New Arrivals: Pyramid Selection

The one thing about cigars is just how many there are to try, if you want to get a good variety you either have to have very deep pockets and buy boxes (often of 20- 25 as surprisingly few companies do 3-5 packs), or you have to buy singles which is more expensive.

One great way to do it is with a box split, or in this case 5 box splits, each box is a different type of Pyramid and you get a couple from each of the boxes, it keeps the cost down, and allows you to sample the cigars to see if you might want a box of a specific cigar…

So I got in on a Pyramid split, cant wait to try them and see which are my favourites.

Humidor – Cuban and Box Humidor

Still got some organisation to do here, but its getting there.

New Arrivals: H Upmann Half Corona

Something for the winter months when its too cold to be out for long, a taste of Cuba in 30 minutes!!

New Arrivals: H Upmann – Sir Winston

These are not cheap stick, so I did a split and only got five, but if I like them I might splurge and get more.. I really like the Upmann blend so I have high hopes for these cigars

 

 

Humidor: New Arrivals – Magnum 48

I have got as little behind with updating my site with the new cigars that I have, so some of these are not really as “new arrivals” as they should be.

First up are 5 Magnum 48’s (2009), I really like Upmann cigars (46, 50) and as these have some age on them I am sure they will be excellent, just the wrapper alone makes you want to try one!

 

Review: H Upmann Half Corona

Its very cold outside, the UK is experiencing a cold snap at the moment, we have even had snow. If like me you don’t like to smoke in the house, enjoying a good cigar can be a chilly experience. What I really want is a cigar that combines all the flavour, taste, and aroma of a large cigar, in a form that I can enjoy in about 30-35 minutes before my bits freeze and drop off.

My current preferred short smoke is the Winston Churchill Lancaster, it last around 30-35 minutes, burns really well, and has a lovely strong flavour with nice peppery overtones, its a fine cigar. I would also like to find a small Cuban cigar with a medium to large ring gauge that I can smoke in about the same time.

Well here it is the H Upmann Half Corona

Appearance 9/10

Like all the H Upmann cigars I have smoked the cigar looks excellent, there are no large veins, and the band is very good looking. It would be hard to find a better looking small cigar.

Construction & Draw 8.5/10

For a small cigar this feels great between your fingers with a firm springy feeling, and the construction is perfect. The cap is a work of art, although its quite short so be careful when you cut the end. The cigar has the same unlit aroma as the Magnum 46 in my humidor. I am hoping it shares other characteristics with the 46.

Flavour 9.0/10

This is classic H Upmann, it has a light to medium flavour, and there are hints of chocolate, and I think I detected a nutty or hazelnut note. I had hoped that it shared characteristics with the Magnum 46, and I am very happy to say that it does, its not quote a complex as the 46, but it does taste like its little brother.The burn was a little uneven in the first third, but it corrected itself and was perfect for the rest of the cigar. For a small cigar it produced lots of smoke, that had a wonderful aroma to it.

Value 7.5/10

Okay 6.69 GBP is a little steep for a cigar this size, for a couple of pounds more you can get the Junior Corona, but to me this is a good compromise between size, flavour, and smoking time. If it was around 5.50 GBP or less this cigar would get a much higher rating for value.

Summary 8.5/10

As you may be able to tell I really liked this cigar, for me its the Magnum 46 for when I only have time for a 30 minute smoke, or its freezing outside. These are a little over priced, but they are such a great little smoke, I am going to be getting a lot more, I can see this alongside the Lancaster becoming my staple winter smokes.

Review: H Upmann Magnum 50

Being a big fan of the Magnum 46, I had great expectations of this cigar, and it did not disappoint.

Appearance 10/10

The appearance of the Magnum 46  is very good, but the Magnum 50 is a perfect looking cigar. The wrapper has the same lovely light chocolate colour to it, and like the 46 only has a few small veins. It may sound odd but this cigar is a perfect size, you cant miss it, its large but not too ostentatious, and feels great in your hand.

