First off, I want to wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. May it be filled with friends, family, laughter and cigars.

Make sure to check out Tony’s Top 10 Cigars of 2017 if you haven’t done so already. There are some excellent smokes on the list. Before I get around to my top cigars of the year, I figured I would squeeze in another review and close out the year with another AJ Fernandez made cigar. This time with the H. Upmann by AJ Fernandez.

Altadis USA partnered up with AJ Fernandez earlier this year to create the new H. Upmann by AJ Fernandez. The cigar features an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper over Nicaraguan and Dominican internals. Manufactured in Nicaragua, the cigars are available in three vitolas: Robutso (5 by 52), Toro (6 by 54), and Churchill (7 by 54). The per stick price runs between $7.25 and $7.75.

You can purchase the H. Upmann by AJ Fernandez from our good friends over at Famous Smoke Shop.

THE FACTS

Price: $7.25
Vitola: Toro
Size: 6 by 54
Wrapper:Ecuadorian Sumatra
Binder: Nicaraguan Corojo ‘99
Filler: Nicaraguan Criollo ‘98 and Dominican Piloto Cubano
Smoke Time: 1 Hour and 20 Minutes

PRE-LIGHT

H. Upmann by AJ Fernandez wears a walnut brown wrapper that goes well with the color choice on the band. Two medium sized veins that are lighter in appearance run the length of the cigar, but, other than that, the veins are small. Scattered bumps and light oils are seen on the pleasant looking wrapper.  The cigar is rolled evenly and firmly. 

There is generic wood aroma, along with faint barnyard on the wrapper. Wood, coffee grounds, and black pepper are noted on the foot. An easy draw shows big cold draw flavors of cinnamon and cedar.

FIRST THIRD

Without delay, this Nicaraguan made H. Upmann pumps out full flavored, thick smoke. Not only are flavors full, there is a lot of depth to the smoke including flavors of  wood, sour apple, coffee, and pepper. The darker flavors of coffee and pepper stick around on the finish. As I retrohale the smoke, the pepper is bright and there is a BBQ smokiness. Two touch-ups are required before I can exit the first part of the smoke. 

MIDDLE THIRD

Pulling into the second third of the H. Upmann by AJ Fernandez, the wood and sour apple continue along as a sweet bread joins into the profile. The pepper flavor and spice has settled in both the mouth and on the retrohale. The BBQ smokiness that first appeared on the retrohale is pushing its way into the profile. The burn is now behaving for the most part as the ash is holds well past an inch.  

FINAL THIRD

This Nicaraguan made H. Upmann has lost some of its oomph. While the intensity of the flavors has dropped, the flavors remain balanced. The BBQ smokiness is now the dominant flavor with a sweetness tied to it followed by a bit of charred wood. The strength that started off in the medium range has held its ground throughout.

WRAP-UP

If you caught last week’s review, you know I walked away from the Monte by Montecristo AJ Fernandez somewhat disappointed. That was certainly not the case with the new H. Upmann by AJ Fernandez. The cigar delivered some full and complex flavors accompanied by a medium strength. The flavor evolution in each third held my interest and the BBQ smokiness I picked up on was captivating. For $7.25, I can highly recommend the H. Upmann by AJ Fernandez.