Cigar Review

H. Upmann Sir Winston

I’m not going to lie.  It was only after delving into this month’s issue of cigar aficionado, which features the iconic Sir Winston Churchill, that I even considered revisiting a box of H. Upmann Sir Winston’s that had been peacefully aging away in one of my humidors.  Although not the actual cigar Sir Winston himself smoked, (that is said to be Romeo e Julieta Churchills) Habanos SA crafted the Sir Winston in the H.Upmann marque to celebrate and commemorate Britain’s cigar smoking iron giant.

The box I currently own displays the box code TLR SEP 08, which means the cigars were rolled in September of 2008, roughly 10 years ago.  Let me go on record ending the debate of whether aged cigars are truly better than freshly rolled sticks…the answer is a resounding YES!  If you have the time, patience, and money to store away some great cigars, specifically Cuban cigars, you will not be disappointed by your investment.  Let’s see how these 10-year-old Sir Winston’s are progressing.

 

On to the review….

 

H. Upmann Sir Winston Attributes

Size: Churchill

Length: 7

Ring Gauge: 47

Wrapper: Cuba

Binder: Cuba

Filler: Cuba

Country: Cuba

Price: $31.00 USD ea.

Pre-light Inspection: The smooth medium brown wrapper on this cigar had an almost redish Rosado hue. The triple seam cap was semi-sloppy and the pre-light smell showed characteristics of a rich velvety chocolate and raspberry.  No soft spots were detected and the cold draw was extremely tight showing notes of straw/hay with a creamy finish.

Tasting Notes and Performance:  Hands down, the H.Upmann Sir Winston performed like an all-star.  Although the draw was a bit firmer than I typically prefer, the cigar burned and smoked very well.  Cigar was mild in strength and medium in body throughout most of the smoking experience.  Cigar tastes included a salty soft caramel start that transitioned to cinnamon, brown sugar, buttery characteristics, and ended with creamy, bready, cedar notes. The room note reminded me of a freshly rising yeasty bread with the cigar producing a lot of thin white smoke. Very much an interesting and rewarding smoking experience.

Overall Impressions: The wait has definitely yielded reward with the H. Upmann Sir Winston.  With a little over half a box remaining, I am certainly looking forward to smoking my remaining stock in the very near future.  Although I am a firm believer that cigars do improve with age, similar to wine, there is a window where cigars peak, and if not smoked, begin to lose flavor.  The current 2008 stock are performing unbelievably amazing at the moment, offering any cigar smoker the pleasure and enjoyment we search for each smoking experience.  In my opinion, if you’ve got ‘em, smoke ‘em.

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