H. Upmann Reserve

I probably haven’t smoked an Upmann cigar in over 20 years.  Yet, back when I was in college, in the stone age, I used to smoke them all of the time.  One of my favorites was the H. Upmann 2000, which, at the time time, could be had for the princely sum of about $22.00 a box.  Oh, and what a cigar it was.  A medium bodied beauty, filled with complex flavors and a wonderful construction.  But, enough reminiscence, let’s get to the cigar at hand.

Upon first examination the Upmann Reserve is a very nice looking cigar with a dark oily wrapper that has a bit of texture to it.  Mine clipped easily and lit without a problem.  I was smoking outdoors in a windy area but the cigar drew well and produced lots of nice smoke.

The best way to describe the flavor of this smoke is complex.  There was a lot of cedars, leather, and some nuttiness.  As the stick progressed I got more spicy flavor.  It was peeper, but not bitter.  There was towards the end a hint of caramel although the last few puffs tasted burnt.  Overall, a very pleasant flavor profile that kept changing.

The cigar burned evenly with a nice ash indicating that it was well constructed.  That’s not a surprise as this brand has been around forever, originating in Cuba, and now being produced in the Dominican.

At $5.25 this is a sweet price point.  You get a well constructed flavorful medium bodied smoke that delivers a complex flavor profile suitable for a variety of palettes.  This is one time where the memory doesn’t let you down.