RealFreakinCigarReviews

Ash cracks open a book of belicosos

Initial Thoughts

You might have seen those 'Cigar Lovers Diary" that some vendors are selling - 7 samples of a cigar/type that come in a cute box that looks like a hardbound book.  Ya, I did too, and with the nice price they go for, I couldn't resist a volume of H. Upmann Belicoso's.

Like some other well-known and popular brands, H. Upmann's rarely do me wrong.  However, with Dan's recent, less-than-stellar review of an Upmann, I will approach this review with increased attention!  So, I prepped the edge of the 'Review Chamber' (my old hottub) with a double shot of some good tequila and a nice porter-style beer, quickly hopped in to avoid the chill (downright freezy!) in the air, and proceeded to judge...  

The Smoke

A quick squish test showed a pleasingly firm yet yielding packing with no soft spots.  The eyeball test revealed a medium brown color that seemed to gradually darken towards the burn end, and a small mole-like dark blotch or two was found on the wrapper.  No nasty veins or other structural unpleasantness was noted.  Final pre-burn sniff test gave a neither pleasing nor displeasing result.

After guillotine-slicing off the tip of the belicoso, the foot quickly toasted up and the burn began perfectly.  The first third of the cigar gave up a quite nice slightly bitter, slightly woody, hearty tobacco flavor with not much else.  I sniffed the burning end and thought not too aromatic or anything, and in fact, was kind of strong.  I would imagine that any nearby smoke-hating asshats might object to this thing.  But no matter, there weren't any around this time so's I could proceed guilt-free.  The draw was easy, but I thought could've yielded a bit more smoke.

After the first third was burnt, the smoke production increased, the draw remained easy, and the bitterness receded to be replaced by a distinct hint of sweetness, almost like a warm carmel flavor - mmmm good!  I think there was some buttery notes too, not quite creamy, but more like that butter/sugar goo that adorns those devil cinnamon buns they sell at that cinnamon bun store at the mall - excellent!  The burn got a little uneven, but the trailing edge soon caught back up with the advancing edge and no annoyance other than noting the fact was realized.

The final third of this stogue got even even more tasty, with a hint of nuttiness joining in - can you say warm nut brittle?  I love this flavor!  The burn remained perfect and the draw and smoke production excellent.  I took this down to about a 1.5 inch nub at which point the flavor got a bit resiny, but being that this smoke was so stress free, tasty and enjoyable, I was more than satisfied and called it a day.

I was also impressed with the ash this guy made.  It produced only three long 'cigar turds' that were that classic zebra stripe pattern: white colored with stripes of dark.  All in all, a really enjoyable and stress-free smoke made even mo' better by its affordable price.  I'm gonna have to smack Dan upside the trap with one of these babies and see if he'll change his tune about Upmann's,  Don't worry, I'll still have 5 left for me! 

The Rating