Blind Review: H. Upmann Herman’s Batch

The H. Upmann Herman’s Batch is an additional line in Altadis U.S.A.’s profile paying tribute to the German banker Hermann Upmann who created the H. Upmann brand in Cuba in 1844. This is not the Cuban incarnation as it uses an Ecuadorian wrapper and Nicaraguan and Dominican fillers, but this is still an homage to the man by way of a collaboration between Rafael Nodal and the Grupo de Maestros at Tabacalera de Garcia in La Romana.

Visually I like the look of the Herman’s Batch, but of course with blind smoking the proof is in the puffing!

Blend Specifics

Appearance and Construction

The H. Upmann Herman’s Batch is draped in a dark and oily Ecuadorian Habano wrapper. The cap has an elongated piece of wrapper that looks like a fuse running along the side of the cigar. The foot smells of barnyard and oolong tea. 

Flavor and Smoke Characteristics

My Xikar cutter gives a sharp straight clip and I take a dry draw that is slightly firm with raisins, hay and barnyard notes. As I use my single flame Xikar EX and take a puff, I’m hit with full bodied ligero and a blast of pepper. The intensity soon subsides and a more toasty and woody profile emerges. On the retrohale rich black coffee and and spices come through with an oaky finish.

At midway the H. Upmann Herman’s Batch introduces leather, coffee and honeyed notes that remain on the palate for a bit. The razor sharp burn line and white ash show the admirable construction of the cigar. A few puffs later, lead and a vanilla bean sweetness emerge while the profile hovers at a medium strength. Another retrohale delivers wood with cinnamon tingling the nostrils.

As the final third of the cigar comes around, the smoke develops cereal notes surrounded by an earthy quality. The medium profile continues along with chocolate, toast and graphite on the finish. The draw then seems to open up as the cigar burns down and ample amounts of smoke flourish through the air. The coffee comes back–more like cafe au lait than rich espresso–along with toast that creates a fine finish to the medium bodied cigar. An easy smoking toro.

Conclusion

The H. Upmann Herman’s Batch shows the true highlights of a Ecuadorian Habano wrapper. When done like it is here, I very much enjoy it. Although the full bodied ligero blast of tobacco was a bit much to start, the cigar segued into toast and coffee which was excellent. The leather and honeyed notes showed a tasty evolution and the toasty finish enhanced its medium profile.

This was the first H. Upmann Herman’s Batch I’ve smoked and I can say Rafael’s assistance in the blend made it more memorable for me and once again shows the craftsmanship he puts into everything he does. I would seek this size out and a box purchase would be a sound investment.

Final Rating: 90

Christian: Christian offers a perspective of cigars ranging from vintage pre-embargo smokes, hard to find cigars as well as current releases. His 22+ years of smoking and love of travel have taken him on cigar journeys here and abroad. From smoking HERF’s in friends backyards to smoking Montecristo No. 2s on the terrace of the Hungarian Palace Hotel in Lido Italy, Christian takes the “everyman” approach to cigar smoking being it all about taste and enjoyment of where you are or who you are with.