construction was a little glue or part of the band was left on the wrapper after taking the band off. Its very unusal for me to find any residue left behind by the band after removing it.
Flavor and Aroma: 31 Points of 45 Possible
The aromas of the Hemingway were enticing and begging me to take another draw. I found myself keeping the burning stick pretty close to my face throughout the entire experience, due the fascinating aromas. These notes consisted of cedar, black pepper, toasted bread, a slight hint of vanilla and really rich traces of tobacco and tree bark. The flavors were fairly complex, but didn't really change much from start to finish. I find that some cigars do that, but this one really didn't. The body of flavors stayed pretty consistent throughout the smoke. The texture and body were smooth and dry, with notes of cedar, toasted grains, oats, and bread. Those were balanced very nicely by spikes of pepper and an ever-so-slight trace of cumin. The finish featured even more spiciness with a bready flavor. The only trait that really changed was the introduction of some creaminess and a little sweetness in the second half of the smoke that added a little more balance. The body of the cigar turned velvetty, and even featured a delicate dash of butter, along with some tastes of almonds, dark chocolate, a little caramel and a more burnt bready finish.
Summary
The Hemingway Classic maduro is a tasty and delicious cigar. But it seemed to have lacked that extra punch of aroma and flavor, therefore putting it among the cigars that are ever-so-slightly above average.
|
|
(9 Review(s))