Let's cut straight to this Dominican puro - the H. Upmann 1844 Reserve Churchill comes in 7"x50 churchill format, packing Dominican fillers under Nicaraguan binder and Ecuadorian Habano wrapper. At $9 per stick in 25-count boxes, it's positioned as an affordable daily driver with medium-full punch. First light reveals...
The foot smells like sweet hay with faint white pepper. Cold draw gives straight cedar without complications. First puff immediately throws baking spices - think cinnamon stick rubbed on new leather. Smoke production's decent but not voluminous.
Straightforward black coffee base with toasted almond edges. Retrohale adds white pepper zing that lingers around the sinuses. Burn line stays razor-sharp without needing corrections. Ash holds firmly in 1" segments.
At the 2" mark, bitter cocoa powder emerges alongside charred oak. Draw tightens slightly - needs a poker tool massage. Savory elements take over with hickory smoke and salted cashews. Occasional molasses sweetness flashes in the background.
Last third brings espresso intensity with black pepper retrohale kick. Nub gets earthy with damp soil notes, nicotine strength building to firm medium. Total smoke time clocks 85 minutes - solid endurance for this format.
Visually clean triple cap and invisible seams. Box date codes show 18-month minimum age. Draw resistance affects about 1 in 5 sticks - keep your PerfecDraw tool handy. Humidity fluctuation makes wrapper fragile below 65% RH.
