H Upmann Half Corona

Description

More than anything, I remember the humidity. It wasthat thick, salty Caribbean air that sticks to your skin like a second shirt. It was overlooking that white-as-powdered sugar sand, on this porch at this resort, and my wife and I were celebrating our 10th anniversary. We had just been fed anobscene amount of lobster for dinner and this oddly old man-looking waiter had popped a bottle of vintage champagne that literally cost more than my car did the first time I was tones 9.
The mood was right. She was looking at the moon, I was looking ather andthe waiter hovered, waiting to know whether we would like coffee or adigestif. Now here’s the thing, I’ma cigar man full stop. But some nights I don’t want to go be by myself for 90 minutes with a Double Corona. I don’t want to sit leave her sittingthere wile I go to the smoking lounge for example and think about the universe. I was looking for something that would do as an in-betweenthe main course and inevitable stroll on the beach. I was seeking a “short window” smoke for which I didn’t have to think ofas less than.
I pulled out a tin from mytravel humidor. I was saving these for an occasion just like this. I removed the cap, found some resistance on the draw and then lit it.
That smoke? The H. Upmann Half Corona. Is just what the doctor ordered.

The Specs

Greetings: The Openingthird

The initial light for me is always mystory. It does notfuck around with Half Corona. Being this short, the fire literallyhits the “meat” of the blend right away. I lunged at an aromaticwood — cedar predominantly — and a strong nuttiness. It wasn’t aggressive. It was sort of like a friendly “hello” froman old friend.
It started out firmly light-to-medium. I must say, the smoke issuing from this little stick is pretty stout. There I sat on that porch puffing smoke rings the size ofashaggy Cuban cigar all the way up to heaven. There was also a subtle floral aroma in the air. It’s the non-stinky scent that doesn’t offend the larger-than-life characters atthe next table; it’s a big deal at fancy resorts. It’s balanced and smooth and so, so creamy right off the bat.

Second Third: TheFine heart of the issue

After I’d nibbled my way to the middle of the stick, and this is a short trip, let’s not fool ourselves, the flavors grew stronger. Here’s where the H.Upmann DNA really sings. I be-gan to pick up overtones of roasted coffee, and a type of sweetness I was subse-quently to believe might have been sugared cocoa powder. Not sugar-milk chocolates butyou know, that dry, earthy cocoa you have in a dark truffle.
It’s also sort of a subtlecitrus situation. Some guys call it orange peel,” and to me that’s more like some zest. It is allit’s a foil but palate cleansing, too. I also took a sip of some kind of vintage Cuban rum (when in Rome, right?), and the waycoffee notes in the cigar cavorted about with that molasses theme running amok in the rum was simply… well… it was good.

The burn was all good, though, andI do enjoy that. I’ve smoked short cigars that burn lopsided because they are too hot, but the HalfCorona was cool. I was pacing myself, though. You can’t rush these. If you haul on itlike a freight train, it will turn bitter on you. Consider it a conversation — too long between puffs.

Andthen, then there is power play…

Now here’s whereit gets interesting. For a cigar so minuscule you’d expect it to just fade away but the Half Corona’s certainly got bite in its backside. The tension was a bit stronger in the last inch or so. Light-medium moved up to and afull medium. The leathery notes also started to step up, and that sly spicy I’d-sipped-for-pulled-through was now calling the shots.
It was slightly punchy at the end. It was not great, but it let me know that wasthat. Everything that was earthy, it got more intenseand even the aromatic woods turned into richer, muskier flavor. I ended up smoking it tothe nub — my fingers were getting warm. I didn’t want to put it down. It’s brief, but itis dense. There is no “filler” time with this cigar. Every puff is doing work.

History and Context

I philosophize about history,when I smoke. H. Upmann has been around since 1844. (3 1/2 x 54) Herman Upmann was a German banker who loved Cuban cigars so much that he moved to Havana in 1844 and set up as both banker and cigar maker. He’d been shipping his cigars back to Europe in cedar boxes as gifts for his clients. That’s why we there are cedaboxes today.

The HalfCorona has a cool back-story, too. It was made in the early 1900s for aUK based importer. The thinking went: Men required a cigarette they could consume during theintermission at the theater. They didn’t have two hours; they had 20 minutes before the curtain would rise again. It became unpopular for a while, butHabanos S.A. brought it back in 2011.
I genuinely do believe they brought it back at the right time. With smoking bans everywhere in Europe and beyond, there are times when you only have a few minutes outside of a bar or a restaurant. You don’t want to be throwing it away when your half way through a Robusto. The response to the modern, as-we-all-call-it, no-time-for-anything world is the Half Corona. It’s a 21st-century theatresmoke.”

Pairing Recommendations

If you’re going to light one of theseup, you need a proper pairing.
1. Cuban Rum: Obviously. A 7-year-old Havana Club or similar shows off the vanilla and cocoa In it.
2. Espresso: This is the one I reach for when I needa midday break. It would take a strong espresso to pare against the dark finish of an H. Upmann.
3. Light Lager: So you’re sitting out in the heat, poolside and what not; a nice cold, crisp beer that won’t be over powering on the-light-to-medium side profile of Zeal Cigars provided cigar.
4. Speyside Scotch: Somethinghoneyed and with some fruit, not too peaty. You don’t want to have that scotch blocking thatcigar around.

My Verdict

On the basis of this halfway stage, I would say there is complexity here but not a lot of whang and bite two thirds into the Half Corona. Is it the most complex cigar I’ve ever smoked? No. Will it changeyour life? Probably not. “But is it one of the most reliable and tastyand easy-to-smoke in my humidor? Absolutely.

It’s my dog-walking cigar. It is the cigar I grab for when sitting on a stool, awaiting an acab.” And it was the cigar I smoked to mark my 10th wedding anniversary itself as a way to have something that felt enough for me right now — without being so thinky that I wasn’t there with my wife.
It’s a “no-nonsense” Cuban. You end up getting all that Vuelta Abajo richness — the earth, the cream, the leather — at a level you can smoke without sacrificing two hours of your life. I always keep five in an atin in my purse.” They are sturdy, they are punchy and — best of all —they don’t take up an entire afternoon.
And if you are among those who haven’t had one,well — let’s just say you’re missing out. It’s not how long the smoke lingers; it’s how goodthe smoke is while it lay you down to die.” And for 25 minutes or so, this thing is about as goodas anything that’s twice its size.
Final Thought: Solid. Just plain solid. It’sthe little brother of the Upmann line that doesn’t let anyone shove him around in a room full of big fellas. The next time you’re pressed for time and craving a havanapop, reach for one of these. You won’t regret it.