Despite being one of the world’s oldest continuously produced cigar brands, the case could be made that a true home-run release hadn’t been seen from H. Upmann during the modern era… that is, until the cigars started being rolled by A.J. Fernández and his renowned factory in Estelí, Nicaragua. This change came in 2017 with the introduction of the H. Upmann Nicaragua AJ Fernandez, being one of a handful of legacy Cuban brands from both Altadis USA and Scandinavian Tobacco Group to embrace Fernández’s burgeoning agricultural/manufacturing operation in Nicaragua.

In the years following, the relationship has only intensified, eventually leading to the acclaimed H. Upmann 175th Anniversary cigar in 2019, placing as Cigar Dojo’s No. 5 Limited Edition Cigar of the Year. Marking an anniversary of which few have ever had the privilege, Altadis and Fernández pulled out all the stops, featuring luxurious packaging, a commanding Churchill size, and a surprisingly hearty tobacco recipe. Of particular note was the cigar’s wrapper, which used the medio tiempo priming of a harvest from Nicaragua.

Medio tiempo is either lumped in with the traditional ligero priming or separated as its own designation, depending on the factory. Those that do classify the priming have listed varying yield numbers on the tobacco, though it is generally considered fairly rare—being harvested on as little as two percent of tobacco plants in a given field. Of course, ligero leaves are prized for their high levels of oil and, therefore, flavor, being the thickest, smallest leaves on the plant. Medio tiempo only extends this logic, being (theoretically) the most potent tobacco from a given plant. With these leaves being thicker and smaller than others on the plant, they’re not typically used as the wrapper component—let alone on a Churchill-sized cigar, which requires a substantial amount of area to cover the 7″ × 50 format. Nonetheless, this is precisely what Rafael Nodal and A.J. Fernández (the cigar’s creators) featured on the H. Upmann 175th Anniversary, and the duo repeated the concept in 2024 with the H. Upmann 180th Anniversary.

H. Upmann 180th Anniversary cigar box open

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H. Upmann 180th Anniversary Churchill Breakdown

  • Wrapper: Nicaraguan Hybrid-Seed Medio Tiempo
  • Binder: Nicaragua
  • Filler: Nicaragua
  • Factory: Tabacalera A.J. Fernández Cigars de Nicaragua (Nicaragua)
  • Production: Limited Edition (50,000 Cigars)
  • Vitola: 7″ × 50 (Churchill)
  • Price: $22.50 (MSRP)

Technically, the H. Upmann 180th Anniversary was said to use a unique recipe from the 175th, though the size and blend format (Nicaraguan puro with medio tiempo wrapper) returned. The cigars were announced in the spring of 2024, eventually shipping by summer. Differing from the 175, the 2024 edition arrived with a more limited toro format as well (which were only available in 50-count humidors), with the two combining for a total release of 59,000 cigars.

  • Churchill: 7″ x 50 | $22.50 (MSRP) | 5,000 boxes of 10 cigars
  • Toro: 6″ x 50 | $30.00 (MSRP) | 180 humidors of 50 cigars
  • Atlantic Cigar Sale

Appearance

The H. Upmann 180th Anniversary arrives with a variation of the 175th Anniversary’s packaging, replacing the silver paint for gold (or perhaps bronze). It’s a luxurious presentation that avoids veering into gaudy territory, featuring a satisfying weight, intricate motifs engraved on the lid, and individually separated cigars within. The bands feature design elements that call back to the 175th Anniversary release, replacing the former brown accents with navy blue. Also like the original, the foot is adorned with an enclosed band—an interesting touch, though one that requires careful removal to avoid wrapper damage. The cigar boasts a dark wrapper leaf that’s surprisingly matte in appearance, showing minimal oils across its surface. Triple capped and well constructed, the wrapper application reveals careful craftsmanship through its clean seams, though close inspection reveals occasional ripples and minor nicks throughout. The leaf is relatively clean of veins, save for a couple of medium-thick protrusions that catch the eye. When squeezed, the cigar exhibits a sturdy, unyielding nature that suggests a double binder beneath (just a guess), maintaining consistent density from head to foot with a medium-firm bunch throughout.

The wrapper’s aromatics are understated, offering gentle notes of barnyard that mingle with subtle black pepper and earth. The foot follows with a similar restraint, presenting delicate mineral qualities alongside light baking spices. After cutting, the pre-light draw shows medium resistance, carrying forward the mineral-forward profile while introducing an interesting vegetal component and black pepper through the retrohale.

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Smoking Experience

The H. Upmann 180th Anniversary opens with an unexpected dark plum fruitiness, bringing a syrupy sweetness across the palate that’s accompanied by the distinct aromatics of new-car leather. The retrohale proves punchy from the get-go, showcasing cinnamon and clove that marry with chocolate through the finish—the combination bringing to mind a spiced Mexican hot chocolate. There’s a hearty quality straight away, with the profile registering at medium-full in both flavor and body, while strength settles in at medium-plus.

