Back at it with a new cigar! This cigar was just released this summer and it is a limited release. It’s the H. Upmann Ingot Rose! The original Banker line has been out for about 3 years now. Last summer they released a limited edition version of the Banker called the “Ingot LE”. This year the limited edition is called the “Ingot Rose”.

I love the original Banker blend but I missed out on the limited Ingot LE last year. I was excited to get into this Ingot Rose this year and see what all the fuss is about! So here we go!

Blend Profile
Wrapper: Dominican Habano
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Peru
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Vitola: Churchill, 6.75×48

Appearance & Smell
I can tell a difference in the smell between the original Ecuadorian Habano and this new limited edition Dominican Habano. The Habano smells more earthy than the original. The cigar appears to not have as much oil on/in the wrapper as the original. It also appears to be slightly lighter in color tone. The logo and paper all have a rose-gold type color to them and it definitely catches the eye.

Smoke Preparation
For this cigar I chose to use a flat cut with a Xikar Xi1 cutter. The pre-light cold draw was surprisingly mellow and there were not any prominent flavors that stood out. I lit the cigar with a Xikar Enigma double torch lighter.

Burn & Draw
This cigar lit up with ease and immediately started giving off a decadent aroma and smoke. The draw was perfect for my preference, not too hard and not too easy. The airflow to the draw was good and helped to keep an even burn throughout the entire cigar. The smoke was rich and plentiful! The ash also held well throughout the smoke, I was able to do 1 inch ashes and could have gone longer.

Strength & Body
This cigar was a solid medium in the strength department. There was not a lot of deviation throughout the cigar when it came to the strength. Some cigars really pick up strength but this stayed very consistent. The body wasn’t overly complicated by any means. There weren’t a bunch of flavor changes or complexity. With the straight forward flavor profile, it is what I would call an “easy” smoke. Anyone could smoke it. It had some nuttiness, little bit of sweetness, and definitely cream. This would be a delicious after-dinner smoke with an evening drink!

Final Thoughts
As a fan of the original Banker line I definitely came into this smoke with high expectations! With that being said, I did expect a little bit more from the Ingot Rose. It was a good smoke. Solid construction. Solid burn. I think I just expected more in terms of flavor complexity. Maybe a little more nuttiness or spice would have built it up a little more. I plan on buying at least two more to possibly age and I might buy another couple to re-review due my bias coming into this first smoke.

Have you smoked one yet? What did you think? Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments below! Thanks!

Source: Purchased Locally
Brand Info: Altadis- H. Upmann