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Unlit Impressions 

Chinese black bean paste and caramelized toffee are the smells off the wrapper send my olfactory senses into a state of confusion. Sour and meaty one moment, caramelized and sweet the next, with ample amounts of leather and frothed milk foam forming somewhere in the center, I conclude that the messy patchwork of aromas wafting off the double-fermented habano leaf surely must be an acquired taste. 

The foot fairs slightly better, with bold broadleaf soil and sticky molasses, bits of turbinado, cookie dough, and a generic coffee finish rolling together.

Cold draws are red pepper and fermented hay on the lighter side, with Fig Newtons, dank tobacco, and damp clay residing on the other side. Nothing much more to report here, which is odd considering how bold, and in certain regards, sweet-smelling the aromatics are on this cigar. 

The wrapper leaf color is a very nice mahogany and chestnut mixture, with mild levels of oil and mottling in some areas, and offers a plump feel when squeezed. My review cigar feels particularly full, almost to the point of being considered overfilled. 

Initial Smoke

That dried red pepper heat and the tangy tannin taste that comes with it won't let go, with that being one of the first things detected upon light. This makes retrohales quite peppery, and if it weren't for a splendid little cedar mixture swooping in to save the day I would have been left feeling a bit overwhelmed. Subtly sweet flavors of condensed milk form further in, letting you know that the first third promises to smooth everything out. 

1st Half   

Smoke production pushes forth in volumes, and riding atop it rests the lush, creamy combo of malted milk and hazelnut creamer. Vanilla and toffee tack on about a dozen minutes in, and allow retrohales to grow even more nutty and earthy. There's a funkiness from the Pennsylvania broadleaf in the finish too that isn't all that bad actually, making the cigar medium in every imaginable way. 

The burn on the cigar is ideal, and the draw is magnificent, with one perfect pull after another being produced. Interestingly, there is the odd flavor and aromatic of jasmine tea upon the finish of my review cigar for about five minutes or so right where the second third begins. Since it did not last long and did not return, I refused to give it much more thought, even though it did take me by surprise. 

2nd Half 

Meaty in a mild umami sense of the word, the second half starts with a bolder cigar flavor profile that is balanced by a medium-strength cedar and spice concoction. These flavors and aromatics are the primary attributes of the cigar to be detected for much of this section, with only the addition of a generic nuttiness adding more to the mix.

Creamy mashed potatoes and that savory parmesan aftertaste touch the tongue toward the start to the final third, which fits nicely next to the umami meatiness still swirling inside the smoke. Still roasty and nutty, with a medium amount of that lingering milky creaminess from the first half, the cigar gradually grows heavier as it goes.

A funky broadleaf retrohale accompanied by a pithy grassiness makes for a farm-to-table aromatic, as power pushes toward medium-plus strength levels. Smooth as can be, the finish and the retrohales that form are fantastic for much of the second half concerning how they feel upon the tongue and nostrils. 

Parting Puffs

Dried red pepper takes its revenge right beyond the cigar band, with little more than a charred nuttiness and a scrap of leather left to withstand the blunt trauma being imposed upon the palate.  Time to call it quits. 

Ash / Burn / Smoke / Draw

Ash flakes at every stage beyond ignition and touch-ups in the second and final third deducted quite a few points from my review stick. There truly was so much ash flying everywhere at one point that I was afraid that it would look like I was trapped in a snow globe while on camera.

However, the near-perfect draw, quantity of smoke created, and overall pleasure felt from the physical aspect of smoking this cigar was considerable. So a few points were added back after assessing these considerations.

Final Thoughts 

Sometimes all it takes is a bit too much fermented funk for a perfectly fine cigar to shift from earthy and rich to rough and unrefined. Luckily for the H. Upmann 1844 Añejo it remains in bounds for much of its duration, and only showed some truly off-putting flavors until parting puffs. 

But right when it seemed ready to soar, with its outstanding draw, lush smoke, and delicious layers of hazelnuts, cream, vanilla, and toffee, the blend faltered and got a bit... odd. For a brief moment there it seemed like I was in for a rich, increasingly creamy sweet treat of a smoking session. However, as the cigar continued to combust it all turned into this meat-and-potatoes sort of cigar flavor profile. This shift occurred in each cigar, and while still tasty, it was a bit too extreme, even if it did occur gradually over time.

Even though I found these flavors to be a tad too polarizing, I must say that there were some genuinely grand moments in the center of the cigar, and the overall appearance and smoking pleasure provided by the physical act of puffing this blend was damn good. You just have to be ready to have your dessert first with this stick, and then get ready for a peppery porterhouse paired with some creamy taters thereafter. 

Stogie Specs