H Upmann Connie 1 Unknown Boxcode XNYRC

[MooseAMuffin]

Over the holiday season it was pretty windy and/or cold but I was able to step out one night and light up an HU Connie 1.

I grabbed this from a box pass a little over a year ago. Since I hadn't had one in a while, I paired it with a Coke.

Pre-light: Wrapper was super smooth and oily. Smell was of light cedar and barnyard. Used a v-cut, which has become a new favorite of mine, and took a cold draw. Draw was a little snug, flavors of hay and wood came through.

First Third: The cigar was very mild and smooth. Smoke wasnt too thick, at first I wasn't sure if the cigar was completely lit. The main flavor I picked up was a light toasted tobacco. Some hints of grass with a touch of pepper at times. 

Second Third: The flavor of wood was still present but secondary flavors like grass and a touch of sweetness gained some notoriety. There was a slight burn issue on one side that seemed like it wanted to take its sweet time. With the cigar being so mild I was worried if I'd have to touch it up but after a while I was forced to. It threw off the next few puffs but the cigar regained its flavors after.

Final Third: The final third didnt add much to the table. Same flavors of wood with a little grass. Sometimes some sweet and sometimes some pepper. The burn was a little wavy but didnt require any attention. Once the stick heated up, I pitched it.

Overall I enjoyed the mildness of the cigar. It was a nice smooth relaxing smoke. There wasnt much complexity to it, but that doesnt bother me. Nothing that blew my socks off either. I think these are probably like all HUs, IMO. I think young they are consistently ok but with age, they get pretty complex and can become some top tier cigars.

Score: 84/100

[rcarlson]

Surprised the Connie 1 didn't rate higher for you.  I find these to be the bargain of the year.  In fact, I recently got a box on 24:24 clearance day that are not the prettiest or very oily, and many have wrapper flaws/cracked feet, and I am really fond of them.  Even with the imperfections, I get thinking about the next at the halfway mark.  The always scratch that HU itch for me when I'm not ready to go after an A (which are always on). 

Anyway, good job on the review.  Good luck.        

[MooseAMuffin]

9 minutes ago, rcarlson said:

Surprised the Connie 1 didn't rate higher for you.  I find these to be the bargain of the year.  In fact, I recently got a box on 24:24 clearance day that are not the prettiest or very oily, and many have wrapper flaws/cracked feet, and I am really fond of them.  Even with the imperfections, I get thinking about the next at the halfway mark.  The always scratch that HU itch for me when I'm not ready to go after an A (which are always on). 

Anyway, good job on the review.  Good luck.        

I definitely enjoyed the mildness of the cigar. I think the lower rating goes with the fact that it was on the younger side. In my short experience with Upmanns, especially connie 1s, they seem to score lower for me if they are younger than 3 years. That being said, Upmanns like the A or Winnie when young will score higher than this but they both get much better with age too. It may sound crazy but I think HU is a marca that ages extremely well compared to the others.