At the 2017 IPCPR Trade Show, Altadis U.S.A. showcased a limited edition extension under its H. Upmann The Banker Ingot line as H. Upmann The Banker Ingot Rosé. Back in 2014, Altadis U.S.A. launched a regular production line known as H. Upmann The Banker. The Banker is a line that pays homage to brand founder Herman Upmann. Upmann was a German banker who in 1844 went to Havana Cuba and invested in a cigar factory – which became the H. Upmann brand. Last year, a limited edition offshoot known as H. Upmann The Banker Ingot Private Holding was unveiled. The Ingot (which is a gold brick) kept to the roots of banking as the cigars were packaged in gold brick packaging and had gold banding. The new Ingot Rosé pays homage to rose gold and features rose-colored brick packaging and banding. The H.Upmann Banker Ingot Rose gold arrived at retailers several weeks after the trade show. Today we take a closer look at this new installment in the Ingot line.
In previous assessments of Altadis U.S.A.’s H. Upmann line, we provided some background on the H. Upmann brand:
The name H. Upmann is one of the classic names in the cigar industry. This cigar has its origins back in Cuba where founder Herman Upmann opened his first cigar factory in 1844 (thus the name of the cigar here). The company went bankrupt in 1922 and the name (and production) was eventually acquired by Menendez y Garcia Co. – the company that made Montecristo. The Cuban Revolution led to the nationalization of Cuban cigar companies – including H. Upmann. As a result of this, Menendez and Garcia would move the brand to the Canary Islands, then to the Dominican Republic. The brand would eventually come under the ownership of Altadis. This is why there is a Cuban H. Upmann and a Dominican H. Upmann.
Without further ado, let’s take a closer look at the H. Upmann Banker Ingot Rosé and see what this cigar brings to the table.
Blend Profile
The H. Upmann Banker Ingot Rosé features a five-country multi-national blend highlighted by the use of a Cameroon wrapper.
Wrapper: Cameroon
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Dominican, Nicaraguan, Peruvian
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic (Tabacalera Garcia)
Vitolas Available
The H. Upmann Banker Ingot Rosé is available in a Churchill size. It is packaged in 12-count boxes.
Churchill: 6 3/4 x 48
Appearance
The H. Upmann Banker Ingot Rose’s Cameroon wrapper was definitely on the dark brown side. There was some mottling visible on the surface of the wrapper. The wrapper also contained a light coating of oil on it. There were also some thin visible veins and thin visible wrapper seams.
The banding is similar in design to the original H. Upmann Ingot. The main band is a rose color with some gold embossing on it – including a gold colored H. Upmann sun-wheel logo. On the center of the band is the text “THE BANKER” in gold font. Just below that text is the text “H. UPMANN” in a smaller black font. On the left and right side of the band is the text “INGOT ROSÉ” in black font.
The cigar itself has a rose-colored foil sleeve on it with the gold text “INGOT ROSÉ” embossed on it. Resting at the top of the foil sleeve is an identical band to the main one that is on the cigar itself. On the lower end of the foil sleeve is a rose footer band with the text “H.UPMANN” embossed on it.
Preparation for the Cigar Experience
I commenced the cigar experience by removing the sleeve of the H. Upmann Banker Ingot Rosé, I then proceeded to make a straight cut into the cigar to remove the cap. It was then moved on to the pre-light draw. The cold draw delivered a mix of natural tobacco, wood, cream, and a subtle fruit sweetness. Overall I considered the pre-light draw of this cigar to be excellent At this point I was ready to light up the Ingot Rosé and move into the smoking phase.
Flavor Profile
The start to the H. Upmann Banker Ingot Rosé delivered a mix of natural tobacco, mixed pepper, wood, and cream. Early on the wood notes moved to the forefront with the other flavors receding into the background. On the retro-hale, there was an additional layer of black pepper present.
As the Ingot Rosé moved through the first third, a fruit sweetness with a slight herbal component emerged. By the end of the first third, this sweetness joined the wood notes in the forefront, while the cream, mixed pepper, and natural tobacco notes remained in the background.
By the midway point, the natural tobacco displaced the wood notes and joined the fruit sweetness. While the sweetness had reached its apex here, it never got overpowering and the mixed pepper and wood notes provided some balance. It was this point where the cream notes diminished. Toward the latter stages of the second third, the pepper notes increased. Was the pepper increased, it morphed into more of a black pepper as opposed to a mixed pepper.
The last third of the Ingot Rosé saw a mix of the fruit sweetness, natural tobacco, and black pepper. While there was still a touch of woody notes in the background, the cream notes had dissipated. This is the way the flavor profile came to a close. The resulting nub was slightly soft to the touch and cool in temperature.
Burn and Draw
From a burn standpoint, the Ingot Rosé performed excellently. It maintained a straight burn line and had no trouble keeping a straight burn path from start to finish. The resulting ash had a light gray color. This wasn’t the firmest of ashes, but it wasn’t loose nor flaky. The burn rate and burn temperature were both ideal.
The draw to the Ingot Rosé was also excellent. It had the right amount of resistance for my liking. It also produced a nice amount of smoke.
Strength and Body
When looking at strength and body as a whole for the Ingot Rosé, I found it to be bolder than the original Ingot Private Holding (Gold Box). The strength pretty much was on the upper end of medium to full while the body had enough depth to be considered medium to full.
In terms of strength versus body, I found the body had the edge throughout the whole smoking experience of the Ingot Rosé.
Final Thoughts
Don’t judge the Ingot Rosé by comparing the score and the assessment and value rating to the Ingot Private Holding. We’ve implemented a totally new system for both, which are skewed lower. The Ingot Rosé is a worthy successor to its gold brick predecessor. The Cameroon wrapper combined with the Peruvian tobacco in the filler will deliver an interesting, but not overpowering sweetness. This is a cigar I would recommend to an experienced cigar enthusiast, but it is certainly one I would not discourage a novice from trying. As for myself, this cigar is one I would smoke again – and warrants box worthy consideration.
Summary
Key Flavors: Wood, Natural Tobacco, Fruit, Pepper, Cream
Burn: Excellent
Draw: Excellent
Complexity: Medium Plus
Strength: Medium
Body: Medium to Full
Finish: Very Good
Rating
Value: Box Worthy Consideration
Score: 90
References
News: H. Upmann Banker Ingot Rosé Unveiled at 2017 IPCPR
Price: $12.00
Source: Purchased
Brand Reference: H. Upmann
Photo Credits: Cigar Coop
