Christmas 2010 Cigar Review... Upmann Mag 46 NOV 09

[docbp87]

H. Upmann Magnum 46

5.6x46

NOV 09

It is the first day of the new year, and I've decided to spend the afternoon (now that the hangover is officially gone) smoking one of my favorite cigars, and one that has gotten a lot of positive response from the last few years worth of boxes... The Upmann Mag 46. I am, first and foremost, a big fan of the Corona Gorda format. I like Robustos, and I like Lonsdales... so the Corona Gorda's existence right smack dab in the middle is one of those PERFECT vitolas, for my personal smoking preference.

This particular example is actually one that I got from a member of FOH about a month ago, and have been hoarding, and hiding in the bottom of my humidor... well, the Prez posts this contest that gives me an opportunity and an excuse to smoke some great Habanos, and I couldn't resist. This 46 features an almost reddish colored wrapper, clay-like in appearance, with almost no visible veins, and a velvet like touch to it. The seams and cap look perfectly constructed (who ever said Cuban cigars were poorly constructed?). There is one small tear in the wrapper right at the foot, so that shouldn't be an issue, as it will burn through within a few draws. The cold aroma from the foot is cedary, but that may be attributed to the cedar lined case it has been in all day... The cold draw is firm, and offers a woody earthiness, but not a whole lot else. It is a pleasant, medium, rich flavor though, just a good tobacco taste.

Lit at 3:30pm

Right from the first light there is a great nutty character, like well salted, roasted cashews, which is an awesome flavor to be getting right off the bat. Unfortunately it is a little windy outside, and all I have is a soft flame lighter with me, so the light was a little awkward, and left the cigar burning a little weird. I'm assuming this will sort itself out relatively shortly though, as everything seems to be going wonderfully.

Just as I suspected, the tear in the foot caused no problems once it was burned past, and the funny burn caused by the wonky light has sorted itself out just fine as well. Noticing at the one inch or so mark that there is a surprising amount of tooth on the ash, which is very cool, considering that the wrapper was not exactly what I would have called toothy.

It is awfully dark and overcast outside today. It apparently rained for some time this morning, but I was not any where close to being awake before 2pm today, after last night's celebratory festivities. It will apparently be raining again within a few hours, so it would seem I have timed this cigar session perfectly. I am lucky to have this whole weekend off from work, so I plan to do some serious smoking in the time between rainfalls, and if need be, in my truck during rainfall. I find smoking in the rain to be quite calming actually, as, and I think I have mentioned this before, my first experiences that I remember around cigars involve sitting out on the porch with my father, when we lived in Florida, and I was a little kid, watching the afternoon storms roll through, while he puffed away on a Fuente Hemingway. Loved the smell of a cigar then, and love it now.

Ash just plopped into the tray at a little more than the one inch mark. Sort of saw it coming, so, as is unusual for me, I was able to position the cigar over the ashtray as I drew, so when it fell, it did not hit me! The flavor profile has started to shift, and has gotten darker, almost musky, slightly aromatic. Not nutty like it was initially. Really giving it some though, there has been a light, lingering, smooth black pepper sensation on the finish basically from the start, that is still here, maybe a little more prominently now. It is a heavy, and rich profile, without being anything less than smooth and laid back. Very nice.

Through the nose there is a spice, not pepper, but rather, like cinnamon or nutmeg that is pretty cool. Nice development in complexity. The profile to this point has been nice, but not overly complex, but with the addition of this exotic spice character it is well on its way. There is definitely some strength to this cigar as well. The mouthfeel is dense, and dark, and I am even, at just shy of the halfway point, starting to feel a little bit of nicotine hit my stomach. Not overwhelming or unpleasant at this point, but I do hope it does not become any stronger in that regard.

This is one of the first Cuban cigars I have had that does not have any element of what I personally call the "twang" (a slightly acidic, grassy note) that I usually find in Cubans. I'm not sure if it is because it has a little more age on it than most of the Cuban cigars I have previously smoked, or what, but regardless, it is interesting, and I almost wish it were here. That said, this flavor profile is currently more than substantial enough for me. Very good performance as well. The funny burn has sort of come and gone a few times, but never has it been off for more than a few draws.

Ash just fell again, for a second time, and it has revealed just a slight bit of tunneling. The wrapper does not seem to be keeping pace properly with the fillers, but not hugely so, just very slightly. Quick hit with the lighter, and we are back leading the race. The ash is a very dark color, one that I have come to associate with Cuban grown tobacco. It just has more black in it than most Non-Cuban ashes I see regularly.

