Review: H. Upmann Special Seleccion Rothschilde

THE CIGAR:

H. Upmann Special Seleccion Rothschilde

Origin: Dominican Republic

Size: Robusto (5” by 50 Ring Gauge)

Strength: Medium

Wrapper: Java

Binder: Dominican Republic

Filler: Dominican Republic/Brazil

Price Paid: N/A (Gift)

Buy Online: $15.75 for a 5-pack from JR Cigars

Another of H. Upmann’s offerings in their Cigar Lover’s Diary!  I recall reading a short rant about H. Upmann by Lew Rothman in a JR catalogue about how this is one of his favorite cigars.  SPOILER ALERT: I agree!  I had a rare evening of free time at school, so I took this sweet thang outside and started her up.

SOUNDTRACK FOR THIS CIGAR: “Jazz Side of the Moon”, by Ari Hoenig, Mike Moreno, Sam Yahel, and one of my personal favorites among today’s jazz saxophonists: Seamus Blake.  This brilliant interpretation of the classic Pink Floyd album stays true to the attitudes of the original, while smartly framing it in the smoky, serene ether of a cohesive, but laid-back, jazz combo.

THE REVIEW:

To begin, I must say that this cigar is dressed up better than most of my high school prom dates.  A beautiful cedar wrap adorned the outside of this cigar, with a gold ribbon holding it together at the foot.  The advantage of a cedar wrap is two-fold: it looks lofty and prestigious, but also ages the cigar more comprehensively, bringing out the interesting flavors and balancing them.  Once I removed this cedar wrap, I discovered that this cigar looks even more gorgeous “naked”.  So beautifully rustic; so smooth; SO much plume!

For those of you who may not know, plume is a powdery substance found on the outside of some cigars.  Some mistake this for mold, dust, or general nastiness, but if you can brush it off lightly with your fingers, it's plume.  This is visual evidence that the oils have blended and become friends.  If plume is present, your cigar will be as balanced and smooth as it possibly can be.  But enough with the cigar lesson…

The pre-light aroma was very pleasant: a sweet, dark, cedary spice.  The head cut open cleanly, and though the pre-light draw seemed a little snug, I figured it would be manageable.

After lighting up I realized I was right; a good draw which yielded plenty of smoke.  As far as flavor is concerned, how many synonyms are there for the word “perfect”?  The flavor had typical Dominican elements with perfectly balanced spice notes of sweet, woody cedar.  A solid medium-strength smoke, for sure.

I always find it interesting to see how a cigar opens up; how the flavors and characteristics of every cigar changes as it is smoked.   In the case of this cigar, after the first quarter, a very light sweetness emerged in its smoke that complimented the existing flavors quite nicely.  Almost halfway down, a pleasant leathery flavor and notes of nutmeg came through.  Towards the end, still-pleasant charcoal notes came emerged, but were not acrid.  During the entirety of this smoke, the ash was an even light gray, and came off cleanly.  In premium, long-filler cigars, this typically indicates quality tobacco and, more so, good construction.

Well, Mr. Rothman, I have to agree with you.  This is a sublime smoke full of beautiful flavors that most cigar smokers would enjoy; not to mention the aging properties of the cedar wrap and the flawless construction!  This cigar has earned its place as one of my favorites, and receives my highest rating:

5 out of 5

 Until next time, keep your music playing and your ashes long,

The Calmed Musician

La Flor Dominicana Event at City Place Cigar-AKA: On the Fraternity of the Leaf

Enjoying a cigar is a tradition as old as America.  Cliché?  Perhaps; but it’s also very true.  The smell of my father’s Don Diego as it wafted up to the starry night sky is one of my earliest sensory memories.  When I came of age, my father taught me several important truths about cigars:

1: “The difference between a $3 cigar and an $8 cigar is five dollars.”

2: “ALWAYS share your cigars, or at least offer to do so.”

3: “The best way to open the head of a cigar is however you want.  Cut it, poke, bite it; doesn’t matter.”

4: “Don’t be that guy that talks about stuff no one wants to hear when you smoke with people.”

Or my personal favorite:

5: “If you see a guy smokin’ a stogie, and he seems like a nice, approachable person, you can go ahead and think to yourself, ‘that guy’s my friend.’”

