I once had the rare opportunity to tour the Tabacalera de Garcia cigar factory in the Dominican Republic. The factory is one of the largest handmade cigar factories in the world, if not the largest. At the end of the day I left with some of José Seijas’ exquisite personal blends and a box of H. Upmann Vintage Cameroon cigars. I found the Vintage Cameroons a great cigar on the medium side. Although both handmade and machine-made cigars are made at the factory – the handmade cigars were José’s passion.
If the Star Trek series can go through a reset, then the H. Upmann cigar series certainly should and did. They are stepping up the series with the series release of the Legacy to soon be followed by the Banker. The Legacy is made of Nicaraguan and Dominican long-fillers from a special, vintage crop dating back to 2008, secured by a Nicaraguan binder. The cigar is completed with a dark-brown Ecuador Sumatra wrapper. As I examined the cigar I was excited. The smell is rich and earthy. Construction is very good.
Based on the cigar leaves being used, my first puff was surprising. It was light, medium at best. What had they done? As I continued smoking I was prepared to write-off this new line, but then it started getting interesting. The spiciness grew with touches of nuts, cedar, and coffee. By the time I was down to my last third of the cigar I was truly enjoying myself with a slight buzz on. The makers of the new Legacy had reversed my opinion, but I wish the initial puffs were more like the latter ones. Overall, I believe José Seijas is happy with this latter day H. Upmann evolution. And, for the price that BnB Tobacco has these beauties for sale, I would suggest stocking up on some.
|
Factor |
Description |
Possible Score |
Score |
| Construction | Fresh out of the humidor, how does the cigar look? Are large veins evident in the wrapper? Does the cigar have a firm feel to it? |
1-15 |
15 |
| Band | Is the band an embarrassment that you wouldn’t want to smoke in public? |
1-5 |
5 |
| First Puff | How satisfying is the very first puff of the cigar? |
1-10 |
6 |
| Draw | Can the cigar be smoked without strain? Does it burn up too quickly? |
1-15 |
14 |
| Flavor | Does it achieve all three notes? Does the flavor come through to the smoker sufficiently? |
1-20 |
18 |
| Aroma | Is the aroma of the cigar while burning fragrant or offensive? |
1-10 |
9 |
| Ash/Burn | Does the cigar produce a solid ash? Is it flaky? Does it canoe? |
1-10 |
9 |
| Value | Bucks per puff. For the enjoyment is the cigar reasonably priced? |
1-15 |
14 |
|
Possible Score |
100 |
90 |