Hemingway and Cigars Explained
Ernest Hemingway, Cigars, and a Literary Legacy
Ernest Hemingway is one of the most iconic figures of American literature, renowned for his succinct writing style, adventurous lifestyle, and unrelenting pursuit of "manliness." With a reputation for being a war hero, big-game hunter, and champion of drinking, Hemingway’s life was a mix of triumph and tragedy. His Pulitzer and Nobel Prize-winning works, like The Old Man and the Sea and For Whom the Bell Tolls, cemented his place in literary history. However, alongside the legends of his daring exploits, lies a subtler aspect of his connection to cigars, albeit one that is more about legacy than habit.
Hemingway and Cigars: The Reality
Surprisingly, despite his association with Cuban culture, Hemingway was not an avid cigar smoker. Though he lived in Cuba from 1940 until 1960 and had access to the world’s finest cigars, his smoking habits were rare. According to his sons, Hemingway would occasionally enjoy a Lancero, a long, thin cigar, but he was not known for regularly indulging in cigars. He did, however, smoke Russian cigarettes for a time after World War I. For Hemingway, tobacco was more a situational pleasure than a daily ritual.
A peculiar detail about Hemingway's life as a hunter is his belief that the scent of tobacco could spook game, which may explain his limited cigar smoking. Despite this, cigars have become an unexpected part of his cultural legacy, thanks to the homage paid by the cigar industry.
Hemingway’s Literary Connection to Cigars
Hemingway’s work does include references to cigars, even if they were not a significant part of his personal life. In his novel The Sun Also Rises, one of the characters, Count Mippipopolous, flaunts his cigar as a symbol of wealth and masculinity, clipping it with a gold cutter and declaring, "I like a cigar to draw." This portrayal fits perfectly within Hemingway’s world, where cigars are symbols of status and enjoyment.
Though cigars were not central to Hemingway's life, they have become a part of his posthumous identity, particularly through the cigar industry’s tributes.
The Hemingway Cigar: A Tribute
One of the most famous tributes to Hemingway in the cigar world is the Arturo Fuente Hemingway series. Introduced in 1986, this line of cigars is a fitting nod to the man’s literary prowess, with each cigar named after a literary term. The series is dominated by Perfectos, a classic shape that’s tapered at both ends, exuding an old-world charm reminiscent of the early 20th century—an era closely tied to Hemingway’s legacy.
The Hemingway series ranges in size, from the diminutive Short Story (4 x 49) to the robust Work of Art (4.875 x 60). Despite their size differences, all of these cigars share the same construction and blend, offering a consistent smoking experience. These Dominican cigars are crafted with a medium body, striking a balance between flavor and power. Smokers can expect notes of earth, brown sugar, and a hint of spice, which creates a rounded and satisfying smoke.
Among these, the Short Story is particularly beloved. At just 4 inches long, this cigar offers a quick but luxurious experience, with the same rich flavors packed into a compact form. The construction of the cigar ensures an even burn and easy draw, while the complexity of flavors keeps the smoker engaged throughout. Its affordable price point, typically around $6.50, makes it a popular choice for both seasoned smokers and those new to premium cigars.
The Old Man and the C: Another Cigar Tribute
Another interesting cigar homage to Hemingway is the Tatuaje limited edition cigar, “The Old Man and the C.” This release featured two cigars, a Lancero and a Culebra, packaged together in a coffin-shaped box. The Lancero is a nod to the slender cigars Hemingway occasionally enjoyed, while the Culebra’s braided shape adds a whimsical element to the tribute. This limited edition paid homage to Hemingway's novel The Old Man and the Sea, whose central character Santiago was based on Gregorio Fuentes, a real-life Cuban fisherman and cigar lover who inspired Hemingway’s famous work.
Fuentes, unlike Hemingway, was an avid cigar smoker, favoring the Romeo y Julieta Churchill, which he enjoyed until his passing at the age of 104. This connection between cigars and Hemingway’s literary universe deepens the cultural resonance of these cigar tributes.
While Ernest Hemingway may not have been a devoted cigar aficionado, his name lives on in the cigar world. The Arturo Fuente Hemingway series and other cigars inspired by his life and works serve as a bridge between two worlds: literature and luxury. In these cigars, aficionados find not just a smoke, but a taste of the world that Hemingway inhabited—a world of rugged adventure, literary excellence, and timeless elegance.
