Rookie Review for H. Upmann Vintage Cameroon

[tx_tuff]

H. Upmann Vintage Cameroon Cigars

Wrapper: Cameroon
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Dom, Nic and Peru
Origin: Dominican Republic

Corona 5 1/2 X 44
Single $4.05 Box of 25 $90.00
Bought at www.seriouscigars.com

Avg Score: 86.4


tx_tuff's review
PRE-LIGHT Max points 15


This was a very attractive cigar when it was all dolled up. It had three bands with a cedar selve,
Once the selve and the extra bands came off of the stick, it's rough side started to show. The cigar
had a nice medium brown color but was veiny and had a rough double cap, with one being much larger
than the other. The cigar was firm but not hard, with no soft spots. The wrapper had a natural tobacco
smell with just a hint of sweetness while at the foot I could onlt smell tobacco. I got a perfect cut
with my Xikar and the pre-draw was perfect with a mild tobacco flavor.

Points : 12




FIRST 3RD Max points 25


I light this cigar up with a soft flame because I was outside in the daylight and you can't see a torch
in the daylight. It light very well and I got a slight cedar taste on the first couple of draws. The draw
was good but could have been a little easier and it produced a good amount of smoke. The taste was mild with
a slight sweetness. At this point it is a smooth smoke. The burn is even with a nice tight gray ash that has
lasted for the first third of the cigar. There has not been any taste changes since the slight taste of cedar
at the start.

Points : 22




SECOND 3RD Max points 35


As I started to get into the second 3rd of the cigar (the heart of the cigar) the ash fell to the ground.
The taste started to get a little heavier at this point while the draw seemed to be right on target with a
good deal of smoke coming thru. At this point the cigar is producing a short finish and is still smoking as
a mild smoke. There was a slight change in taste as I started picking up a nutty flavor, the cigar has had a
perfect burn so far and staying even. The ash didn't hold as long these time as it did at first with it dropping
in my lap at about an inch long. The cigar starts to turn into more of a medium smoke as I get towards the end
of the second third, at no point has the smoke or cigar shown any heat. The stronger taste and nutty flavor
improved the profile of this cigar from the first 3rd.

Points : 31




LAST 3RD Max points 25


The ash is not holding very long but it has not been flaky at all, burn is still spot on with an even burn.
I am starting to get more of the nutty flavor and the finish is lasting longer. There has been no bitterness
to this cigar at all and it is starting to get creamy. I smoked this last third a little slower because of the
small ring gauge I was worried it would start to burn hot. But there as been no heat from this cigar from the
smoke or on my fingers, a real nice surprise. This cigar as performed very well with no burn problems what so ever,
a good even burn, good amount of smoke and a nice ash that was never flaky even if you can't win a long ash contest
with it. I think this is a very good cigar for the price.

Points : 23

TOTAL SCORE : 88



stig's review
Pre-light
The cedar sleeve was wrapped firmly around the cigar, but slid off easily without damaging the wrapper. The wrapper was a beautiful, even, chocolaty color, with some light veining. The cap was a great triple cap, although I had to look really closely to tell, because the color of the cap blends in so well with the wrapper the lines were almost invisible. The cigar felt nice and firm throughout, with a little bit of give. There were two spots, one about one inch up from the foot, the other about two and a half inches up from the foot, that were a little spongier than the rest of the cigar, but were acceptable.
The wrapper smelled great, a nice sweet tobacco smell, with a very faint barnyard smell to it. I was surprised that there wasn’t much of a cedar smell to it, so I smelled the cedar sleeve and it didn’t seem to have any smell of its own. The smell off the foot was the same as the wrapper, except a little fainter.
I cut the cap of the cigar with my new Xikar MTX, which I bought in the same order from Serious. If you’ve watched Walt’s video on how to use cigar scissors over at Stogie Review, he talks about a problem with scissors you may run into, where the filler is bunched over underneath the cap; I ran into that problem with this cigar. When I shaved off the cap, the filler leaves were bunched over, so I had to take off more, and may as well have just used my Xikar Xi cutter. Not a problem, just a heads up for those that use scissors.
The pre-light draw was alright. There was some resistance, and it was tighter than I like it. It was very light on taste; there was a very faint barnyard taste, but without the pungency, and maybe a hint of chocolate. The wrapper leaf itself had no taste at all, not while I was moistening the cap for cutting, and not while I was trying the pre-light draw. It seemed to leave a somewhat stale, cardboard-y taste in the back of my mouth though, which was kind of unpleasant.
With all that done, I lit up the cigar with my Vector torch lighter and went out to smoke it, with nothing to drink.
Rating: 10/15
I took a few points off for the tight draw and the weird stale taste it left in my mouth.

