H. Upmann Goes Samatran

H. Upmann, owned by Altadis USA, is a brand with a long history, one that pre-dates our Civil War. The brand’s “history” relates that in 1844, 2 Upmann brothers used their newly founded cigar operation to promote their banking business in Cuba. Cigar smoking was quite fashionable back then. This lasted until 1922 when both businesses failed and the cigar business eventually landed in the hands of the predecessor firm of Montecristo. Nationalization of the Cuban cigar industry later forced Upmann to relocate to its present home – the Dominican Republic.
H. Upmann’s Legacy is the seventh H. Upmann brand offering but it is the only one with an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper. This is because Upmann is looking for a distinctive flavor. A further innovation is to use tobaccos specifically selected from the 2008 harvest.
Upmann launched their Legacy of cigars in 3 sizes: 5.5 X 44 corona, 5 X 54 robusto and the 6 X 52 toro. Each cigar is hand made in the Honduras with the previously mentioned wrapper, Nicaraguan binder and filler of blended Nicaraguan and Dominican tobaccos.

I selected the 6 X 52 toro to review. The overall construction was very firm and the stick’s foot was protected by its own band. The pre-smoke aroma was mild and earthy while the Colorado color wrapper had a slightly oily feel. The first third had a medium bodied taste of nutmeg with cedar overtones. This continued for the next third with the cedar being replaced by spice, which continued through the final third. The quality and strength of the flavors was both consistent and pleasant. The smoke volume was abundant. There was no tar accumulation at the cap and the slight aftertaste was a muted nutty flavor. I consider this stick to be medium bodied only and with an SRP of $6.85, a good value also. This is something I would smoke before or after lunch and give it an overall rating of 4 out of 5. This stick meets H. Upmann’s reputation for quality.