More reviews are on tap for today, beginning with a Cuban selection from H. Upmann. Right after that we have a tasty cigar from Rocky Patel that was made to honor a famous pipe maker.

H. Upmann Regalias

H. Upmann is a brand of cigars that has been around for a very long time. Since its beginnings in the mid 1800's, the brand's cigars has been the choice of several famous people, including President John F. Kennedy. In fact, Kennedy was such a fan, that he supposedly requested some H. Upmann sticks prior to announcing the American trade embargo back in 1961. The brand is known to produce offerings that stray from being overly powerful and are instead milder smokes.

The H. Upmann Regalias measures 5 1/8x 42. The cigar is handmade and is composed of Cuban tobacco. This stick is of the smoother variety, as it sits somewhere in between the mild and medium-bodied categories.

The Regalias certainly will not win any beauty contests. It looks about as average as a cigar could. The wrapper is a bit rough and has a slight sheen of oil on the surface. There are some veins visible as well. A single decorative band lies near the head that displays the H. Upmann brand name and Habana Cuba. Its red, gold, and white color scheme does elevate the cigar's aesthetic appearance somewhat. When feeling the cigar, it seems to be extremely firm and well-packed. Whether this is foreshadowing of the draw remains to be seen. A quick whiff reveals a tobacco scent, and the cold taste is also of tobacco.

When finally lit, the cigar performs well, with the exception of the draw. As expected, it was quite hard, yet still tolerable enough to keep smoking. Solid white ash is produced. There is no need for any touch-ups and the cigar burns evenly on its own. Re-lighting is also not necessary.