First Third (3:31 AM)
This was the first Cameroon wrapped cigar I’ve ever had, so I was eager to find out what it’d be like. As I lit it, it gave off a blast of spiciness, without much other flavor, something I understand is quite common with Cameroons. It definitely wasn’t overwhelming or anything, but I love spicy food so your experience may vary. At first the volume of smoke was a little on the small side, probably due to the tight draw. The first few puffs were all spiciness, with not much other flavor, but about two-thirds of an inch in, there came a hint of sweetness, and the spiciness subsided a little, to a very pleasant level. I noticed that when I wasn’t drawing on the cigar, not much smoke came off the foot, so the aroma wasn’t very strong. After a few more puffs, the volume of smoke increased to a nice volume, although the draw stayed the same. The burn line was extremely nice and even, and the ash was a nice grayish white. It wasn’t very dense, but sometimes the ash at the foot isn’t very dense at first, and improves later on. The smoke had a nice, sweet smell, but there wasn’t much flavor to it, and the finish was almost non-existent. It was basically just some spiciness that faded quickly. About three-fourths of an inch in, I started double-puffing, to see if I could get more flavor, and I did get some more sweetness.
Towards the end of the first third, the sweetness started coming out more, and a nutty taste started to develop. One time, while I was drawing on the cigar, I smelled an amazing coffee aroma, and became extremely hopeful that it would stick around in the aroma and flavor, but it only lasted a brief moment. By now, the volume of smoke was great, although the draw was still a little tight. The burn line started to get a little crooked, but it was fighting the wind, and it was still relatively even, so it was fine. The ash was great, it had hung on since the very beginning, but as I went to take a picture of it, I knocked it off with the camera. ops:
Rating: 17/25
I took points off for the continued tight draw, and the fact that it took almost the full first third for the cigar to develop any flavor.

Second Third (3:46 AM)
At the beginning of the first third, I purged the cigar, to see if some of that flavor would come out more. Some nuttiness started developing, and as the nuttiness got stronger, the spiciness subsided more. The finish got longer as the nuttiness got stronger, which was very nice. At this point, I’d probably rate this as a mild bodied cigar. The draw remained tight, but the amount of smoke was fine so it wasn’t that much of a problem. I thought I might run into some problems with the cigar getting hot, since it was a corona, but I didn’t, probably partly because it was cold and windy. The burn line stayed relatively even, as long as I kept the slow burning part face down, the burn line stayed pretty consistent. The ash didn’t get any denser than it was from the beginning, but it was still nice and hung on nicely.
At the halfway mark, the spiciness, which had faded quite a bit, started getting stronger again, and the nuttiness subsided and practically disappeared. At that point, however, I noticed that the nutty flavors had gotten rid of the stale taste that had been in my mouth since the pre-light draw. Along with the spiciness came the sweetness again. About two thirds through this third, though, the nuttiness started coming back, but instead of being the main flavor, it came back as an aftertaste, after the initial flavors of spiciness and sweetness, which was very nice, and definitely the high point of this cigar. After a few puffs, the nuttiness faded away again, but I got some more whiffs of the coffee aroma, and there were hints of the coffee in the taste.
Towards the end of the second third, the flavor picked up some tanginess, which was pleasant. The draw started to get a little tighter, but there was still a decent amount of smoke, so I just massaged the head a little. I noticed that by now, smoke was now coming off the foot of the cigar in a consistent stream while not drawing.
Rating: 30/35
Points off for the still tight draw, but the flavors and aroma were nice, and there was plenty of smoke.

Last Third (4:02 AM)
The cigar was still holding the ash from the entire second third, but I decided to de-ash it, so I could tell in my pictures which one was the beginning of the last third. I also purged it again, to see if this last third would be anything special.
At this point, I took off the band, which was very lightly glued and extremely easy to take off, a nice plus. The taste and aroma remained nice and sweet, and the spiciness and nuttiness came back again, which went nicely with the tanginess. About half an inch in, though, the finish became a little tarry, and the draw had continued to get tighter, so with one and a half inches left on the cigar, I decided I was finished, and put it out, at 4:15, making it a 46 minute smoke.
Rating: 16/25
Had to put it out earlier than I normally like to, due to bad taste and a tight draw.

Overall: 73/100
I wouldn’t pay $4 for this cigar again, because there are several cheaper cigars out there I like more than this one, but it was definitely an interesting experience. It was my first Cameroon cigar, and it was definitely different from all the other cigars I’ve had, and I definitely liked what I understand to characteristics typical of Cameroons, so I’ll definitely be looking into some more Cameroon wrapped cigars.



elmomac's review
In reviewing the H Upmann Vintage Cameroon, I smoked 2 sticks at 2 different sittings and really came away with 2 different experiences. I will describe the traits they had in common and then try to explain the individual differences. The wrapper on these sticks was a beautiful brownish bronze color. They had very small veins and a fine gritty feel and were well rolled without an obvious seam in the wrapper. The wrapper smelled of a woody tobacco flavor and the foot had a mild tobacco smell. They had a very even and smooth double cap which I removed with my xikar cutter and both sticks were very firm to squeeze. Pre-light draw was firm but not laboring, just right, I had expected it to be more firm. Each stick lit well and burned near perfectly even throughout the entire time. I used my trusty Bic lighter and once lit, I never had to do a single touch up!! Each produced a flakey, grayish/beige ash with streaks of black that remained on the stick through the first 1 ½" before falling. Both sticks burned very slowly and produced no heat that would keep me from enjoying or putting down early.