The draw shows a touch more resistance than ideal, occasionally beckoning a double puff, though smoke output remains satisfying at medium-full levels. The smoke primarily targets the tongue’s tip and back edges, bringing a thick texture that thoroughly coats the palate. The ash builds in tightly stacked layers of medium-light gray, though a slightly wavy burn line has me keeping the lighter within arm’s reach. As the profile develops, juicy prunes emerge through the finish with a subtle mouthwatering quality, while an interesting fizzy texture brings a root beer comparison to mind.

H. Upmann 180th Anniversary cigar smoking

Approaching the two-inch mark, the experience has evolved to become genuinely full-bodied—and I mean that in the truest sense, not the casual way that the term gets tossed around all too often throughout the hobby. The profile is enveloping, commanding attention with each puff. The ash proves resilient, building close to two inches before dropping, and even then requiring a firm tap—this quality helps keep the ember insulated throughout. The finish transitions to show qualities of suede leather, continuing the root beer theme while adding touches of anise. There’s a bright tingling sensation from the cut tobacco against the tongue (not unlike licking a 9-volt battery), while the finish showcases black licorice taffy and thick chocolate notes. By the midway point, strength has ramped up to full, marked by the second substantial ash drop.

The closing half maintains a similar roster of flavors but with varying degrees of intensity from puff to puff. The profile darkens considerably, becoming somewhat muddy and losing some of the earlier creaminess and complexity through the finish. Dark chocolate and a slight bitterness emerge, joined by an interesting (if not entirely pleasant) quality reminiscent of a dusty antique store and black strap molasses through the finish. The finale brings Chocolate Fudge Pop-Tarts and a buttery sensation between draws, while strength mercifully pulls back to medium-plus, accompanied by medium flavor and medium-full body. The experience concludes with charred oak after an impressive one-hour-and-fifty-minute journey.

H. Upmann 180th Anniversary cigar ash

Would I Smoke This Cigar Again?

That’s a no-brainer: YES! I’ve begun noticing a similar profile from certain A.J. blends, being that of an ultra-rich, decadent Nicaraguan puro. There’s often leather and anise, though chocolate is at the forefront. Who’s to say (besides A.J.) how similar the technical blend details are (as they’re all Nicaraguan puros that most often feature medio tiempo wrappers), but they certainly come across as being in the same family. So far, I’ve assembled the list to include: H. Upmann 180th Anniversary, H. Upmann 175th Anniversary, Ramon Allones by A.J. Fernández, and A.J. Fernandez 20th Anniversary. Between the primary two cigars at hand, the H. Upmann 180th Anniversary maintains several signature qualities of its predecessor, with primary notes of chocolate and leather acting as key building blocks to both profiles. While the 175th leaned into a caramel sweetness with raw leather at the forefront, this newer iteration takes a darker turn, incorporating dark fruit sweetness (plums/prunes), a syrupy texture, and more assertive spices—ultimately reaching fuller territories in terms of body and strength, while sacrificing some of the 175th’s renowned elegance for a more commanding presence on the palate.

Additional Info

Profile
  • Flavor: Full
  • Strength: Medium-Full
  • Body: Full
Core Flavors
  • Chocolate
  • Dark fruit
  • Root beer
  • Black licorice
  • Leather
Tips
  • Smoke Time: 1 hour, 50 minutes
  • Pairing Recommendation: Barleywine | Old fashioned | Tawny port | Root beer
  • Purchase Recommendation: Stock up (one or more boxes)

H. Upmann 180th Anniversary cigar nub finished

H. Upmann 180th Anniversary
Fans of the original H. Upmann 175th Anniversary can rejoice, as the H. Upmann 180th Anniversary is, at long last, the followup that we'd been waiting for. The 180th not only comes in the same Churchill format as its predecessor, but a new toro (albeit much more limited) as well, allowing ample room to stock up for the anticipated five years to come. In the commanding Churchill size, the cigar offers a generous smoking time, being rich and decadent in flavor, and backing it up with a hearty smoking texture to match. Criticisms are few and far between, as there's just too much flavor to sink your teeth into, hitting standout notes of dark plum, punchy Mexican hot chocolate, new-car leather, and a fizzy root beer quality to liven up the experience.
Appearance91%
Burn/Construction92%
Draw89%
Flavor95%
Complexity91%
Pros
  • Just about as rich as they come in terms of flavor
  • Long smoking time
  • Impressive smoke density and full body that thoroughly coats the palate
Cons
  • Draw can be slightly too firm, occasionally requiring double puffs for ideal smoke output
  • Profile becomes a little muddy and loses some complexity in the second half
92%Decadent
  • Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust
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