Last year at IPCPR Altadis showed off a new released under the H. Upmann brand: H. Upmann | Grupo de Maestros Connecticut. It comes in four sizes and is made to celebrate the 175th anniversary of the Cuban H. Upmann brand name. It is the first Upmann to use a Connecticut wrapper. Also making this unique is the use of a piece of maduro wrapper in the cap.
This cigar was reviewed blind (no bands) by a panel of at least 4 reviewers. They did not know what they were smoking beforehand. The scores are an average of all the reviewers' scores with outliers removed. All of our cigars reviewed are shipped to the panelists with Boveda packs to ensure optimal smoking experience.
In addition to the Connecticut wrapper, it uses a Dominican binder and fillers from Dominican Republic and Nicaragua. The cigar is rolled at Altadis’ Tabacalera de Garcia. It comes in 20 count boxes. The four vitolas are: Robusto (5 x 52) — $8.35, Toro (6 x 50) — $8.60, Belicoso (6 1/8 x 52) — $8.80, and Churchill (6 3/4 x 48) — $8.95.
Vital Stats:
Vitola: Robusto Length: 5″ Ring Gauge: 52 Country of Origin: Dominican Republic Wrapper: Ecuador Connecticut Binder: Dominican Republic Filler: Dominican Republic & Nicaragua Factory: Tabacalera de Garcia Blender: Grupo de Maestros Number of reviewers: 4 – Alan(Eulogy) Ryan H.(Ryan H.) John A.(Bostoneo) Mickey T.(irratebass) Price: $8.35 Age: 5 Months Release Date: October 2018 Contributed by: Blind Man’s Puff
Initial Impressions
Appearance: 93
“Very attractive cigar. The wrapper is soft to the touch, the seams are almost invisible, and the cap is a darker leaf in contrast to the golden brown hue of the rest of the wrapper. ” –Alan (Eulogy)
Aroma: 91
“The aroma is fabulous. It’s both woody walnut campfire with a minute sweetness.” –Ryan H. (Ryan H.)
First Third
Blind Cigar Review: H. Upmann | Grupo de Maestros Connecticut Robusto
Flavor: 90 Strength: Medium Body/Complexity: Medium
“Very rich blast of oily pepper on the first few puffs. Notes of leather start to develop and the smoke gives a very dry mouth feel. Mineral and bread start to take the place of very aggressive pepper. It’s not an unpleasant first third but is a slightly weird profile that reminds me of peppery sour dough bread with strong notes of leather. ” –Alan (Eulogy)
“A slightly tight draw gets me going on the initial light up. Flavors of creamy leather and hay hit off the bat. Rich vanilla creaminess sneaks in after a half inch in and maintains course through the rest of this third. ” –John A. (Bostoneo)
Second Third
Flavor: 88 Strength: Medium Body/Complexity: Medium
Blind Cigar Review: H. Upmann | Grupo de Maestros Connecticut Robusto
“Draw is extremely tight. Burn is performing very well. Without the espresso note, the cigar has become rather one noted. Profile is still good just a little less interesting.” –Ryan H. (Ryan H.)
“Flavors are staying consistent, but there is something else trying to pop it’s head in, but I can’t quite place it. Wrapper is starting to crack close to the foot. ” –Mickey T. (irratebass)
Final Third
Flavor: 88 Strength: Medium-Strong Body/Complexity: Medium
Blind Cigar Review: H. Upmann | Grupo de Maestros Connecticut Robusto
“Profile has lighten to creamed coffee, a wonderful addition to the profile. The cigar was very enjoyable but did not wow me” –Ryan H. (Ryan H.)
“The final third is upon me and with it brings flavors of charred oak, vanilla, and a nice medium profile. The intensity of the flavors tame down after awhile and the cigar tones down into a nice leathery, creamy, and slightly earthy profile. Towards the end a spicy black pepper creeps in to end this stick. ” –John A. (Bostoneo)
Overall Impressions
Draw: 87
“Nice and open with plenty of smoke ” –Mickey T. (irratebass)
Burn: 98
“Solid ash and razor sharp burn though out. Never required a touch up or relight. ” –Alan (Eulogy)
Construction: 91
“No soft spots or blemishes to be found. Expertly constructed. ” –Alan (Eulogy)
Overall Strength: Medium-Strong Overall Body/Complexity: Medium Experience Overall: 90
“Kinda like a roller coaster. The beginning was promising, the middle was great, and the end felt like sitting through its a small world. This is probably one of the driest smokes I’ve had in awhile. The smoke output was actually very good but it always felt like it was wicking my mouth dry. It’s certainly worth a try but if you’re not a fan of mineral notes you might want to pass on this one. ” –Alan (Eulogy)
“Overall, nice Connecticut cigar with plenty of flavor to get thumbs up from even more heavy bodied smokers. I felt this cigar was stunted a bit by its tighter than normal draw and could of really been a gem otherwise. The flavor profiles were spot on for a rich conni wrapped cigar any smoker would thoroughly enjoy anytime of the day for any occasion. I’d like to redux this one to see if it had a better draw. Thumbs up!” –John A. (Bostoneo)
“I really liked this cigar, there was quite a bit going on with it. Plenty of sweetness, and I’m sure that’s because of the maduro cap. I got chocolate, honey, almonds, and wood. Strength was at an even medium.” –Mickey T. (irratebass)
To view the complete scores and notes, click here.
Blind Cigar Review: H. Upmann | Grupo de Maestros Connecticut Robusto
Overall Score – 91 – Very Good
Blind Cigar Review: H. Upmann | Grupo de Maestros Connecticut Robusto
Summary
"Overall, nice Connecticut cigar with plenty of flavor to get thumbs up from even more heavy bodied smokers. I felt this cigar was stunted a bit by its tighter than normal draw and could of really been a gem otherwise. The flavor profiles were spot on for a rich conni wrapped cigar any smoker would thoroughly enjoy anytime of the day for any occasion. I’d like to redux this one to see if it had a better draw. Thumbs up!" -John A. (Bostoneo)
