Marcas that grew on you... ( + H Upmann Noellas Vertical Review)

[Guest photorob]

We all have at least one...that marca that you just don't "get" the same way other guys do.

For me, I've always had that struggle with H Upmann. I've smoked my share, and although I wouldn't characterize anything I've had as a "bad cigar" none of them have blown me away in the way I hear many smokers swoon about the Upmann profile.

I KNEW I was in the minority, but for some reason me and Herman have just never seen eye to eye. I've smoked through my share of Conny 1, Mag 46, and Conny A's. In the last year Mag 48 and Royal Robusto samples started giving me hope.

Enter an Upmann Noellas [MEG NOV 15] that I smoked on Wednesday.  This cigar is still in diapers, but I've already handed a few from my jar to friends and wanted to see what exactly I'm sitting on.

I tempered my expectations on this cigar because of it's youth, and also because truthfully I purchased them almost solely for the handsome jar. Not a ton happened in the first inch, but a very smooth coffee with cream note. Flavours went absolutely bananas after that first inch. On every other draw there was new flavour. Honey, caramel, cream, a delicious and very addictive sweet and sour note. It was like "cuban tobacco" amplified and the dial turned up to 11. I got berries and fruit.

It was complex and phenomenally balanced. First cigar that I smoked until my fingers burned in quite a while. Construction and performance were both perfect, and this cigar totally blew my mind.

Ever smoke one that has you searching for another box before you even get to removing the band? That was this Noella. It had me grinning like an idiot and talking to myself after draws.

A surprising but easy cigar of the year for me so far.
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The next day I found myself on the road in the boonies after a client meeting and remembered about a shop north of the city that I've heard lots about but never visited. A quick phone call revealed that they had 1 jar left for a pretty reasonable (for Canada at least) price. The jar happens to be from the original re-release in late 2010/early 2011. I found that out because the government seal did not have micro printed numbers and the jar was without box date on the cedar lid insert as is typical on that first release.

Smoked a sample of these 2010/2011 Noellas on Thursday. Similar delicious sweet and sour flavours. The sweet note has transformed into a decadent "pancakes with maple syrup" note that lingers on the palate. No coffee or berries, extremely enjoyable, but not on the level that the 2015 Noella was. Construction and performance were just as great on this aged example. I look forward to smoking more, but I can already say, regardless of age these are special little cigars with fantastic DNA.

I was wrong about you Herman. Let's keep getting to know each other!

What marca has grown on you?

[Fugu]

Now,. what I keep saying! The Noellas seems to be a love and hate cigar on this forum. Put me in the love camp. Haven't tried had a 2015 yet, but I guess from at least two previous releases ('12, '13, perhaps even OR, not sure), and it has always been a very enjoyable and notably complex smoke with a decent evolution. This one mustn't be smoked too wet.

On the topic question - nope.

 

[jcorona]

Nice review, makes me wanna try one.

[Guest photorob]

18 minutes ago, jcorona said:

Nice review, makes me wanna try one.

Appreciate it! At the time doing a written review and taking proper photographs was the furthest thing from my mind because I didn't have high hopes. Normally I'd go more in depth covering each third and try and get better pictures.

Hopefully nobody takes offence to this posted in the water hole forum, and not in the "Reviews" sub forum. Really, I'm more fascinated with how (as a whole) a marca's signature "DNA" (as Rob and Ken call it) can at one time be a total "swing and a miss" and eventually develop into something extremely enjoyable.

Very odd for me, because I wouldn't consider myself a new smoker.