These are things I always have in mind when I smoke or do anything in relation to cigars.  I most certainly had these principles in mind when my father and I headed to our favorite Lynchburg cigar shop/lounge, “City Place Cigar”.  If you are ever in the Lynchburg area, look it up!  They have a great selection of middle-to-top shelf cigars, as well as large, beautiful areas to sit and relax.  Next door is a top notch coffee shop, “The Muse”, where the most friendly, smiling baristas are happy to serve you masterfully crafted house coffee blends.  Needless to say, this little corner of Lynchburg (located in the Wyndhurst development) is a cigar aficionado’s paradise.

We went out for an event sponsored by La Flor Dominicana.  The theme was St. Patrick’s Day-inspired.  For $10, you got a lovely La Flor Dominicana Double Claro (pictured), free soft drinks, and great Irish cuisine like corn beef and Guinness Pie.

While the food was delicious (as it always is at these events), the cigar was even better.  Admittedly, I don’t smoke many double claro (green wrapper) stogies, but I was blown away!  This cigar was full of fresh, unadulterated tobacco flavor, along with an agreeable (and quite pleasant) vegetal element.  The spice on this cigar was subtle and balanced: definitely a well thought-out cigar.  I came to the conclusion that I must be ignorant for not smoking many double claro cigars, as the wrapper accounts for most of the flavor, and these flavors were a knockout. 

As my father and I sat, admiring and discussing these artfully crafted green cigars, we couldn’t help but notice a division in the room.  There were three distinct groups: (helpful and friendly) employees near the counter, wealthy fat-cats keeping to themselves in a corner, and the large conversation pit located in the most open part of the store.  We were, of course, in the third category. 

No later than five minutes after we took our seats and lit up, the college-age gentlemen next to us extended his hand and said “Hello, I’m Drew!”  The three of us struck up a friendly conversation which covered a variable cornucopia of topics.  For example: Drew and I turned out to have many things in common, including one or two mutual friends, even though he is from Virginia Beach and I have no ties to that area.  Also, he has attended a local church whose orchestra has employed me since high school.  This brings me to my main point: tobacco has a strange, inexplicable ability to bring people together.  When Native Americans had a problem to solve, or an issue to work out, they would sit in a circle, light up a pipe, and talk about it; working out compromises or coming to agreements.  This power of tobacco is still with us, as we sit on our deck chairs, foldable campfire chairs, or even no chairs at all.  I once heard this referred to as “The Fraternity of the Leaf”.

 This brotherhood is not akin to some university “Greek life” frat; it is open to all!  In this brotherhood we do not judge our fellow man but rather, like the philosophers of old, we open our mind to what he has to say.  We do not wait to speak; we listen while we draw in our smoke and digest our brother’s thoughts.  This type of open circle was started in the Native American peace pipe gatherings.  Bill Paley of La Palina Cigars has said that modern American politicians are so divided because of the lack of “smoke-filled rooms” in places of political business.  He theorizes that if the cigar smokers of Congress got together more often over a box of fine cigars, they may gain a mutual personal respect, even though they may disagree politically.  Amen, sir!

So next time you find yourself in a crowded cigar lounge, note the distinct separations.  Also note that the biggest section is always the conversation pit.  And while you could go to a corner and enjoy this luxury that your life has afforded you, try immersing yourself in this diverse group of people.  As for me, that’s where I’ll be.

Until next time, keep your music playing and your ashes long,

The Calmed Musician

Review: H. Upmann Connoisseur Cabinet 01-40

THE CIGAR:

H. Upmann Connoisseur Cabinet 01-40

Origin: Dominican Republic

Size: Robusto (5" by 50 Ring Gauge)

Strength: Medium

Wrapper: EMS shade of Connecticut

Binder: Dominican

Filler: Dominican

Price Paid: N/A (Gift)

Buy Online: $16.50 for a 5-pack from JR Cigars 

My folks came up to school for a visit, and after I greeted my Dad, he handed me a box and said "This is from your uncle!" It was an H. Upmann Cigar Lover's Diary-Robusto Selection.  I don't know if you've seen these before, but they look like a hard-back book, stamped with the name of the collection on the "cover" and "spine".  When you open this little book, your prize is 6 top-notch stogies.  Pretty clever packaging!  The lid of the book/box has magnets in it, so you can use it to store lighters, cutters, etc.  Maybe it could also be a legitimate hidden storage device as well, as it actually is quite convincing when shelved between other books.  I am thankful to my generous uncle (well....they're all pretty generous actually) for this lovely gift; I am a big Upmann fan!  I smoked a few before creating this blog, so I can't recall exactly what was in it, but they were all good, especially the Vintage Cameroon.  I came home from a mid-term one day and fired up this particular smoke.  

