Hemingway current release

[Juanote]

I've noticed that the current Hemingway regular release especially Short Story and Best Seller appear to have significantly darker wrapper than normal, something along the lines of sun grown perhaps or a Colorado color. They also smoke with a more forward and sweeter flavor than I am accustomed to in the regular line. Has anyone had the same experience, and what could be the explanation? This is definitely not your typical Colorado claro Cameroon release, i wonder if there were variations in the source leaf or some deliberate choices to punch the line up. At the very least i consider it a happy accident.

 

[maverickmage]

I have not tried them, but I too have noticed them to be significantly darker.  Had me wondering if I was looking at a maduro wrapper.

 

[Cparker]

I smoked a Short Story tonight at my local B&M, and upon reading your post, I did notice the wrapper being slightly darker. It was also a slightly different flavor that I recall, though I have not smoked a Short Story in a while. To my taste, it did seem to have a richer flavor or a bit more depth. It was also a new box that the store had just received. Tasty!
 
Cparker

 

[Juanote]

I too have enjoyed them very much, and they are definitely dark enough to make you think for a moment that they might be maduro. The classic and other longer sticksin the line also look darker than normal but not quite as dark as the shorter smokes.

 

[MadMonk]

Damn, now I want some. Been smoking fresh Don Carlos, and have not really noticed this with those wrappers. Need to get some Hemingways now. Basically, my favorite standard Fuentes after the Don Carlos.

 

[Devil Doc]

Getting Cameroon wrappers is becoming next to impossible. Times are tough in that part of the world. I suspect Fuente is using a substitute and are not being upfront about it.

Doc

 

[MadMonk]

You know, Doc, I totally forgot all about that. Somebody I know that is in the industry told me about the Cameroon being harder to come by but I'll be damned if I remember the rest of the conversation. I think he was mentioning a maker who had a nice stock of good leaf. I'll have to contact him to have him juggle my memory.

 

[Juanote]

I wonder also if the climate over there might have turned sunnier than normal one year and affected the crop that way. Just a guess, it's hard to imagine Fuente being dishonest about the wrapper especially when there is usually a lot of excitement about alternativewrappings of that line

 

[mjolnir01]

I wouldn't be surprised about Fuente switching the wrapper.  A B&M retailer told me recently that the Fuentes and Ashton quietly switched the Heritage Puro Sol wrapper from Cameroon to Ecuadorian within the last year.

 

[Devil Doc]

Come on you guys, you need to read the news once in a while. Cameroon is war torn. You take your life in your hands planting tobacco. Very few if any are doing it and what tobacco is for sale, is being traded at ridiculous prices.
"It's hard to imagine Fuente being dishonest..." You're kidding me, right? This is the cigar business and you're a bit naïve.


Doc

 

[Juanote]

I've been called worse.

I for one would have a problem if their boxes said Cameroon wrapper and Ecuadorian cloud grown leaf, say, was being used as a substitute, even if it improved the smoke. But I think if they did that they would be missing a major opportunity for a marketing coup, especially since the Hemingway line seems to be less sought after than formerly. You could very will be right however, but I would be somewhat disappointed if you were. Perhaps i am naïve.

 

[MadMonk]

Just checked out Fuente Site. Cameroon is mentioned for Don Carlos line, but not for the Hemingway line. Of course I have no clue if that means anything, but it is an interesting omission.

 

[Juanote]

Agreed

 

[Devil Doc]

I've been called worse.

I for one would have a problem if their boxes said Cameroon wrapper and Ecuadorian cloud grown leaf, say, was being used as a substitute, even if it improved the smoke. But I think if they did that they would be missing a major opportunity for a marketing coup, especially since the Hemingway line seems to be less sought after than formerly. You could very will be right however, but I would be somewhat disappointed if you were. Perhaps i am naïve.

The mold is plume nonsense, that B$M owners give their customers, is just the tip of the iceberg. Any time you have an expensive, perishable product for sale, there's going to be shenanigans. Fuente is not immune from such behavior. It's pervasive in the cigar industry and always has been.

Doc

 

[MadMonk]

Man, Doc, don't get me started! hahaha. Yea, I swear they convince the "not have a clue" guys who open cigars shops into keeping every bad shipment received. I've seen it happen in front of my face, called the rep on it, and the shopkeeper, possibly fearing losing a supplier, chose to believe the rep. So much for being helpful.
He was an arrogant sod too. Worked for good ole Rocky.

 

[Juanote]

I smoked a Signature on Sunday and it was more of the same: sweet and flavorful but silky smooth like always. I bought a Classic as well, I'll smoke it later this week mos likely.

 

[mjolnir01]

A thread-bump to share something I read today... a little insight into the Cameroon/Nigeria/Boko Haram connection:
 
https://medium.com/war-is-boring/boko-harams-cameroon-connection-c7d3edf1c939
 
Bottom line is that Boko Haram is making life difficult in the northern portion of Cameroon.  I'm not sure where the Meerapfel's--the family that has historically cultivated Cameroon tobacco--farms are located within the country, but given the overall destabilizing influence, supply problems aren't hard to imagine. 
 
Didn't several manufacturers stop using Cameroon leaf during the late '90s-early '00s due to supply issues?
 
Also, what that tobacconist told me was correct; confirmed by Ashton's website--Heritage Puro Sol is now made with an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper.