Pre-light Experience

The wrapper on the H. Upmann Hispaniola by Jose Mendez Toro is on the lighter side of medium brown and has a few slightly raised veins present. The seams are smooth but easily visible due to color variation on the wrapper while the head is finished off with a well applied triple cap. There are two bands with the primary having mostly the tradition design of the brand but being in a red and gold combination and denoting Hispaniola. The secondary band is cream, gold and red and denotes Jose Mendez. The aroma from the wrapper is a mix of wood and sweet hay while the foot brings a mix of stone fruit sweetness and dry hay. The pre-light draw brings a floral note and hay along with a mild spiciness on my lips.

Pre-light Experience

The H. Upmann Hispaniola by Jose Mendez Toro has a lovely Colorado wrapper and sports medium sized veins throughout. It is slightly toothy and oily in texture. There are aromas of graham cracker, soft spices, hay and barnyard with the cigar, and it is firm in hand.

First Third

The cigar begins with cedar, baking spice and mustiness. At a half inch in, the baking spice has mellowed in intensity a bit. The retrohale is musty cedar with some trailing baking spice. At an inch in, the cedar and mustiness are paired up and the baking spice is fairly mellow in the background. At an inch and a half, the baking spice picks back up and is now right behind the musty cedar. As the third comes to a close, the musty cedar and baking spice are evenly matched. The strength in this third was slightly below medium.

First Third

The first third begins with some dry wood notes and it is accompanied by some black pepper, smoked meat, palm leaves and creaminess. It is a good flavor profile, unique and something different for H. Upmann. I would classify the cigar as being medium to medium-full in flavors, and the same goes for the body. The strength is at a medium level and it has a nice start as a cigar.

Second Third

As the second third begins, the mustiness takes the lead while the cedar and baking spice are pretty light in the background. At a half inch in, the mustiness and cedar are once again paired up while the baking spice remains light. The retrohale is just musty cedar. At an inch and a half, a light mintiness joins the profile as the baking spice has left. The third finishes with musty cedar and light mintiness. The strength in this third bumped up to medium.

Second Third

When I get into the second third of the cigar, I start to pick up a lot of pepper notes and with that is some creaminess, mushroom and dry wood. The complexity has come down from the first third, but there has been some transitioning as well which has been enjoyable. Like the first third, the cigar is smoking at a level between medium and medium-full, and that goes for strength, flavors and body.

Final Third

As the final third begins, it continues on with the musty cedar and light mintiness. At a quarter inch in, the mintiness begins to increase. The retrohale is musty cedar with a faint mintiness. At an inch in, the mintiness is even with the musty cedar. The cigar finishes out with all of the components even but the retrohale did see an increase in the mintiness. The strength in this third remained at medium.

Final Third

When I enter into the final third of the cigar, I find a flavor profile that has diminished from the second third and that appears to be a pattern from the first and second third as well. I am picking up some wood and pepper notes, and the finish is of palm leaves. Like before, the cigar is smoking at a level between medium and medium-full in strength, body and flavors.

Burn

The burn was razor sharp the entire way and the ash held on through each third.

Burn

The burn started out fairly poorly on the cigar, but as it progressed it improved gradually throughout. Nice finish, but poor start. With that, the cigar produced an ash that held on firmly from start to finish.

Draw

The draw was perfect with just the right amount of resistance that I prefer.

Overall

The cigar began with cedar, baking spice and mustiness. As it progressed, the baking spice changed up and down in intensity until the end of the second third when it went away and some mintiness joined in. The final third was musty cedar and a building mintiness. Construction was perfect and strength was medium. The H. Upmann Hispaniola by Jose Mendez Toro had a flavor profile that was basic and wasn’t very exciting. Fairly typical flavors and a profile that could be found in many cigars. It did perform beautifully, but overall, it got boring as it went along. The price point is attractive for this vitola, but I’m looking for a better experience and will likely not return to this cigar as it doesn’t do anything that I couldn’t find in any number of other cigars.

Draw

The draw was similar to the burn in that it started out loose, but finished significantly better with more resistance. Haven’t come across a cigar like this in some time.

Overall

I like this H. Upmann Hispaniola by Jose Mendez Toro release for H. Upmann and Altadis. I don’t think it will do well, as Altadis has never seemed to sell the H. Upmann brand that well, but it was a good cigar nonetheless. I loved the flavor profile that the tobacco in the cigar produced and it is definitely a cigar that many should try. It may not be for everyone, but it is worth trying out and seeing how the different types of tobacco smoke, especially the Dominican tobaccos. With that being said, I don’t like the inconsistency in construction and draw that was present. The cigar ended well in that sense, but it would have been nice to smoke that well from start to finish.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.75

Cost/Point

$1.56

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

6.07

Cost/Point

$1.48

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: H. Upmann Hispaniola by Jose Mendez Toro