It has been some time since I have reviewed a Habano on this blog, I made the decision in 2011 to smoke all of my Cubans for enjoyments purposes only, recent demands for some reviews from this region have inspired me to get back to it.
This particular cigar was offered by a good friend of mine in celebration of my coming nuptials, after I had asked him to be a groomsmen at the event. I have never smoked this cigar before, but I have always been fascinated by the uniqueness of the Upmann flavor profile. The cigar is absolutely stunning visually, it has a deep brown wrapper that is unmarred by veins or flaws. An inspection shows me some firmness that has me concerned in a few areas, but this is a hallmark of Cuban cigars in my experience and they always smoke fine. The pre light aroma is leathery and rich. The pre light draw is tight, but there are wonderful impressions of wood and leather.
The cigar opens with an excellent core profile that contains nice arrays of leather and wood. Upmann's are usually floral to me, but this one does not have that impression at all. Instead it is a well balanced, if lacking in complexity, blend of flavors. At the back of the palate there are some very nice tobacco flavors and an earthiness that can only come from a habano. The draw is way too tight at this point and I can only hope that it will open up some as the cigar progresses. The burn is slow, I'm pretty sure this has to do with the draw difficulties, but it is not running or showing a canoe.
The first half of the cigar really settles into a presentation of a core profile that is full of pleasant leather flavors mixed with some darker wood impressions that continue a nuanced balance of flavor. I would like some more complexity at this point, but the cigar is really well done for something that is really two dimensional at this point. At the back of the palate there are still some nice impressions of tobacco and earth that are still providing a nice backdrop for the core profile to rest upon. The draw has opened, but it is still a little too tight for me at this point.
The final half of the cigar is really amongst the finest I have smoked in years. The profile shifts into a deeply complex and rich experience that shows flavors of graham cracker, light cinnamon, leather and some brushes of roasted nuts. This level of complexity and depth is not often seen in cigars from anywhere other than Havana. The back of the palate is full of earth and tobacco flavors that are still the glue that bind the cigar together. The draw is ok, but still not what I would like at this point. The burn stayed solid, but slow throughout the smoke. I did lose the last inch or so because the draw completely shut down.
The finish was a bit short, but there were some lingering notes of wood and leather that were pleasant.
Appearance- 93 a wonderful visual specimen
Taste- 92 really very good, but limited depth and complexity in the first half limit the score
Construction- 83 big deductions for draw issues
Strength- 91 a nice medium
Overall- 89 severely reduced due to construction
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