To Celebrate 175 years of the H.Upmann brand, Altadis is celebrating with one of the finest additions to its brands’ portfolio. The H.Upmann 175^th Anniversary is a limited edition cigar produced for AUSA by the legendary Nicaraguan blender AJ Fernandez.

Rolled at his factory in Esteli, this Nicaraguan puro features special wrapper tobacco.  It is a three-year-old Medio Tiempo leaf, which is the highest on the tobacco plant.  Its fermentation process was quite unique where the tobacco was inserted between broadleaf tobaccos to a quite unique profile.  Notes of deep rich coffee and chocolate combined with a dash of spice and dried fruits to create a flavorful but incredibly smooth cigar.

The Highclere Castle was the big release from Foundation two years ago and he is following it up with a stronger, spicier offering.  The Highclere Castle Victoria follows the same story as the original and uses a similar blend but with an added kick.  It still uses the same Brazilian mata fina wrapper and Nicaraguan filler, but the cigar is now cloaked in a stunning reddish Ecuadorian Habano wrapper for a touch of rich spice.

Nick also brought his popular event only cigar, the Menelik, and has turned it into a semi-regular production line. The cigar takes its name from the first Ethiopian king of the Solomonic dynasty, tying in with both the Tabernacle and with the wise Man theme of the Foundation cigars.  This Robusto sized smoke has a dark, Mexican San Andres which offers a rich and flavorful profile.

While AJ Fernandez has been doing a lot of collaboration work with other people, he is still dedicated to releasing new and high-end cigars under his own brands.  This year saw the release of a brand new AJ line known as the Dias de Gloria or the Days of Glory.  It is meant to commemorate the pre-1959 Cuban era cigars when tobacco was considered to be in its heyday.

It is a Nicaraguan puro and uses tobaccos solely from AJs farms in Nicaragua.  Notes of spice, leather, nuts and a hint of a creamy center combine for a complex medium to full smoke with one of the best burns we’ve ever seen.  With a great combination of flavor and construction, this is going to be another huge hit for AJ.

The Montecristo Añejados is hand crafted in Honduras at the Flor de Copan factory.  It is blended with aged Nicaraguan and Dominican long-fillers tobaccos for a smooth yet slightly spicy center.  The Dominican binder adds in notes of nuts and earth, while its stunning Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper adds touches of espresso, coffee and cream to the profile.

For the mellow cigar smoker, you will love lighting up the new Romeo y Julieta Anejados.  Like the rest of the series, this Romeo is hand-rolled in Honduras using 5-year-old tobaccos.  A blend of Dominican fillers is accompanied by a Mexican binder and a smooth Connecticut Ecuadorian wrapper.  Notes of nuts, cedar and light coffee combine for a smooth, flavorful and mellow experience.

Lastly, we have the full-bodied H.Upmann Anejados.  If you prefer the full flavor and an increasingly complex profile, the Upmann is perfect for you.  It is rolled using aged Honduran and Nicaraguan filler tobaccos along with a Corojo 99 binder and a zesty Habano 2000 wrapper.  Notes of pepper, earth, and nuts offer up one of the most complex cigars in the entire Upmann portfolio.