The H. Upmann 180th Anniversary commemorates one of the oldest and most famous cigar brands in the world. The cigar, an iconic 7 x 50 Churchill size is limited to only 5,000 boxes.
In 2019, Altadis USA celebrated the 175th Anniversary with a release that I consider to be one of the 5 best cigars I have ever smoked. The 96 rating I gave it at the time probably could have gone even higher if I did a redux review.
So the question is did Altadis USA catch lightning in a bottle for a second time? Can it be as good as the first? Experience says no, but I can’t wait to light this cigar up.
Cigar Review: H. Upmann 180th Anniversary
Size: 7 x 50 (Churchill)
Wrapper: Nicaragua Medio Tiempo
Binder: Nicaragua
Fillers: Nicaragua
Factory: Tabacalera AJ Fernandez Cigars de Nicaragua S.A.
Release Date: August 2024
Box Count: 10
The Cigar: Featuring a gorgeous oily wrapper of unknown seed that comes from the very top of the plant, the Medio Tiempo is flawless. The cigar features the same primary band with gold, white and blue and the number 180 that replaces the 175 of the original. The foot band utilizes the same colors and it flips over the foot protecting it. In the hand the cigar is slightly light in the hand and it feels more delicate then many cigars.
The Taste: The cold draw serves up some subtle molasses with a touch of tangerines revealing a more muted sweetness than the original. The molasses is amplified on the foot where there is also a subtle manure aroma which as I have mentioned many times before is considered a huge compliment in tobacco. Once the cigar is toasted and lit there is a subtle mocha and a fair amount of pepper.
As we settle into the first third of the H. Upmann 180 Anniversary there is a subtle orange rind in the background over a canvas of mocha with a touch of leather thrown as well. Right out of the gate the cigar is complex and delicious. The carbon line which is the black line at the burn is the thinnest I have ever seen on a cigar. Some people believe this has to to with the age of the cigar and while that is a factor so is the fermentation process the cigar goes through. As third comes a close there is a subtle pepper on the aroma as well as the retrohale which also sees additional mocha.
The second third sees mocha slowly transition to espresso while holding on to some milk chocolate on the aroma and retrohale after a subtle white pepper. As we hit the halfway point the espresso is well defined with some cashews and a touch of vanilla that comes and goes as we move into the final half of the cigar where it is joined by a creamy finish amplified by the retrohale.
As we enter the final third a dominant espresso note becomes the focal point with touches of leather and black pepper. As we move past where the band would have been there is the occasional cocoa until leather and black pepper take over in the final inch. The black pepper is enhanced on the retrohale all with some seared cedar.
Conclusion: I’ve smoked cigars now for 26 years and I have never seen an older company become new again like Altadis has ever since they hired Rafael Nodal in 2017. In 2023, he was named Vice President of Tabacalera USA. Since he joined, the company has become relevant again. I realize to some they might say the company was never not relevant, but the cigars they made were my grandfather’s cigars and the company for me had become stale.
With that random thought out of the way let us return to the cigar in hand. The H. Upmann 180 Anniversary was never going to be the 175 Anniversary but it is pretty damn close. It might not be as sweet as the original but there is plenty of complexity and depth to the cigar.
Score: 95
Price: $22.50 (Before any local and/or state taxes)
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