H. Upmann Upmann No. 2 GEM MAY 20 (XNYRW6)

[saltbox]

It's been about half a year since I tried the first out of the box, so decided to pull another one and see how the box is developing.

First third: shortbread, chocolate, and a touch of that powerful black coffee note I associate most strongly with the Magnum 46. There's much more cocoa here than I remember from before or in any other Upmann I've smoked. The black coffee attenuates to a nice milky coffee over the course of the third.

Middle third: a nice, balanced blend of shortbread, cocoa, and milky coffee. The wrapper split which I hadn't noticed (but in hindsight is visible in the pre-light shot), starts to expand aggressive as the burn line reaches it, so I quickly applied a patch of rolling paper and cigar glue to stop the spread and give some structural integrity.

Last third: the shortbread continues to get richer and fuller through to the nub, ending on a high note.

Overall: my first Upmann No. 2 had much more of a tobacco edge to it and was much more similar to the Magnum 46 I've smoked. With only another 6 months of rest, this box seems to have mellowed out much more to those core Upmann flavors. The No. 2 and the Magnum 50 are up there as my two favorites from the Upmann line so far. 90/100

[Kaptain Karl]

Great review man! I have a box from a few months after this code I'm keeping my hands off of, glad to see the extra time made a big difference! 

[Chibearsv]

I’ve got a few left from 2013 that are great. I think time helps these a lot. Smooth flavors but still twangy. 

[coug28]

The best pyramid/2 to grab and put away for a long nap & not worry if they lose anything. They certainly age very gracefully & only get better from my experience.