Review: H.Upmann Mag 46

[kxie]

I've been through boxes of these over the years and cannot for the life of me understand why the Magnum 46 doesn't command more attention and respect, and much higher prices. But I'll gladly live with a bit of obscurity and hope the rest of the world doesn't figure out what a fabulous cigar this is, year in, year out. A bit rustic looking, but while it isn't necessarily pretty, the cigar is built for function. Wrappers are typically colorado maduro to outright maduro. more than a bit veiny. The draw is extremely generous -- you will get a rich mouthful of smoke with the slightest effort, and you should not huff and puff or you will overheat the cigar terribly. The flavors are rich and tend to the 'bass' end of the spectrum -- dark roasted coffee and chocolate, leather, peat, darkly toasted walnut oil. By the last third, you are getting the 'pedal point' -- rich, somber, heady, woodsy flavors abound. This is a cigar that begs for aging. Try one about five years old and see what I mean.

[purosdave]

» I've been through boxes of these over the years and cannot for the life of

» me understand why the Magnum 46 doesn't command more attention and

» respect, and much higher prices. But I'll gladly live with a bit of

» obscurity and hope the rest of the world doesn't figure out what a

» fabulous cigar this is, year in, year out. A bit rustic looking, but while

» it isn't necessarily pretty, the cigar is built for function. Wrappers are

» typically colorado maduro to outright maduro. more than a bit veiny. The

» draw is extremely generous -- you will get a rich mouthful of smoke with

» the slightest effort, and you should not huff and puff or you will

» overheat the cigar terribly. The flavors are rich and tend to the 'bass'

» end of the spectrum -- dark roasted coffee and chocolate, leather, peat,

» darkly toasted walnut oil. By the last third, you are getting the 'pedal

» point' -- rich, somber, heady, woodsy flavors abound. This is a cigar that

» begs for aging. Try one about five years old and see what I mean.

I agree with everything except for the higher prices. :-P

This is one of the cigars that I find I can enjoy at any stage of the aging progress. When young, they are a nice spicy, kick in the pants cigar great for smoking after a heavy meal. With just a few years of age they lose the spice and have nice deep tones of cocoa, coffee and earthy. When they hit five they are very complex and the flavors that stick out in my head are cedar and coffee.

[olotti]

» I've been through boxes of these over the years and cannot for the life of

» me understand why the Magnum 46 doesn't command more attention and

» respect, and much higher prices. But I'll gladly live with a bit of

» obscurity and hope the rest of the world doesn't figure out what a

» fabulous cigar this is, year in, year out. A bit rustic looking, but while

» it isn't necessarily pretty, the cigar is built for function. Wrappers are

» typically colorado maduro to outright maduro. more than a bit veiny. The

» draw is extremely generous -- you will get a rich mouthful of smoke with

» the slightest effort, and you should not huff and puff or you will

» overheat the cigar terribly. The flavors are rich and tend to the 'bass'

» end of the spectrum -- dark roasted coffee and chocolate, leather, peat,

» darkly toasted walnut oil. By the last third, you are getting the 'pedal

» point' -- rich, somber, heady, woodsy flavors abound. This is a cigar that

» begs for aging. Try one about five years old and see what I mean.

One of my favorites and their popularity seems to be on the rise so shhhhhhh.

[Guest boss hogg]

I'm glad that you've liked the ones you've had! I've had two, and have been underwhelmed. I didn't find it bad, I just didn't see what all the rage is. I put the Partagas P2 in the same "what's the big deal?" category. Some people feel the same way about my beloved Epicure 2, I guess.

[shrink]

The flavors are rich and tend to the 'bass' end of the spectrum -- dark roasted coffee and chocolate, leather, peat, darkly toasted walnut oil.

Thanks for the review, but I don't think I've ever tasted a Mag anything like this. Sounds more like a Hoyo Epi 2.

[CigarZen]

Nice review, and I think they are very good, well priced cigars that improve with age. I have some from 00 that are heading into their own.

A friend says that the Mag 46 gets a latte-like creaminess when well aged -- i.e. 8+ according to him, if I recall. I thought it was bunk -- until he gave me one. Wow! Spot on. Most of mine never make it that far along.

[Tampa1257]

Thanks for the review. I love the Mag 46.

One comment, In all my years of smoking cigars, I have only heard of the Edicion Limitadas from Cuba being described as having a Dark Maduro type of wrapper. Since Cuba does not produce a Maduro Wrapper, I wonder just how dark yours are?

[Smokiethebear]

Thanks for the review. Mags are really enjoyable smokes.

[El Presidente]

Easiest drawing Habanos of all. There was a time that they were rolled puposely with an easier draw although I am seeing less evidence of that today.

Thanks for the review!

