Origin : Honduras
Format : Toro
Size : 6 x 52
Wrapper : Ecuadorian Sumatra
Filler : Nicaraguan & Dominican
Binder : Nicaraguan
Hand-Made
Price : ~$7 each
I’ve never smoked an Upmann from outside of Cuba before so I decided to finally give these sticks a try. On the recommendation of a friend I decided to purchase a couple Legacy Toros on a recent visit to the US. The following was my experience.
Origin : Honduras
Format : Toro
Size : 6 x 52
Wrapper : Ecuadorian Sumatra
Filler : Nicaraguan & Dominican
Binder : Nicaraguan
Hand-Made
Price : ~$7 each
The H. Upmann Legacy 2008 is the newest release (along with the Upmann Havoc) from Altadis. This premium cigar comes in 3 vitolas: A Corona (5 ½” x 44) at $5.85, a Robusto (5” x 54) at $6.50 and a Toro (6” x 52) at $6.85. We are reviewing the Toro.
First off, this is one beautiful cigar. From it silky, coffee colored wrapper to its complimentary double banding, this stick screams for you to give it a try. And heed its call we did. We knew that we were heading towards a good experience, being that this cigar is a continuation of the heritage of the growing family of H. Upmann.
Origin : Honduras
Format : Magnum
Size : 6 x 54
Wrapper : Ecuadorian Sun Grown
Filler : Nicaragua, Honduras
Binder : Connecticut Broadleaf
Hand-Made
Price : ~$5 each
My very good friend and drinking buddy, Rob Garrison (Territory Manager – Altadis U.S.A.), recently gave me a new release from one of their premium brands, the H. Upmann – Sun Grown. The Sun Grown was debuted at the 2010 IPCR and is currently making its way onto Tobacconist’s shelves. It is made in Honduras at the La Flor de Copan cigar factory and is being released in six vitolas: Churchill – 54 x 7, Magnum – 54 x 6, Short Churchill – 54 x 4-1/2, No. 2 – 52 x 6-1/8, Corona – 44 x 5-1/2, and Lancero – 40 x 7-1/2. It is made with an Equadorian sun grown capa, a Connecticut broadleaf capote, and a Nicaraguan and Honduran blend tripa; ranging in price roughly between $6 – $8. For this review I smoked the Magnum and No. 2.
Origin : Dominican Republic
Format : Toro
Size : 6.0″ x 54
Wrapper : Cameroon
Filler : Dominican, Nicaraguan and Peruvian
Binder : Nicaraguan
Hand-Made
Price : $6 each
H. Upmann is a cigar brand with a rich Cuban heritage. Like most American cigar smokers, I have very little experience with that storied version of the brand. Instead the H. Upmann I know best is made in the Dominican Republic. Back when I was just a fledgling cigar smoker, Upmann’s were listed among my favorites. I thought of them as a very reasonably priced, excellent quality, medium to mild smoke. As I gained more experience and my palate developed, I quickly lost my taste for them. That is except for one particular line. Even after I moved on from H. Upmann to other more dynamic and robust smokes, I still continued to enjoy the H. Upmann Vintage Cameroon. At that point in my cigar smoking career I had developed a fondness for the Cameroon wrapper and the Upmann was one I continued to enjoy along with the Torano 1916 and others. Eventually I moved on from my Cameroon kick and thus stopped smoking even this line of Upmann’s. A recent conversation about Cameroon cigars brought back memories of this particular cigar and I decided I wanted to revisit it again as it has been a while since I have enjoyed one of the Vintage Cameroons.
Origin : Nicaragua
Format : Robusto
Size : 5 x 52
Wrapper : Cameroon
Binder : Nicaragua
Filler : Dominican/Nicaraguan/Peruvian
Strength : Medium
Hand-Made
Price : ~$5 each
Scent of Wrapper : Cedar.
Scent at Foot : What else but Cedar.
Appearance : Nice color, nicely rolled and packed tobacco.
Wrapper : Medium to Dark Cameroon wrapper looked tasty.
Feel : Compact.
Tongue : Cedar with a bit of hay.
Flavor on Draw : Earthy.
Taste : Really nice flow of Cedar and spice.
Flavor Changes : Not noticeable until 2/3 into the smoke—the flavors of the Cameroon started in and were very enjoyable—a smooth and rich flavor.
Strength : A steady Medium smoke throughout the entire cigar.
Feeling : I have always enjoyed this line and was accustomed to the Belicoso — the Robusto size was OK but I remembered the Belicoso to have a little more flavor in it.
Scent of Smoke : Cedar.
Heat on Fingers and in Mouth : No.
Draw : Draw had a bit of a tug to it–Not Bad—should have let it rest for a few weeks maybe.
Finish : Cedar and a bit of salty taste at the nub.
Other Aspects of the Cigar Smoking Experience : I was not impressed with this smoke like I was with the Belicoso –maybe the size difference and the resting time may have been reasons for this review not to be as good as I was anticipating.
Make any notes beyond what you noted already : I may have out grown these smokes as my tastes have become more accustomed to the newer lines out today. I still enjoyed it and would recommend to anyone that has not tried to give it a whirl…
I would rate this cigar as a “Good Cigar.” 7/10
Origin : Dominican Republic
Format : Lonsdale
Size : 6.5/8 x 44
Wrapper : Indonesian TBN (Shade Grown)
Filler : Dominican and Brazilian
Binder : Dominican
Hand-Made
Price : $7 each
These H.Upmann cigars, which have no relation to the famous Cuban brand, are made by Altadis in the Dominican Republic. They are wrapped in a little used shade-grown Indonesian tobacco known as Indonesian TBN. TBN stands for “Tembakau Bawah Naungan” which according to an article on Indonesian tobacco means “tobacco under sheet”; or in other words, it is shade-grown. I don’t know off the top of my head of any other cigars that use this tobacco other than another Altadis brand. It does not seem to be a very popular wrapper choice these days.
Origin : Dominican Republic
Format : Petit Corona
Size : 129 x 16.67 mm
Ring : 42
Wrapper Color : Medium Brown
Wrapper Type : Indonesia
Filler : Dominican Republic, Brazil
Binder : Dominican Republic
Type of Light : Match
Type of Cut : Guilliotine
Hand-Made
Price : ~$5 each
I purchased this Cigar at a small tobacco shop located in Cincinnati, OH. I bought it November 16th, 2007 and I smoked it the same day because of the appearance of Bloom. The Weather Conditions were low forties, and humidity was around fifty percent. There was also zero wind. This Cigar was smoked by me at Xavier University, Located in Norwood, Ohio.
Read the full review of H. Upmann Coronas Major Tubo (Dominican)…
