What is the appeal of the Cuban cigar? Most non-cigar smokers would say it’s because they’re forbidden fruit as you can’t legally buy any Cuban cigars because of the 1962 U.S. Trade Embargo against Cuba, but that aside, many cigar hobbyist (such as myself) and aficionados would agree it’s more than that. From the way the Cuban cigars are hand-rolled to the specific tobacco leaves used, they are a treat unlike any other cigars, except a few non-Cuban brands such as Fuente (most notably, the Opus X) and Padron.

My favorite brand is Cohiba (not to be confused with General Cigar’s Cohiba brand), long a favorite to Fidel Castro as he had a hand in the brand’s development, you can read the story here. Now unless your name is Michael Jordan or Arnold Schwarzenegger, Cohiba cigars aren’t really for daily smokes, but rather special occasions such as anniversaries, weddings, and the birth of a child, as they are bit costly; and in some ways, they are actually overrated. Don’t get me wrong, they are an incredible smoke, but overrated in price because of brand recognition: think Nike. Fortunately there are a number of other Cuban brands that are equally as good such as Ramon Allones and H.Upmann. My favorite daily smoke (I actually only smoke a cigar once a week or once every two weeks unlike my abnormal addiction to Diet Coke) happens to be the H.Upmann Magnum 46, a mild to medium flavored cigar. Please note that by no means am I an expect in cigars and this review is merely my thoughts and opinions.

H.Upmann Magnum 46

Appearance & Construction

The H.Upmann Magnum 46 is a beautiful constructed Habana Coronas Gordas cigar with very small and few leaf veins meaning a very high quality tobacco leaf. It’s a 46 ring gauge that is 5.6 inches (143mm) long making it a great cigar to smoke with friends or after dinner. For me, this isn’t quite a lunch time smoke because average smoking time is 50-100 minutes. The Magnum 46 is packed nicely with a lot of tobacco and rolled just tight enough so that the draw is effortless smooth.

It features the well known triple-cap that you would expect from an authentic Cuban with very little to no flaws in it’s construction. It has a nice, slightly natural oily wrapper (as good to great cigars should meaning that the cigar’s wrapper leaf isn’t dried out). The wrapper is a nice consistent shade of milk chocolate brown; I should note that with all Cuban cigars, the wrapper should be a consistent color all around, any discoloration can suggest a fake Cuban cigar.

Squeezing the cigar at various points, there is a nice solid, firm (but not too firm) feel. The Magnum 46 features a double band, one being the H.Upmman logo band, applied nicely and looks gorgeous. Underneath it is another band indicating that the cigar is a Magnum 46.

Flavor

I’ve always been more of a mild-flavor cigar smoker, but have started become more drawn to the mild-medium, medium, and even medium-full body flavor as of recent as they’re aren’t really any mild-body flavor Cubans. Most other cigar sites say that the Magnum 46 has a creamy, little spicy, coffee bean, with a hint of chocolate taste, to which I must concur. The taste is consistent until the last 1/3 of the cigar when it starts picking up a bit more taste. If you smoke the Magnum 46 until about the nub, be prepared for a slight nicotine buzz that gives you that nice relaxed and overall happy feeling.

Value

As Cuban cigars are illegal to purchase, I can’t really say much for price. But from what I’ve heard, it’s quite affordable for Cuban cigars. The price ranges I’ve heard are $10 USD for a single stick to about ~$7 USD per stick for a box of 25. That compared to a similar type Cohiba, the Siglo IV that cost ~$13.40 USD per stick or ~$11.40 USD per stick for a box of 25!

Conclusion

There really isn’t bad to say about the H.Upmann Magnum 46. As I mentioned, this is my daily smoke cigar whereas I reserve the Cohiba for special occasions. I haven’t met anyone or read anything negative about the Magnum 46. One thing I have noticed, and has been reported, there has been some issues with Cuban quality control. The box of 25 I was given had 2 cigars that were slightly “bent” because the ribbon was tied a bit too tight, but they smoked fine without any issues. Obviously if they were a Cohiba box of 25, I would certainly be much more irritated given the cost. Also, the Magnum 46 box of 25 comes in a SLB (slide lid box) that is very nicely constructed with all the Habana stickers of authenticity.

I have no qualms on recommending these to my friends or anyone who is legally able to purchase the H.Upmann Magnum 46.

You can also read these other reviews by cigar aficionados who are certainly more expert than me: Cigar Inspector, HumiBlog.com, and Friends of Habanos.

H.Upmann Magnum 46 Pictures