H Upmann Reserve corona

[Briandg]

They aren't the same.

Current recipe is an Ecuador habano wrapper with nic and Dominican tobaccos. It used to be a really dark Connecticut wrapper, IIRC.

First, the new cigar, the one I got, was not anywhere near as dark and beautiful as the older reserve. It was a nice, glossy ems, and construction was pretty good, but not great. It was kind of wrinkled and lumpy. When I punched the head, it split. As I smoked it it split. It felt just a little too tight on the draw, and ultimately, I believe it was too tightly packed.

It burned nicely with a great, smooth white ash that held on forever. Unfortunately, it split on me at about an inch. The split stayed there, and didn't run. No real problem, I smoke through it without a touchup.

Billows of smoke with rather average character, much like a more refined version of the classic, with less of the bonfire taste and more of something I can't quite explain.

With the head split, it unraveled after a while, and there were a number of heavy stems worked into it. Real bummer.

What, 82, 85? Not the quality of the old reserve line. Not a ten dollar cigar. Put it in the category of an erdm for example. $3-5 box price.