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THE PRACTICE OF ONE-UPMANNSHIP! |
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 Tasting and grading the many blends of Altadis U.S.A.’s legendary H. Upmann
Los Angeles, September 21 – To say that H. Upmann is a famous name in cigars is to say that George Washington was a well-known American. Both are iconic.
The H. Upmann story is familiar enough: German banker Hermann Upmann goes into cigars in Havana in 1844 and soon creates a brand which wins medal after medal in competitions at World’s Fairs. By the end of the 19th Century, it’s one of the best-known brands coming from Cuba and retained its stature all the way into the 1960s when the Cuban cigar industry was nationalized.
Still produced under the Castro administration, the brand disappeared from the U.S. market soon after the onset of the U.S. trade embargo in 1962. Of course, U.S. President John F. Kennedy – reportedly a big fan of the H. Upmann brand – secured more than 1,000 Petit Upmanns for his own use via Press Secretary Pierre Salinger prior to signing the embargo into law.
Through a series of court cases, Consolidated Cigar (having bought the rights to the brand from the former Cuban owners) was eventually granted the right to produce an H. Upmann cigar for the U.S. market in 1975. Made in the Dominican Republic, it’s become a popular brand with smokers who appreciate not just the history, but it’s medium-bodied, balanced taste.
Unlike today’s H. Upmann produced in Havana, there isn’t just one blend in the H. Upmann line. Including blends made for outside distributors, there are seven and we decided to try five of the most popular:
H. Upmann:
[Dominican Republic: available in 15 sizes]
Here is the original H. Upmann with the familiar red band that debuted in 1975. Originally wrapped with Cameroon leaf, the wrapper was switched to Indonesian after the collapse of the Cameroon tobacco industry in the early 1990s.
Today’s H. Upmann offers excellent construction and an even draw, with a spicy aroma and medium body. The taste centers on a caramelized core, which is warm and sweet in the first half with a medium finish.
That sweetness is maintained, but a light note of spice adds to the depth of flavor in the second half. This is an easy cigar to enjoy and at suggested retail prices of $1.25 for the small Demi-Tasse to $6.25 for the Churchill-sized Monarch in a tube, one you will enjoy often.
Overall grade: A-: Excellent.
H. Upmann Connoisseur:
[Dominican Republic: available in 7 sizes]
The Connoisseur Series debuted in 2000 and is instantly recognizable by its brown band with white lettering. It’s distributed primarily by Cigars by Santa Clara, but is also included by Altadis U.S.A. in its popular Seleccion Toro International and Seleccion Robusto International samplers.
There’s a spicy aroma and full-bodied heft to this cigar and a core flavor that’s creamy and slightly sweet and very present in the mouth. There’s a lightly spiced taste to the finish that is maintained all the way through the cigar and provides continuity.
The blend is remarkable for its delicate, spiced taste balanced with a creamy element while maintaining a heavy feel in the mouth. For those enjoy that kind of presence, this is a worthwhile cigar indeed!
Overall grade: A-: Excellent.
H. Upmann Reserve:
[Dominican Republic: available in 5 sizes]
The Reserve line of the H. Upmann brand was introduced in 2003 and offers a medium-to-full body, using a Sumatra-seed wrapper grown in Ecuador.
The flavor showcases a sweet, almost caramelized element with a note of spice on the finish that’s quite engaging. But there’s also some hidden power in this cigar which can leave the smoker with a strong impression of this cigar after you’ve put it down.
The intensity of flavor recedes somewhat in the second half, but the spicy finish remains consistent to the end. The Reserve is quite an interesting cigar, but not one to be underestimated, especially at attractive retail prices of $4.75 to $5.50 each.
Overall grade: A-: Excellent.
H. Upmann Special Selection:
[Dominican Republic: available in 6 sizes]
Introduced to the line in late 1998, the Special Selection is no longer part of the standard production line-up, but is still widely available and is also part of the Seleccion International samplers. You can recognize it by its distinctive band and cedar wrapping.
There’s a bright caramelized taste to this cigar with just the slightest hint of spice on the finish. It’s rich and consistent, with an even burn and an effortless draw. It smokes slowly and there’s a temptation to over-smoke to extract even more flavor. Hold back and let the cigar work its magic on its own timetable; it’s worth the wait.
Overall grade: A: Exceptional.
H. Upmann Vintage Cameroon:
[Dominican Republic: available in 8 sizes]
This is Altadis U.S.A.’s version of “Back to the Future.” The Vintage Cameroon series, introduced in 2003, returns to the original wrapper used for the brand from Cameroon. It was worth the wait!
There’s a toasty, spicy aroma from the start and it’s a full-bodied blend that sails along happily. The caramelized taste is rich and deep with a fairly long finish and is easy to enjoy thanks to the excellent construction and easy draw.
Unlike the Special Selection, the Vintage Cameroon smokes right along and doesn’t tire you. The depth of flavor recedes a little in the second half, but the character of the blend is maintained right through to the end. This is a delicious cigar and is stunningly priced at just $4.00 to $6.00 each. At a suggested price of $5.00, either the Lonsdale (6 5/8 inches by 44 ring) or the Robusto (5 x 52) are bargains not to be missed.
Overall grade: A: Exceptional.
Each of the five Upmann blends we tried were very fine cigars indeed and showcase distinct approaches in terms of heft, intensity and taste. This is a solid line-up that delivers quality, dependability and value . . . just as Hermann Upmann wanted it 163 years ago.
~ Rich Perelman
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