H. Upmann is one of the oldest brands in the cigar industry, and their blends have always been a consistent part of my rotation for many years. Every time I light up a cigar carrying the H. Upmann brand, I always expect a spectacular experience — every blend always delivers, so my expectations are no different with the H. Upmann Sun Grown Magnum.
However, with the wide variety of top-quality cigars available in the market nowadays, my beloved H. Upmann seems to be getting lost in my shuffle. Today, I was having a tough time deciding what I want to light up, so I resolved that it was time to revisit a favorite.
| Wrapper Origin: Ecuador | Shape: Toro |
| Length: 6 | Ring: 54 |
| Wrapper: Habano | List Price: $126 (Box of 21) |
| Origin: Honduras | Strength: Medium |
Pull of Cigar
The H. Upmann Sun Grown Magnum comes bundled in a striking red-and-yellow band that enhances the cigar’s oily dark brown Ecuadorian Sun Grown wrapper leaf. Beneath it, a Connecticut Broadleaf binder envelops a premium blend of long-filler tobaccos hailing from Nicaragua and Honduras.
Construction-wise, this Magnum has a firm and well-packed feel about it, with no soft areas running its length. I noticed a small hole in the wrapper near its seam, but the cigar smoked just fine even with this minor flaw. It has a few prominent veins but no obtrusive ones.
The pre-light aroma also exudes a captivating smell of sweet baking spices, honeysuckle, cocoa, and cedar. I get a lovely sweet cedar mixed with a mild, spicy tobacco taste on the cold draw. The pull of the cigar was a bit on the tight side, maintaining a fair bit of resistance throughout the smoke. Everything about the H. Upmann Sun Grown Magnum tempts me to fire up the foot and puff a smoke right away.
Taste
The H. Upmann Sun Grown Magnum goes right into stride, lighting up with ease. Appealing flavors of chocolate and woody sweetness presented themselves in the first act, accompanied by a hint of fruitiness in the background. A well-aged Cognac made a fitting companion to the sweet, spicy, and rich flavors gracing my palate as I smoke.
After a few more puffs, my palate was flooded with a heavy dose of cedar, wood, and leathery tobacco. There is also a slight sensation of sweet spice on the tongue. A touch of red pepper revealed itself as wisps of the rich, aromatic smoke stream into the air.
The second third did not offer much in terms of the evolution of flavor. However, its consistent flavors became bolder with every draw. I pick out subtle hints of sweet blueberry before a bitter aftertaste settles over my tongue. About halfway in, the woody flavor relents, and the sweetness soars through the roof.
Lush clouds of white smoke consistently billow up through the air, encapsulating the room with desirable aromas. The char line of the cigar is a bit wavy, but the ash is an ideal snow white and held firm for over an inch before it gracefully fell onto my ashtray with a single thump.
Finishing up in the final third, the notes of wood and cedar are still at center stage. At the same time, a delightful surge of creaminess commands the attention of the palate. The sweetness that appeared towards the close of the first third gets pushed to the background as the spice starts to ramp up with every draw. The cigar offered delightful fruity flavors followed by a blast of leather notes, primarily through the retrohale. Fleeting notes of chocolate proceeds to make an impression while a long spicy finish starts to unfold.
Towards the very end, this Magnum heats up a bit too much for me, but I am so drawn to the exquisite flavors of the final third that I am willing to push through and nub this cigar. Unfortunately, it got too tough to keep the cigar burning, so I had to relight it several times which only hurt the profile and turned the smoke harsh and bitter. I took a few final bitter draws until I was eventually forced to put the cigar down.
Overall
After a wonderful time with this premium cigar, The H. Upmann Sun Grown Magnum has lived up to my expectations. There were few imperfections throughout the smoke, but overall, the construction of the cigar was spot-on. Every draw had a desirable restraint that billows with thick, smooth, and creamy white smoke. As for the flavors, I could say that the second half was empirically better than the first.
Although my pleasant experience was cut short before the anticipated finale, the consistency of flavors that I realize is swaying me to the overall positive reaction I get from this blend. If I come across more of these H. Upmann Sun Grown Magnum, I will surely purchase a pack or two to keep stocked away to age beautifully in my humidor. I’m sure that with a couple more months of aging, this blend will be more cohesive and complex from start to finish.
My experience with this particular stick wasn’t the best I had from an H. Upmann blend, but it was still an enjoyable cigar. You don’t need a sophisticated palate to enjoy an H. Upmann Sun Grown Magnum. The flavors are quite straightforward and there are no nuanced overlapping flavors that will require a seasoned palate to pick out.
I give this an 85-point rating. This Magnum is not perfectly refined, but it intrigued me enough that I’d like to smoke another one, probably with a cup of cinnamon-spiced chai the next time.