[SeanGAR]

One of my favorites ... which makes it very hard to keep them long enough to age.

[anacostiakat]

Thanks for the review.

I have a box I got not long ago that I have not touched yet. I am thinking on grabbing one as I have never tasted them and I love the line.

[puros71]

» I've been through boxes of these over the years and cannot for the life of

» me understand why the Magnum 46 doesn't command more attention and

» respect, and much higher prices. But I'll gladly live with a bit of

» obscurity and hope the rest of the world doesn't figure out what a

» fabulous cigar this is, year in, year out. A bit rustic looking, but while

» it isn't necessarily pretty, the cigar is built for function. Wrappers are

» typically colorado maduro to outright maduro. more than a bit veiny. The

» draw is extremely generous -- you will get a rich mouthful of smoke with

» the slightest effort, and you should not huff and puff or you will

» overheat the cigar terribly. The flavors are rich and tend to the 'bass'

» end of the spectrum -- dark roasted coffee and chocolate, leather, peat,

» darkly toasted walnut oil. By the last third, you are getting the 'pedal

» point' -- rich, somber, heady, woodsy flavors abound. This is a cigar that

» begs for aging. Try one about five years old and see what I mean.

One of my favorites. I love this smoke, loaded with flavors.

[idesign]

Love this cigar, I'm working my way through an 04 box with little restraint.....:-|

[Tave1225]

Nice review. Best Corona Gorda in my opinion. Love 'em.:-)

[purosdave]

» Thanks for the review. I love the Mag 46.

»

» One comment, In all my years of smoking cigars, I have only heard of the

» Edicion Limitadas from Cuba being described as having a Dark Maduro type

» of wrapper. Since Cuba does not produce a Maduro Wrapper, I wonder just

» how dark yours are?

No offense, but I find that odd, I have many Habanos with very dark wrappers. Not as dark as Connecticut Broadleaf, but just as dark as the ELs. Off the top of my head, I have had RyJ Exhibicion #4, RASS, Upmann PCs, and Conn #1 all with maduro shade wrappers.

[Tampa1257]

No offense taken PD,

I too have seen dark wrappers, but not Maduro Wrappers on Cuban Leaf Cigars. There are many different "Shades" and colors of wrappers produced, and for someone to describe a Cuban Cigar as having a Maduro Wrapper is technically incorrect as there is No Maduro leaf produced in Cuba.

[purosdave]

» No offense taken PD,

»

» I too have seen dark wrappers, but not Maduro Wrappers on Cuban Leaf

» Cigars. There are many different "Shades" and colors of wrappers

» produced, and for someone to describe a Cuban Cigar as having a Maduro

» Wrapper is technically incorrect as there is No Maduro leaf produced in

» Cuba.

I have to disagree again. You are thinking of maduro in the sense that it is marketed here in the US, where "maduro" leaves are fermented at higher temperatures for longer periods of time causing the darker color. But long before this process was used to create a "maduro" wrapper, maduro was a term to describe wrapper color only. Claro being the lightest, colorado in the middle and maduro for the darker wrappers.

[Tampa1257]

While I am a "Pureist" at heart when it comes to Habanos, I have reviewed numerous references and will agree that for cigars produced outside of Cuba, that the wrapper shade is called "Maduro", but NOT for Habanos.

You may have read in the following references:

"The Ultimate Cigar Book" by Richard Hacker: pg 102

Colorado Maduro- A milk chocolate brown

Maduro- Dark coffee brown, sometimes with a reddish tint, and occasionally referred to as SMS for Spanish Market Selection.

or you have have referenced the wrapper color at Perelmans, CigarCyclopedia, Construction (Which does Not Specify Habanos Wrappers, but all Nations Cigar Wrappers)

[link]http://www.cigarcyclopedia.com/cyclopediacigars/construction.php[/link]

The facilicy of this is that they reference Hacker I might add.

Colorado Maduro-Darker than Colorado Claro in shade, this color is often associated with African tobacco, such as wrappers from Cameroon, or with Havana Seed tobacco grown in Honduras or Nicaragua.

Maduro-Very dark brown or black.Tobacco for Maduro wrappers is primarily grown in Connecticut, Mexico, Nicaragua and Brazil.*NOTE* NO mention of Tobacco from Cuba being "Maduro"

So it depends upon whom you believe, well, I tend to believe the Cubans, which is referenced here:

“From the Seed to Smoke”, by Digital Edition of Guerrillero Newspaper, Organ of the Provincial Commettee of the Cuban Communist Party in Pinar del Río.

[link]http://www.guerrillero.co.cu/sitiotabaco/torcido/el_color_de_los_puros_a_inglesh.htm[/link]

Color is the first aspect that should be kept in mind when tasting a cigar (others will be the aroma, flavor, etc...) in this sense the taster should value intensity and uniformity of the color and also the predominant shade.

