H. Upmann Robusto Limited Edition 2012

Overall Score

1 review for H. Upmann Robusto Limited Edition 2012

  1. D******

    H. Upmann Robusto Limited Edition 2012

    Origin : CubaH. Upmann
    Format : Robusto
    Size : 124 x 20 mm
    Ring : 50
    Hand-Made
    Price : $18.85 (Canada), $8.50 Cuban pesos (Cuba)

    The Ediciones Limitadas are released every year and are manufactured with carefully selected wrapper, filler and binder tobaccos which have been aged for a period of at least 2 years. The wrapper for these cigars comes from the top leaves of the Tapado – shade-grown black Cuban tobacco plant, and is a relevant characteristic that identifies these special productions. This wrapper is usually darker than the wrappers of regular range sizes of the brand and this is immediately noticeable to anyone who smokes H. Upmann cigars like I do.

    The Ediciones Limitadas are made with the finest tobacco leaves coming from Vuelta Abajo and also feature long filler from that region. Since my favorite vitola is the Robusto, I was intrigued by the H. Upmann 2012 Edicion Limitada Robusto. This is a size that does not exist in the regular production run of H. Upmann Cigars. For cost purposes, I don’t set out to try all of the Limitadas, instead I focus on the ones that interest me.

    H. Upmann Robusto Edicion Limitada 2012

    Appearance : [rating:3.75/5] (3.75)
    As can be seen in the attached images the Upmann Robusto is very veined and rustic-looking. It had a very dark almost chocolaty wrapper. The seams were raised and clearly visible and the triple cap was crookedly applied. For a Limited release, enthusiasts like myself expect a little better. Granted, I have seen nicer samples so it hopefully does not appear to be an across the board flaw but my review is based on the sample I smoked.

    H. Upmann Robusto LE 2012

    Construction : [rating:4.5/5]
    Notwithstanding the observations made in the appearance, it was comforting that none of these issues affected the smoking experience of this cigar. The draw and burn were perfect. The dark grey ash was firm, compact and never flaked. It held on firm for a good two inches. The cigar felt a little spongy to the touch but seemed well packed with just the right amount of resistance on the draw. The smoke output was excellent and the cigar felt exceptionally balanced in my hand.

    Flavor : [rating:4.25/5] (4.25)
    My sample came from a box with an April 2012 manufacture date. I’ve given them slightly over a year to stabilize and rest a little in my humidor.

    The pre-light aroma of the cigar was sublime. It offered up a very pleasing bouquet of sweet cedar, earthy tobacco and that unmistakable tobacco aroma one gets from a fine Cuban cigar. The pre-light draw was perfect and offered more sweet wood notes with some nice salt on the lips. Just a hint of pepper was noticed and I was able to pick up earthy notes, tea, dried fruit and cocoa.

    Lighting the cigar greets you with tremendous smoke output and an unmistakable Cuban salty twang on the lips. The front of the palate is hit with sweet oak notes with some caramel and leather with a kick of cracked black pepper spice at the back end. Definitely enough spice to let you know it’s there but not enough to get in the way of the flavors.

    The first third offered a rich smoke, a little drier than the usual velvety smoke of regular production Upmanns but there was still some sweet honey-like residue on the palate. Primary flavors were of oak with sweet earthy notes and hints of caramel and leather. Hints of toasted nuts and roasted coffee beans were present on the occasional puff. A perfect amount of black pepper on the back of the palate with a pleasing salty residue on the lips helped balance all the flavors.

    By the end of the first third the smoke took on a more familiar creamy, velvety texture that the Upmanns are known for. Flavor-wise, the second third offered much of the same flavors but they became bolder and more definable. There were a little more woodsy notes and bolder bursts of cocoa and coffee. Every puff revealed something new. There was still some pepper on the medium finish. As I passed the halfway mark the cigar took on more earthy notes but still had some cocoa and coffee.

    The final third offered yet another transition as the cigar got sweeter again with more hints of chocolate, espresso and leather. It continued to offer up notes of sweet oak and the smoke, while not as velvety, still had sweet residue to it. There was still some black pepper spice in the finish and some pleasing saltiness on the front of the palate. Each puff, so it seemed, hit you with a salty tingle on the lips with a variety of flavors. It was the first cigar in a while that I truly smoked down to the nub.

    Value : [rating:4.5/5]
    At $18.00 a cigar these aren’t cheap BUT this is what to expect when purchasing Cuban cigars outside of the Island these days. Tobacco taxes are really putting a bite on the value of these cigars. Mind you, this is what I paid through my duty free supplier in Canada where we have some of the highest tobacco taxes in the world. I have seen them retail for as much as $27.00 but if you are fortunate to have friends that often travel to Cuba, they can be had for roughly $8.50 (Cuban Pesos). Value has a lot to do with the enjoyment one gets out of a cigar. The H. Upmann Robusto is not intended to be a daily smoke and it certainly isn’t priced as one. This is clearly that special occasion cigar or that cigar you desire when you have an hour and fifteen minutes of undisturbed time.

