Review: H.Upmann Mag 46

[Tampa1257]

PuroDave,

Up on the top right hand part of the page, you can change the language to English. I can see where the word of Maduro was used in Spanish, now let's also see how Habanos S.A. translates that into English. I am coping and pasting the translation below.

I still look forward to Habanos S.A. explanation that El Prez has requested, and this has become a very informative discussion for all of us.:-D

[link]http://www.habanos.com/6festivaldossier_placer.asp?i=ing[/link]

It takes refined senses to enjoy the pleasure of

smoking a Habanos. The choice of brand and

format, the way it is cut, lit and smoked are all

decisive for appreciating a good cigar.

Four senses should be involved in the choice of a

cigar: sight, touch, smell and taste.

When choosing, the colour should be pleasant to

look at. One can choose between light, mature or

a dark colour, but, in any event, the colour should

be uniform along the length of the cigar and the

outside wrapper leaf should have a certain shine.

The white or green flecks that can sometimes be

seen are natural effects or “beauty spots”, that will

have appeared during growth or the curing process.

These do not affect the quality of the cigar.

You should squeeze the cigar gently between your

thumb and forefinger to check it. It should be firm,

but not hard.

Enjoying the aromas that emanate from a well

cured leaf is always a foretaste of the flavours to

come.

The flavour of a cigar can only be assessed by

smoking it. For beginners, it is advisable to try a

benchmark vitola that can be found in several

brands and which is not too strong.

THE LIGHTING UP RITUAL

Two principles should be applied to lighting up.

First of all, use an odourless flame. It is advisable

to use a butane gas lighter, a wooden match or a

cedar wood spill for this. Do not use a petrol lighter,

wax matches or candles because their aroma will

impregnate the cigar.

The second principle is to take your time to light

the cigar properly. By rushing, you can ruin the

enjoyment of your Habanos cigar. The correct way

to light a cigar is to keep the foot of the cigar at

an angle of ninety degrees to the flame, rotating it

between your fingers until it is uniformly lit across

the whole surface area. Place the cigar between

your lips and while holding the flame one centimetre

from the foot of the cigar, breathe in until the flame

reaches the cigar.

To check that the cigar is evenly lit, all you have

to do is blow gently over the lit end of the cigar.

When smoking, there is no need to inhale; this is

not a cigarette. You should breathe in gently until

the smoke reaches your mouth and you can taste

the subtle flavours and aromas of the blend of the

cigar.

You can get the full enjoyment of a Habanos by

smoking three quarters of its length. Do not worry

about the length of the ash on the end, or what may

happen to it. There is no reason to nervously tap

a Habanos to shake the ash off as if it were a

cigarette. Let the ash fall off by itself, into an

ashtray.

And when you finish the Habanos cigar, it will go

out by itself if you put it down in an ashtray. You

should not crush it out: let it die with the dignity

it deserves.

[purosdave]

When translating Spanish they could use mature or ripe for maduro, but when used in cigar terms it is reffering to the wrapper. Even when tranlated into English (although done poorly) it uses "mature" to describe a wrapper color. We all know that mature is not an official wrapper color anywhere. I think I have contributed all that I need to and if you aren't convinced then, oh well. You can smoke your clear (claro en español) cigars and I will smoke my maduros.

Cheers! :-D