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
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