JohnS Posted April 11, 2015 Posted April 11, 2015 Hello everyone, In somewhat of a humorous ode, I find myself writing this review, approximately one week after kicking things off. As today is the last day of the competition, this review may bookend the competition. Hopefully, some of our members can write-up a few more, speaking for myself, I know they've been a joy to read. The cigar I will reviewing today is the uncommon H.Upmann Connoisseur No.1. It is a Robusto, 5 inches (127 mm) by 48 ring gauge. It has been around since pre-1960, but the recent release of the Royal Robusto has maybe usurped its popularity amongst enthusiasts. I know in the Upmann line of cigars, there are other vitolas which currently have more favour, judging by recent trends on our forum. I received this cigar in a recent 48:48 sampler pack. All the cigars were PSP or high end HQ quality. http://www.friendsofhabanos.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=122045 The cigar had no hard or soft spots and it had a nice barnyard, floral smell. Construction wise, it was neither tight nor loose. My Xikar V-Cutter made a smooth incision in the cap. It's not too deep either, as you can see. The First Third I was able to light this easily, despite the Sydney late night drizzle and 80 to 85% relative humidity outside. After suffering with burn issues with my recent cigars, hallelujah!...a nice even burn was achieved. The image of the foot of the cigar doesn't reflect how it gave a red glow in its core, the image reflects it as dark grey. I was surprised to note that the ash was almost white, with hints of light grey. Initial tastings were pleasant, but unlike the standard Upmann profile, I picked up notes of hay and toasted tobacco. The cigar was medium to medium-mild in body. I made a conscious effort to take my time with each puff, so it was no problem, this time, to let the cigar sit and cool. Each draw was effortless in the first third, I felt like I was sipping the cigar, with reams of beautiful smoke given off each time. The first third took 23 minutes. The Second Third At this point, the flavours were more subtle. There were still the hints of hay and toasted tobacco, but with some puffs I detected slight spiciness, others I detected slight sweetness. The body of the cigar became very mild, not over-powering in anyway. It was pleasant to retrohale sometimes too, the mildness allowed me to savour the smoke rather than be overwhelmed by it. In the middle of this period I had to ash and re-light. I was able to get the burn even again, I got good volumes of smoke and I didn't need to re-light again. The second third took 29 minutes. The Final Third For the final third, I noticed that the ash consistency was fine, the burn was still even, but of course, the cigar started to get a little hotter towards the end where earthy flavours came out. I still got good volumes of smoke with each draw, but there were hints of bitterness in the last inch. I wasn't disappointed by this, because the mouth of the cigar around the cut was fairly dry, despite the moist weather conditions. There wasn't excessive tar build-up noted and the bitter flavours were temporary, there were still puffs where I continued to enjoy the mildness I had noted from the beginning. The final third took 28 minutes. Conclusion You are spoilt for choice when it comes to Cuban cigars, especially in regards to enjoying multi-dimensional, flavoursome ones. If you classify Cuban cigars in terms of a flavour spectrum from sweetness to spiciness, The H. Upmann Connoisseur No.1 would fall somewhere definitely in the middle. This is not to say that it doesn't give off pleasant flavours with every draw, that it does. I also appreciated the even burn and the mildness. This wouldn't hurt you to consider having it in your regular rotation. For me, it was a pleasant surprise, I can see it as one of my 'go to' smokes. Below I've included links to video reviews that Ken, Rob and Smithy have done on the H.Upmann Connoisseur No.1 and their consensus was similar. It was nice to hear those conclusions after I had reviewed the cigar. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mf_UXOfA4_Q https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLhkjOu7fI0 Total smoking time: 80 minutes. 1
spirit Posted April 11, 2015 Posted April 11, 2015 Nice review. The Connie 1 is one of my favourites, I actually prefer the size over the Royal Robusto. Added to that is that most of the boxes available from various vendors all appear to have a nice head start of age on them with ealy '13 or sometimes 2011/2012 boxes being available if you hunt around...
hounser Posted April 11, 2015 Posted April 11, 2015 Excellent review, love the Connie 1, always in my regular rotation. Haven't really smoked one as young as your reviewed stick but definitely nice to see that it holds up, may have to try one. I think you're right it's definitely lost some of the spotlight versus other Upmanns but for me the price for this profile is a nice surprise.
bradbrennan Posted April 11, 2015 Posted April 11, 2015 Great review! I'm not sure they fit me as well even though a vherf friend of mine finds it his favorite. Thanks for sharing!
Optic101 Posted April 11, 2015 Posted April 11, 2015 Nice review, the Conni 1 is in my top favorite list, alsways a stable very enjoyable cigar to have a calm smoke.
OZCUBAN Posted April 11, 2015 Posted April 11, 2015 Great review John Cannot go wrong with the connie no 1 or any h up an really they are always super consistent Cheers Steve
Franko Posted April 11, 2015 Posted April 11, 2015 Great review. To bad i havent try em, witch they r on my top list...
dflan82 Posted April 11, 2015 Posted April 11, 2015 Nice review John. I haven't had one of these yet, but I love me some Upmann. Will have to pick some up 1
JohnS Posted April 11, 2015 Author Posted April 11, 2015 Thanks everyone for your comments, I do value your thoughts. Funnily enough, it was almost a relief to have a cigar that smoked well like this without correcting burns, putting up with poor wrappers etc, like some I've had this week. I know for us who enjoy cigar smoking, it's almost like trying to get the perfect cup of coffee. You may never get there, but it's the journey that is so enjoyable! 1
Scroats Posted April 13, 2015 Posted April 13, 2015 Thanks John, you really have me looking forward to my order now. 1
CoCigarSmoker Posted April 13, 2015 Posted April 13, 2015 Great review my friend. I can't wait to get my hands on these!! Seth 1
blottomotto Posted April 15, 2015 Posted April 15, 2015 Very glad I picked a box of these up. Nice review! 1
gr8eman Posted April 28, 2015 Posted April 28, 2015 Does anyone recommend a particular box code on the Connie 1's
stigmata Posted May 9, 2015 Posted May 9, 2015 They're all pretty good. Try to find one with a couple of years or more They're available
NCPANTHERZFAN Posted July 14, 2015 Posted July 14, 2015 I have 2 boxes coming from 24:24 last week! Can't wait to get these resting in my Whytner!
ayepatz Posted July 14, 2015 Posted July 14, 2015 Nice one, mate. Never tried one, but sitting on a cab of Connie As from our host. Must get one for comparison.
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