Now for the differences:
Condition 1: Stick 1 was smoked after a large dinner, mid-evening and with a bottle of water. Pre-light taste was that of mild tobacco and once it was lit produced a nice amount of smoke and a mild woody tobacco flavor during the 1st 1/3rd. Flavor continued to grow through the 2nd 1/3rd with increase in peppery spice and rich tobacco flavors almost reaching a medium body and a finish that lingers just a little while on the tongue. The final 1/3rd continued to linger a bit longer as expected, however the spice subsided and more tobacco flavor came through. Not much change in flavor, only the amount present.
I had expected more from this stick but it didn't deliver. I would call this a mild to medium stick. I gave this a number score of 90.

Condition 2: Stick 2 was smoked before breakfast, mid-morning with a pot of Columbian coffee. Pre-light taste was of rich tobacco and once it was lit produced a rich tobacco flavor and "zest". (Not fruity but the zing you get from an orange peel.) The 1st 1/3rd had a finish that was medium and the draw produced a large amount of smoke with excellent flavor and zest. The 2nd 1/3rd continued much the same, with a slight increase in flavor and finish but a mellowing of the zest. I enjoyed this stick much more than the first. The final 1/3rd showed an increase in rich tobacco flavor as the spice mellowed slightly. The finished lingered just enough to enjoy. This stick reached a nice medium strength, more like I expected. I gave this a number score of 93.


threecrazychefs
Pre- Light 13/15
The Cigar has a dark brown wrapper that has a nice oily sheen, very little vein, and a nice tooth. There are some very minor blemishes, but the Cigar has no soft spots and appears to be very well constructed. The cap , while not perfect is very nice. The wrapper has a faint smell with clean tobacco and some sweet cedar. The foot smells of pure cigar tobacco. The draw seems just slightly firm.

First third 23/25
The cigar lights well and has a nice even burn with a slightly firm draw. The cigar does not produce a ton of smoke and has very little "foot" smoke from the ashtray. It starts of with a noticeable spice but mellows out around 1/4" of an inch in and begins to bring a nice flavor with a little cedar. The ash is gray and firm and comes of in clean chunks when i tap it off. The Cigar is medium in body.

Second Third 32/35
The cigar really comes in to its own here. It gives of nice flavors some of which seem to come and go. It is not extremely complex but it is not static either. The burn remains great. The draw eases to a bit and is very nice.

Third third 20/25
The cigar is lacking here. Both of the cigars I smoked began to create off flavors. One hadsome kind of bad spot that tasted horrible and even went out. It returned after this spot but was never as good as the middle. I did not nub either of the cigars as it was clear the best of it had come and gone.

Total score 88/100



We will all be posting pictures on this thread.

[tx_tuff]

tx_tuff pictures

[jitzy]

great job guys I'm looking forward to more reviews

[dj5213]

man the cigar doesn't sound to bad...except for the draw! i might have to pick one of these up!very nice review thanks !!

[stig-cl]

Here are some of the pictures I took.

Attachment 14439

Attachment 14440

Attachment 14441

After a few puffs...
Attachment 14442

Last picture I have of the first third's ash.
Attachment 14443

End of first third, after I knocked the ash off with the camera
Attachment 14444

Ash at the end of the second third
Attachment 14445

Just before I put it out
Attachment 14446

[tx_tuff]

Nice pics Philip, looks like your ash held better than mine.

[stig-cl]

Yeah, the ash was nice and strong. Maybe my cigars were just super-packed, and gave me nice ashes but terrible draws. Both of my mine were like that.

[shrtcrt-cl]

I LOVE this stick. I had one again the other night and it was tasty. I gave one to my girl to smoke and it knocked her on her ass! mmmmm Upmann.

[karmaz00]

wow nice review guys.

[sofaman]

Great review guys I have one in the Humi I am going to have to give it a try!!!

[stig-cl]

Hmm... Maybe some review panel awards are in order?

[AbeScromsbie-cl]

Great reviews... I'm a big fan of the Upmann line. They're usually my morning commute stick.

[patefengreen]

Nice info guys. The H. Upmann Vintage Cameroon is a staple of mine. One of those great go-to, "economical" cigars that fits the bill for me as far as price and quality. It's not something I'd classify as a special occasion smoke, but it does taste and smell like a cigar should. I've never had one that was offensive, rank or just off. They've always been even keel for me. I actually bought a box of Robustos before Christmas (25 for $70) that have been chillin' in the fridgador. Nice reviews. It's always interesting to see everyone's take on a cigar and see the different flavors/draws/etc. everyone experiences.

[Poss253a]

Great review...this is one of my favourite cigars.

[aljrka]

Great review fellas!