All of the sudden, with about two inches remaining, the flavor profile has changed drastically. It has taken on a sweetness, and creamy flavor, like well... sweet, creamed coffee. Roasty, and dark still, yes, but sweet and creamy. Big change, but not unwelcome. Very cool transition. That's the kind of nuance that makes cigars like this one shine for me. There has been a lot of discussion recently about flavors and tasting when smoking, and this change has kind of sparked my thought process on the matter. When I first started smoking cigars, I was able to obviously tell the difference between two cigars, one may be spicy and dark, and one may be light and mild, but picking out individual flavors, and getting as specific as creamed, sweet coffee, well that took a long time, and a lot of thought and research. I think that the "flavor wheel" that is out there on the net is a great resource, but in order to really be able to pick out those subtle flavor characteristics, I think actually familiarizing yourself with the real thing is what helps. You aren't going to be able to pick out or identify fresh cut grass flavor, unless you have spent time around fresh cut grass, and know what that wet, sharp aroma is like in the real thing, much less being able to label a flavor in a cigar as such. If you want to know what salted, roasted cashews taste like in a cigar, then you have to actually know what REAL roasted, salted cashews taste like, and be familiar with that experience. I know it is very very cigar nerdy, but I have at times literally prepared different types of coffee in different ways to get different flavors from it, which has greatly enhanced my ability to pick out coffee notes in a cigar. Leather is one that especially gets a lot of talk, because well, as has been said, we don't eat, or even (unless you are totally mental) chew on leather. But spending time in a leather shop, knowing that smell, that deep, oily aroma, that is what cigar smokers are talking about when they get leather in a cigar. It is very subjective what one person gets and another doesn't, but being able to appreciate these flavor changes, especially the very specific, even elusive flavors (though Smithy, there I maintain that there is no such thing as a cigar that tastes like carrots) is entirely up to the smoker's training of their palette.

Back to the Upmann, I am nearing the final third, and am sad, because this cigar has really come into its own now. The depth of character, sweet, and dark, but also earthy, and toasty, is all very impressive. It is definitely with good reason that these particular cigars have been praised as "smoking very well" from boxes produced in the last couple of years, because this cigar, for example, is showing no signs of youth, and nothing but signs of age, and heavy complexity and richness. This is not a subtle cigar. It is fairly "in your face" compared to many other Cuban cigars I have tasted. Not full in strength, but in richness. Body is medium, maybe a little above, but flavor is dark and heavy like a much fuller cigar.

On a slightly irrelevant note, but one that really does play a role in the overall experience for me, the band on the Upmann is one of my favorites, and has that sort of straight forward design, perfectly spaced and graphically pleasing that I wish every cigar had. Non-Cuban cigars, with their over the top artwork, and often tacky, graffiti and tattoo (not that I am anything less than a tattooed, graffiti writing scumbag myself, ironically) could really take a lesson from the simple, but attractive band designs that Cuban cigars make use of. The Upmann band is one of my personal favorites, so just looking at it while smoking this cigar is just nice.

Ended at 5:00 pm, so right around an hour and a half of burn time, which is about what I expect from a Corona Gorda that is smoking properly. What a fantastic smoking experience this has been. If you have a box, or some singles of the Upmann Magnum 46 from late 09, give one a shot. If it is anything like this you will likely be VERY pleased with it!

Sorry if this review was a little rambling and long winded. Once I got started, I couldn't stop

[Omskakas]

I managed to read almost all of it. Hooray for me!

Mag 46 is one of my favorites.

[CanuckSARTech]

Great review, detailed with great photos. Thanks for sharing!

[dicko]

very good review. interesting discussion about nc vs c and also tasting in cigars.

cheers!

[ZAZ]

Awesome review. I'm actually anxiously awaiting the arrival of an 09 HQ box of these as we speak. Hopefully this coming week they'll be here.

Thanks for sharing!

[docbp87]

Awesome review. I'm actually anxiously awaiting the arrival of an 09 HQ box of these as we speak. Hopefully this coming week they'll be here.

Thanks for sharing!

This particular cigar was from a 09 HQ box that I acquired from a trading room deal with a member here actually, so you should be in for a treat.

[ChanceSchmerr]

Long Winded, my ass! An very well written review- I much enjoyed reading it! Not a fan of Upmanns in general, but reading reviews like this always makes me question my preferences....

Thanks for the read!

[ZAZ]

This particular cigar was from a 09 HQ box that I acquired from a trading room deal with a member here actually, so you should be in for a treat.

Looking forward to it!