H. Upmann: Vintage Cameroon (Churchill)

"I have long believed that any man interested in either the mystic or the romantic aspects of  life must sooner or later define his attitude concerning Spain".  That is James Michener's marvelous opening sentence in Iberia.  Using boldacious literary liberty, I will postulate that "I now believe that any man interested in the spendid delightment of a cigar, must sooner or later enjoy one in the advent of a hurricane breeze". 

A H. Upmann vintage cameroon, churchill length accompanied me amid wind squalls and intermittent rain and falling palm tree fronds.  You should all be as lucky.  Retailing at $6.98, the Upmann is adorned with a cedar sleeve that gives it a nice touch that raises its expectations.  First, the cigar was lit with an Alec Bradley "The Burner" Table Top Cigar Lighter that was recently purchased at Stogies World Class Cigar in Houston.  If you are lucky enough to be in Houston and you are a cigar freak, you must go to Stogies and spend a few minutes talking cigars with Jorge "don't call me George".  His shop is top notch and he is a bonafide cigar expert. And HE BUILT his business.

The Upmann vintage cameroon cigar construction is solid with no identifiable weakness. It was firm but not so firm that makes you feel like you have a rusty steel rod in your mouth. The burn was even throughout -- there was no need to re-light at any point. The ashes were gray, which doesn't mean much except that I tend to favor the lighter, almost white ashes. Makes the smoke appear cleaner. The drag was excellent. Up until the very end, each drag produced a mouth full of smoke that, in turn, yielded a bountiful puff that was blown away rapidly by the strong winds.

The cigar taste was, for the most part, rich and somewhat complex. This is not a bland cigar nor is it the "only smoke after eating a porterhouse steak" variety. That said, the taste was uneven, and can be best described by three one-third segments.  The first third was a decent lead-in, a bit oaky. The second third was the most rewarding part of the stick.  This portion was smooth, a bit on the sweet side, fantastic drag, crisp and nutty. I was hoping that the cigar would burn forever. The last third, ahhh, the last third, was pretty soily and slightly harsh and the drag required more effort than I cared to exert.

Come to think of it, the H. Upmann vinatge cameroon reminded me of a movie I had seen the day before -- The Appaloosa, starring Marlon Brando. The first third was just okay, the second-third was a treat, and the last third was a dud by comparison. Worst part of the movie was John Saxon's cheesy mexican accent (jew weel be sori, you patheteec gringO)

CS Rating ((3 + 4 + 2)/3) = 3.0

El Alcalde