H. Upmann No.2

[DeeBeezy]

Anyone familiar? Preferred wrapper shade? Age needed? Flavour profile? Does it resemble any cigar?

It’s one of the only Upmann I haven’t smoked in years. Wasn’t impressed previously. 

[Çnote]

I've only had a couple but they were incredible.

[Li Bai]

I've only smoked those from one box, they've all been outstanding and they keep improving with 5 years on them, maybe my best box of all 👍

[JohnS]

I concur. They keep improving with time. Exercise a little patience and you will be rewarded here, in general.

[Chibearsv]

This may help:

 

[Lucas Buck]

Wonderful cigars. Every bit the titan the Monte 2 is. I love all the piramides but those two are my favorites. Best enjoyed with minimum ten years age. 

[Mike Mecklenburg]

Smoked singles (BRE Feb 2018) with 2 and 3 years on them which were very good.  Smoked CA Cigar of the Year (EPO May 2022) which was superb after 1 year and even better after 3 years of age. I also smoked singles from 2023 with 1 year that were okay. I have a box (EPO April 2024) that I have not smoked but have a very strong odor. I will review one in April 2026. Regarding wrapper shade, the years I have mentioned above all have a medium shade like noted in the photo above by @Chibearsv. Flavor profile for me is cream, cedar, shortbread, nut and sometime leather. I smoked a bunch of 2022 H. Upmann Connie 2's that had a similar flavor profile as the No. 2.

[westg]

Maybe it's just me for this particular format. I find that all of them, especially the Monte 2, Dip 2 and Upmann 2 do not age well. 18 months and they are absolutely magnificent. Body,  profile complexity and journey. Cohiba Piramides is the odd one out. That is special between 5 and 10. My Upmann 2, it's only a very minute sample size of 3 boxes, have all dropped off considerably since 2014. In fact I wish I had smoked all them within 2 years. They are all LUB MAY 14, one of the greatest box codes of all time. Sensational in the first 2 years.

[AshesToExcellence]

Agree with @JohnS. The H. Upmann No. 2 is the cigar that quietly exposes how impatient most of us are. Put it next to a Montecristo No. 2 and the comparison feels almost unfair at first light. The Monte announces itself immediately, rich, creamy, unmistakably “Monte” within the first few draws. It’s confident, familiar, and frankly very good at winning people over fast. 

The Upmann No. 2 doesn’t bother with that.

Early on, it can feel almost…reserved. Lighter in body. Less obvious. And as some have indicated here, underwhelming. But if you stay with it, if you let the cigar age a bit, the Upmann starts to show its hand. Not with power, but with clarity. Clean tobacco. Soft cedar. A delicate sweetness that never turns heavy. The transitions are quiet but precise, and by the middle third you realize something important: the cigar isn’t trying to impress you. It’s trying to stay balanced from foot to nub.

To me, the Monte 2 is the charismatic speaker who owns the room. The Upmann No. 2 is the person you end up talking to long after everyone else has left.

 

[Allroz]

Like said above, these are really great sticks. They definitely benefit with a little bit of age. You can't go wrong!

[BrightonCorgi]

Shade color and all that don't really matter with this cigar. One of best and most consistent cigars in the portfolio.

[gormag38]

15 hours ago, westg said:

They are all LUB MAY 14, one of the greatest box codes of all time. Sensational in the first 2 years.

Well hello new best friend.......😁 I've got about 2/3 box of LUB MAY 14 that have been smoking VERY well for me. Unfortunately I was not in the game in 2014 so I never got the chance to try them fresh, so I will never have anything to compare them to other than now. Either way different strokes for different folks. 

 

@DeeBeezyIn regards to thoughts on the HU2s in general, they very well may be my favorite regular production stick. From 19-22 they have/are smoking beautifully. Especially the 2022 box I have. This summer I smoked a SUB JAN 2012 that was still bringing the house down.