H. Upmann The Banker Daytrader Toro

At the Total Products Expo 23, Altadis U.S.A. introduced a line known as the H. Upmann The Banker Daytrader. Daytrader is a small batch extension of the H. Upmann The Banker line. The Banker pays homage to the original brand founder, Herman Upmann, a German banker who went to Havana, Cuba, in 1844 and invested in a cigar factory, which led to the establishment of the H. Upmann brand. The Banker has been a regular production line in the portfolio for nine years. While The Banker pays homage to the classic heritage of banking, H. Upmann The Banker Daytrader pays homage to modern securities traders from a contemporary perspective. We’re going to take a look at H. Upmann’s The Banker Daytrader in a Toro size.

In addition to the core line, H. Upmann The Banker has seen three limited releases (including Daytrader)

H. Upmann The Banker; Released 2014
H. Upmann Ingot The Banker Private Holding by Altadis U.S.A.: Released 2016
H. Upmann The Banker Ingot Rosé; Released 2017
H. Upmann The Banker Daytrader; Released 2023

Without further ado, let’s turn our attention to the H. Upmann The Banker Daytrader Toro and see what this cigar brings.

H. Upmann The Banker Daytrader Toro Cigar Review

SPECIFICATIONS

Blend and Origin

The H. Upmann The Banker Daytrader features a multi-national blend highlighted by an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper. The remainder of the blend features Nicaraguan tobaccos or the binder and filler. The filler also incorporates some additional Dominican tobacco. Production for the Daytrader comes from the famed Tabacalera de Garcia factory in La Romana, Dominican Republic.

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Dominican, Nicaraguan
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Factory: Tabacalera d Garcia

Vitolas Offered

The H. Upmann The Banker Daytrader consists of three vitolas. Each of the three sizes is presented in ten-count boxes.

Robusto: 54 x 4 1/2
Toro: 54 x 6
Whale: 60 x 6

Appearance

The Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper of the Daytrader Toro is one that I would categorize as being a “dark Sumatra.” It is a cocoa-colored wrapper with a slight rosado tint to it. There was some oil on the surface. Upon closer examination, some mottling could also be seen. The surface of the wrapper also had some visible veins. Some visible wrapper seams were also present. Finally, this wrapper seemed somewhat bumpy and had a touch of rugged charm to it.

PERFORMANCE

Pre-Light Draw

Before lighting up the H. Upmann The Banker Daytrader Toro, a straight cut was used to remove the cap. Once the cap was detached from the cigar, it was time for the pre-light draw. A cold draw delivered a combination of cocoa and natural tobacco notes. This was a simple pre-light draw, but it worked quite well for me, and I don’t hesitate to rate it “excellent.” At this point, it was time to toast up the Daytrader Toro and move forward with the smoking experience.

Tasting Notes

At the start of the Daytrader Toro saw more notes of cocoa and earth. Some notes of black pepper, fruit, and natural tobacco joined this. The cocoa and earth notes remained the primary notes, and the pepper, fruit, and natural tobacco settled into the background. A light layer of black pepper was also present on the retro-hale.

Later, the natural tobacco and fruit developed a fusion in the first third. The combination of the natural tobacco and fruit also moved into the forefront. Toward the end of the first third, the natural tobacco/fruit combination took over as the primary notes. The cocoa, earth, and pepper remained in the background. As the Daytrder Toro went through the second third, some cedar notes emerged in the background. Both the pepper and cedar increased in intensity.

The final third saw the natural tobacco and fruit fusion remain at the forefront, but the natural tobacco maintained control. The pepper and cedar notes were the most prominent of the secondary notes, with some earth notes further back. This is the way the Daytrader Toro came to a close. The resulting nub was soft to the touch and cool in temperature.

Burn

The performance of the burn of the Daytrader Toro was above average. This cigar maintained a straight burn path and kept a relatively straight burn line. The resulting ash was light gray. While there was some minor flaking, the ash itself was on the firm side. As for the burn rate and burn temperature, both maintained ideal levels.

Daytrader Toro – Burn

Draw

The draw to the Daytrader Toro all performed well. The draw had a touch of resistance to it. This is something I like on a draw. At the same time, this was a low-maintenance cigar from which to derive flavors.

Strength and Body

The Daytrader Toro started out dialed back with mild to medium strength and mild to medium-bodied flavors. By the second third, both the strength and body progressed to medium. While the intensity levels of the strength and body still had a slight increase, both attributes remained in the medium range for the remainder of the smoking experience.

The body maintained a slight edge throughout the smoking experience in terms of strength versus body.

BANDING AND PACKAGING NOTES

While packaging is not factored into the final score or assessment rating, it should be noted that Altadis U.S.A. did a great job with the packaging here.

Like the original H. Upmann Banker line, the Daytrader has the same green-colored primary band. The secondary band is unique to the Daytrader. The secondary band denotes that this is the Daytrader blend. The accents of the “stock market” graphs are a nice touch here. This design carries over to the box very nicely.

Packaging for H. Upmann The Banker Daytrader Toro (Photo Credit: Altadis U.S.A.)

OVERALL ASSESSMENT

Final Thoughts

The H. Upmann Banker Daytrader Toro delivered a pleasant smoking experience. The flavors really shined in the first third and were still quite satisfying in the second third. Things became a little more ordinary in the final third, but in the end, the top-to-bottom smoking experience of the Daytrader Toro was good. There was enough flavor nuances to keep me interested in this cigar from start to finish.

While some of Altadis’ high-profile releases come from Nicaragua, let’s not forget Tabacalera de Garcia still produces some excellent blends. The Daytrader Toro is one of them. Ultimately, the Daytrader Toro is a cigar I would recommend to any cigar enthusiast. As for myself, this is still a cigar I would buy and smoke again.

Summary

Key Flavors: Cocoa, Natural Tobacco, Fruit, Cedar, Pepper
Burn: Excellent
Draw: Excellent
Complexity: Medium Plus
Strength: Mild to Medium (First 1/3), Medium (Remainder)
Body: Mild to Medium (First 1/3), Medium (Remainder)
Finish: Very Good