    Overall Rating : [rating:4.25/5] (4.25)
    This limited edition is a winner and is definitely worth trying to pick one or two up for that special smoking day when you have time to cuddle with a book or a cocktail. It is a very flavourful cigar that offers many interesting transitions. It is complex and full bodied. Upmann smokers will recognize that typical H. Upmann flavour but multiplied by 3. It is not as sweet as the Royal Robusto instead, it is a bit more earthy and woodsy but in a nice way with the familiar creamy and velvety flavors always shining through.

    Helpful?
    0 0
    • F***

      Damn, I wish I could get these for $27 each. At my local they’re $52 each but I got 4 on Special for $35 each. God damn Australian tobacco taxes >_<

    • S****

      Great review, makes me want to hunt down a few of these. Keep it up.

    • A*** M*******

      I am sorry but I made an error in my last comment about H.Upmann Robustos EL 2012. I intend to say that Connoisseur N.1 of 2000 is a little version of Double Robustos EL 2005 a cigar similar but with a different length. HU made only one prominientes in a selected humidor series.

    • B****

      I smoke one of these when I first bought the box 6-9 months ago and it was pretty rough. I will have to try another now and see how it is coming along. Thanks!

    • A*** M*******

      As I wrote this night I smoked a H. Upmann Connoseut N.1. My box have codes SCO NOV 00 SCO is the La Habana Factory NOV 00 is the date of production november 2000 vitola Hermoso n.4 (ring gauge 48 lenght 127) very near to the size of HU Robusto EL 2012. My cigar is classic Colorado, with optimal construction and aroma of aged tobacco with note of leiither, after lightning normal smoke output with acid and spicy notes, smoking the first impression is a cigar with strong-medium intensity, spicy taste with peanuts and ginger flavour. During smoking cigar has a good costant combustion. The taste become more decise from second half with note of wood, less spicy always with a little bit acid note mixed with dark chocolate smell in the end this cigars became mote decise and variable typical character of HU cigar. In my opinion this aged Conoosseur N.1 seems a little version of Double Corona EL 2001 one of the best cigar never produced by H.Upmann brand. I hope to have a new Robusto EL 2012 to compare with this Connoseur N.1.

    • A*** M*******

      Dear Mr. Trinidad very good idea comparize this new robusto by HU with Royal robusto a large size respect the new Robusto, maybe the tobacco blend is similar, Magnum 46 an excellent cigar is smaller I know it I have smoked almost 30-40 of them. So I am interested to knoe what do you thin about my idea to comarize same cigars of ten years ago and the idea od comaprize HU Conoisseur n.1 with this Robusto the nearest by size in HU vitolas. Bye.

    • M** T*******

      b6283,

      I will be back home where my cigars are waiting for me sometime in October. I will post a comparison of the two on this thread when I have smoked them. Cheers!

    • A*** M*******

      I received the mail with the note of the review of H.Upmann Robusto Limited Ediction 2012 and I appreciate the reveiw of this cigar. As I wrote in a precedent comment I have a little project to compare the actual cuban cigars production and relative brand, shape and vitolas, with the same cigar hand made before 2003. This is a virtual cut off related at time of aging almost ten years and becouse in the last ten years many thing about habanos changed. More realistic I think that the beginning of great changes in habanos world was more or less about last yeears of last century. Nevertheless in the case of H.Upmann Robusto in regular production of this famous brand (one of my favourite) never was made a vitola de galera robusto (ring gauge 50, lenght 124 mm.), the H. Upmann cigar that more is similar to size to this new robusto is the Connoisseur N.1 a vitola de galera named Hermosos n.4 (ring gauge 48, lenght 127) also named with a common name of corona extra. The differences in size with a robusto are very little, so becouse I have in my humidor a wood box of Connoisseur N.1 made in 1999 (in that period withot anilla) I smoke one of these cigars and I write my impression. If I find a new H.Upmann Robusto L.E. 2012 I try to compare this two cigars in the purpose of my little “sperimental” project. Bye. A. Mombello.

    • D***** R*******

      I have a box of the same date and smoked three so far.I do totally agree with Dr Fever’s taste review about these H.Upmann Limitada 2012, except that mine are better constructed. Maybe the Torcedor had a ”bad hair day” when he rolled them :-)But these are gorgeous cigars anyway!!! Thanks for the review.

    • b****

      I love the LCdH HU Royal Robusto. It would be interesting to get your thoughts on a comparison of the two…

    • M** T*******

      Nice review! I have a box of the HU Robusto LE 2012, and a box of the HU Royal Robusto. When I received these boxes last year, I just put them away in my humidor and forgot about them. Thanks to your review, I will break out one of each and give them a comparison test. Lately, I have been working on a 50 cab of HU Magnum 46, 2009 box code. These have aged nicely, and are very smooth right now.

Add a review
Cigar Region Cuba
Filler Cuban
Wrapper Cuba
Binder Cuba
Length 4 7/8
Ring Gauge 50
Vitola Robusto
Construction Hand Made