Construction & Draw 10.0/10

The construction of this cigar is absolutely excellent, the cap unlike many cigars appears to be a seamless part of the stick, not something of an after thought.  The wrapper is just perfect, its slightly darker than the 46, and I think has a more oily texture. The draw on this cigar is spot on, because of the large ring gauge it has an easy draw, but it never feels to light or easy, so far I would say this cigar has the most perfect draw of any cigar I have smoked

The burn on this cigar is also amazingly clean, the burn line on the cigar was absolutely straight, as if it was begin cut by a laser! This cigar also produced masses of lovely grey smoke, to be honest I was glad I was smoking it outside (well sanding at the balcony doors), inside I would probably have not been able to see from one side of my lounge to the other.

Flavour 9.5/10

The cigar has a medium flavour, it started out quite spicy but quickly settled, and then I got distinct coffee and chocolate flavours coming through. What really impressed with this stick was that at different points I could taste when the flavour moved from coffee to chocolate, something I have not been able to do before (I just don’t think I have a sophisticated enough pallet). I would have given this cigar 10 if it had not started out with a little too much spice.

Value 9.0/10

This is not a cheap cigar, I paid 16 GBP for it, but compared to other cigars of its size and sophistication this does not seem bad value for money. At 4 GBP more than a Magnum 46, I think it offers pretty good value, and for me value is not just about cost its about how much pleasure I got for my money, and for that reason 9.0 is fair.

Summary 10/10

I have given this a 10,  when reading the review you might question why it got this score and not a 9.5 or 9.0. Well whilst everything about this stick is not perfect, the overall experience is. I really enjoyed smoking this cigar, it looked great, felt great, had perfect draw, wonderful distinct flavors, and masses of fragrant smoke.

So for me although on paper it does not look like a 10, for me it was, and I would smoke this cigar every hour of every day if I could afford it !

Review: H Upmann Magnum 46

I bought this cigar before Christmas so it has been resting in the humidor (outside of the tube) for about 6 weeks. I chose this cigar as I wanted to try a larger ring gauge, and the 46 got good reviews. As this is a medium to full strength cigar I decided to pair it with a glass of Highland Park 18 Year.

Appearance 9.5/10

This is a very good looking cigar, the wrapper has a lovely light chocolate colour to it. It does have a few veins, but nothing that detracts from the overall appearance, the cap construction is excellent. The band is a bit flash, but all in all this is a very visually pleasing cigar.

Construction & Draw 9.0/10

As mentioned earlier the construction of this cigar is absolutely excellent, the cap unlike many cigars appears to be a seamless part of the stick, not something of an after thought.  The draw on this cigar is pretty much perfect, having some resistance but still easy to draw on, I did not find it at all plugged, or difficult to smoke (although reading on the internet others have had this problem). The burn on this cigar is also worthy of note, it was absolutely even from the start to the end of the cigar.

Flavour 9.0/10

The first third of this cigar I would categorise as light to medium flavour  it has a woody taste, but it is also very smooth and creamy. As you get further into the cigar, the spice picks up a little, and you begin to get a more complex balance of flavours (I can taste chocolate / vanilla), and the overall strength picks up to medium. At the end of the cigar all the flavours are present and its medium – full, it is such a pleasant experience that you will not want the experience to end.

Value 9.0/10

This cigar is only slightly more expensive than most robusto’s, and it takes a lot longer to smoke, so I think it offers excellent value for money. The construction, burn, and sophistication of flavours also adds to the value proposition of this cigar.

Summary 9.0/10

This is just a quality cigar, it ticks all the correct boxes, and is simply a joy to smoke. I think it is also a good “larger” cigar for someone relatively new to cigar smoking like myself, as it represents all the best bits of cigars (flavour, complexity, quality) but does not pack a punch that will knock them over.

The pairing with the Highland park 18 was excellent, especially as I got further into the cigar and the strength picked up, the sweet and smoky taste of the 18 balanced well with the Magnum, neither overpowering the other. The 18 is such a nice drop I would expect it would go well with any medium-full strength cigar, but this match was very enjoyable.