SOUNDTRACK FOR THIS CIGAR: Philip Glass' rescoring of the 1931 movie "Dracula"

THE REVIEW:

The cigar looked typical of H. Upmann's usual offerings.  Not pretentiously perfect, but not rustically ugly either.  I'm not one to dwell on the appearance of a cigar too much, but this one looked alright.  It had a few minor places with the wrapper was flaking just a bit; it probably dried out a little before it made it's way to my humidor.  

It snipped open pretty cleanly (I almost always use a double guillotine cutter).  The aroma it gave off, pre-light, reminded me of milk chocolate.  Pre-light draw was a little snug, but I figured it would open up once it got going.

This cigar toasted and lit easily, and I took a few initial puffs.  I hate to say it, but the first half-inch or so was harsh.  The flavor that was detectable was a little chocolatey as I thought it might be, but the harshness overpowered the flavor.  The draw was not impressive either.

About an inch down the cigar, things got much better.  The draw was decent, not great, but decent.  Every Upmann I smoked before this one have had a fantastic draw, so I think this was probably a fluke.  The flavor was good; very milk chocolate but not too sweet.  As far as strength goes, I would call this a "heavier" medium.  It was pretty full-flavored, but not enough to bump it into the "medium-full" category.  

I kept waiting for this stogie to open up even more, but as the experience went on, nothing changed.  The flavor was still there; pleasant to the palate and nose, but I never picked up on anything new.  In other words, this cigar was a little bland.  The flavor was blunt and to-the-point, but no hint of spice or smooth, woody notes typical of other Upmann concoctions.  I'm also a fan of a cigar that brings something new to the palate as it is smoked, but this was not that cigar.  If you are a fan of a straight-forward, richer-than usual dominican smoke without the spice, this is a good cigar to try.  But If you are like me in your preferences, keep walking; there's nothing to see here:

3 out of 5

Until next time, keep your music playing and your ashes long,

The Calmed Musician

A Preface

Hello to all!  Where to begin?  I am a junior in college at a prestigious east-coast conservatory studying the saxophone in a classical idiom (although "classical" is a misnomer, as the classical period of music was over before the saxophone's invention).  To the layman, the idea of the saxophone playing this type of music may induce a yawn, but I would implore you to search itunes for new "classical" music for the saxophone, and hear the entire spectrum of aural insanity that is the modern concert saxophone.

Stepping off of that soapbox, I would like to bring you to the main purpose of this blog.  This would be the peaceful leaf, rolled into the perfect oblong shape that the Taino indians called "cohiba".  We call this a cigar, and I am an avid fan.  Ever since I can remember, my mustached father would have a lit cigar in his snout several times a month and I loved that smell more than any other.  Fast-forward to now: I have been a cigar smoker for several years, and I am still intrigued by what each brand brings to the table.  From now on, when I smoke a cigar in the comfort of my own back porch, a review will be posted on this blog with my thoughts.

It is important to note that I will not be posting reviews for (or  smoking) the latest garbage from Phillies, White Owl, or other gas station novelties.  I consider my palate to be beyond that, and I personally believe that these products "dumb down" the public's perception of what good tobacco is and isn't.  This is not to say that I consider myself a cigar snob, per se.  From time to time I have had an AyC Grenadier, or what have you, but never a Strawberry Kiwi Ranger Deluxe, et cetera.  If that is what you enjoy, then good for you!  But these things will not appear on this page.

With all of that out of the way, I hope you enjoy what you read!  I will post as regularly as possible!

Until next time, keep your music playing and your ashes long,
The Calmed Musician