Measures: 158 mm x 20 mm
Age: The cigar came from a box bought in September 2005. The attractive box dates from May 2001.
Setting: The two first weeks of October have been the warmest ever measured in Finland. The fall colours are now at their peak. Thus, conditions for outdoor cigar smoking are still very attractive, even though today was a bit cooler. This opportunity - that may be one of the last - clearly calls for a good Habanos; so, I took the Upmann piramide from the dry-box where I had had the sense to place it yesterday, brew some coffee and settled myself in the garden with the cigar and some reading.
When originally shopping for the Upmanns, I noticed with pleasure a nice bloom on the cigars in the box I ultimately chose. Unfortunately, when I brought the box to the cashier, the salesperson dusted much of it off before I could stop her. Still, when I inspect this cigar closely, I can see traces of the bloom still present on the colorado wrapper. The cigar felt a bit springy to my fingers, but had no spots softer than the general feel. The general appearance is what one might expect from a well made Habanos.
The pre-draw gave a light dose of herbs and roasted tobacco. The draw was a bit in the light side. The burn turned out to be less than ideal, and I had to assist it a couple of times during the smoking session that lasted some 90 minutes. At 2/3 point, some tar seeped through, and I had to recut the cigar.
After lighting the cigar, I was greeted by a nice mixture of dry herbs and spice over roasted tobacco flavour. This remained essentially similar through the whole smoking experience; nevertheless, during the second half, the aroma became intermittently creamier and fuller. The herbal overtone sometimes reminded me of a whiff of wasabi, or sometimes the nice bitterness of Campari or hops of good German beer. The lighted cigar emitted a nice incense-like fragnance. Overall, the cigar appeared to be medium bodied: the smoke tingled my nose and deeper parts of my palate, rather than the tongue. The cigar never became harsh or too hot to handle, and I nubbed it.
This cigar was not a powerhorse, nor did it overwhelm the smoker with rich and variable sensations in the way a good Montechristo #2 can do. Instead, it provided a stylish smoking experience that nevertheless captured my full attention as I explored its delicate herbal aromas: I ended up disregarding the book I had taken along entirely, and focused instead on the cigar and the peaceful late afternoon, basking in the last glimmers of sunset.
Literature and reports of other smokers lead me to expect considerable further development with more years in rest, perhaps including more strength. It is a satisfying thought that I still have an almost full box of these cigars, giving me the opportunity to explore their progress.
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