Essentially, it can be said that the seven most usual colors of wrappers are the following: Double clear, clear, clear or natural red, ripe red, ripe and dark.

Double clear- Also well-known as "candela ", claro claro, jade or A.M.S. ("American Market Selection"). it is of clear green color like yellow which is obtained due to a process of quick drying with artificial heat that retains the chlorophyll of the leaf; the flavor of this wrapper is very soft, even sweet.

Clear- Also called natural. It is of pale yellowish brown color, obtained from the shade grown tobacco and early harvesting before the leaves ripe, followed by a quick air curing. It is the most common wrapper. Its flavor is relatively neuter.

Clear or natural red- Of clear reddish brown color, the red clear wrapper is product of a sun grown tobacco. Most of these wrappers come from Sumatra and Ecuador, and even some from Cameroon. The leaf has an oily shine and its flavor is more intense than the one given by the clear wrapper.

Red- Also called “Brown” (as all the red ones), it is product of a shade grown tobacco, of rich flavor and subtle aroma due to its high content of oil. The leaf is greasy and reddish, usually coming from Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Connecticut U.S.A. This wrapper is also known as E.M.S. (English Market Selection).

Ripe red- Of brown color, it is between the red one and the ripe one. Its flavor is from medium to strong.

Ripe- The tonality of the leaf goes from a brown reddish very dark color until black; its name makes reference to the long process that is required to get this type of wrapper: These wrappers give a distinctive feature to the cigars; in general they are of soft aroma and strong flavor, although sweet. The leaf of ripe color should be very dark, oily and brilliant. The leaves are thick and they must remain united. Depending on the type of leaf, tiny veins can be appreciated.

Dark- Also called black, its wrapper has a more blackish tonality than that of the ripe ones and to obtain them the leaves are left in the plant as much time as possible, being used the leaves of the crown (the highest part),because they are the most exposed in the sun. Its flavor has bigger sweetness because of the long period of time of fermentation. These wrappers come from Brazil or Mexico.

So, as I stated, it all depends upon who's defination of the wrapper shade you choose to believe, but as the Cubans do not use the word Maduro, it is mistakenly and falsely used by people to describe Cuban Cigars when in fact there are NO Cuban Maduro Cigars (or the wrapper shade either) IMHO.

We can agree to disagree, and I have presented my references.

One last thought, there is also absolutely NO mention of any Maduro shade wrappers in any reference in MRN.

[El Presidente]

Tampa/Dave.

I have written an e-mail now to our Habanos s.a man in Havana for their definitive answer. I will start a new thread once I receive his reply.

[Tampa1257]

» Tampa/Dave.

»

» I have written an e-mail now to our Habanos s.a man in Havana for their

» definitive answer. I will start a new thread once I receive his reply.

Thank you El Prez, it will be good to find out from Habanos S.A. what and how they describe the wrapper shade. If I am wrong, I'll admit it, heck I've been wrong before.

(But at least I did provide my references hehehe):-D

[Claudius]

» Tampa/Dave.

»

» I have written an e-mail now to our Habanos s.a man in Havana for their

» definitive answer. I will start a new thread once I receive his reply.

Looking forward to that reply.

Here in France, the "official" names (in the yearly published "Havanoscope" book) for the darker wrappers are colorado, colorado maduro, and oscuro IIRC. The book says that in Cuba, there are 47 or 49 different shades of wrapper leae colors taken into account by the people whose job it is to sort the cigars according to colour before packaging them. Do you have any info on these shades (if the info is accurate, in case it is, if they use a poster or just generally how they can tell the colours apart, etc.)?

[purosdave]

That is the first time I have ever heard of wrappers being classified as clear, red, or ripe (coincidentally maduro means ripe in Spanish) officially. Very interesting and I look forward to Habanos response.

Tampa, thank you for making this such an interesting topic! :-D

[CigarZen]

Interest post guys, and chuck thanks for that background info.

[purosdave]

» » Tampa/Dave.

» »

» » I have written an e-mail now to our Habanos s.a man in Havana for their

» » definitive answer. I will start a new thread once I receive his reply.

»

» Thank you El Prez, it will be good to find out from Habanos S.A. what and

» how they describe the wrapper shade. If I am wrong, I'll admit it, heck

» I've been wrong before.

»

» (But at least I did provide my references hehehe):-D

Well, here is my reference, sorry if you can't read Spanish. But Maduro is found, referring to wrapper color, in the second paragraph. I don't know how more official you can get than Habanos SA on their own product. :-D

Edit- Might help if I actually posted a link, duh.

http://www.habanos.com/6festivaldossier_placer.asp?i=esp

[connoiseur29]

I'm impressed. This is a very civilized discussion. amazing!