H Upmann Petit Corona MEG JUN 16: Ode to the 40 and 42 gauge review week

[Guest Nekhyludov]

Dimensions: 42 x 5 1/8"

Box Code: MEG JUN 16

Date Purchased: March 1, 2017

Date Smoked: May 16, 2017

I know the HUPC has been reviewed to death here - especially during the past couple of months, but this was the next PC in my queue. The box I received in March has just passed its 60-day acclimation period, so it was time to pull one out and get a baseline sense of it. So here's my two cents.

Appearance and Aroma: This is a gorgeous petit corona, with a soft box press and a fine rosado colorado wrapper. The texture has a fine, velvety tooth. Construction is consistently firm, and it appears perfectly bunched and rolled with stick-straight sides all along its length. The aroma at cold is a sweet, pungent barnyard - the aroma I always hope to find!

First Third: It lights readily and produces an even burn and a draw that's somewhat firmer than usual, but is right in the sweet spot of what I prefer. The ash is dense and white, but falls after about an inch. The initial profile reveals some of what I think folks here refer to as "mongrel", with mostly charred sweet tobacco flavors. The aroma has a pleasant black pepper note. 

Second Third: At the beginning of the second third, an earthy sweetness emerges, and the characteristic Upmann shortbread appears strongly on the retrohale, but ducks in and out on the palate. The underlying base is espresso - not necessarily the taste of espresso, but rather the taste of what a fresh espresso smells like, if that makes sense. Toward the end of the second third, the aroma loses the pepper and takes on a smooth, rich leather note.

Final Third: Toward the end, the profile changes pretty abruptly. The sweet shortbread, espresso, and pepper flavors diminish, and the predominant taste is a leathery sea salt character. This leather/sea salt note is what I experience as the unique, foundational profile of Cuban tobacco. Or it's "terroir" if you prefer. It's heavier here than in sticks with some age on them, but it isn't unpleasant. Just a bit one-dimensional to finish. The burn becomes a bit hot, but a purge helps. Performance remains generally excellent. 

My first experience with the HUPC was a single that I picked up at the Hotel Nacional when my wife and I were in Havana for our honeymoon. I recall being unimpressed by it, but I decided to give it another shot since soon enough, there won't be any more to try. I'm sure the single I picked up was extremely young (I didn't check the box date) because I remember a lot of youthful harshness. Also, one of the challenges I had in Cuba was that I always drink coffee or tea with my cigars, but the only thing I could walk around with in Havana was Ciego Montero cola (the first person to open a To Go coffee kioske in Vedado is gonna be riiiiiiicccchhhh). Which is fine, but it screwed up my palate. So I try not to write off cigars that I smoked there, but didn't love. 

Overall, this HUPC has a great backbone and once some of its youthful elbows mellow out, I expect it'll be great. Right now, though, just really good.

Score: 92

[TheMonk]

Nice job, mate!

[awk6898]

I got a box a few weeks ago coded SUB MAR 12 and I told myself I was going to give them at least 6 months to equalize... But now I can't help myself... Front of the line. lol. 

Nice review! 

[JohnS]

Now that they're deleted does it make you want some more?