Have you ever smoked a cigar in the tropics?
Where the air is humid, where salt lies on the skin and the evening slowly drifts through the streets like smoke. Cigars taste different there. Deeper. Warmer. Truer.

Today I'm holding an H. Upmann Regalias tin can in my hand.
A small, almost inconspicuous beauty from 2020 or 2021, nestled in a box that promises a lot. I don't know the box date. Maybe that's a good thing. Some things lose their magic if you date them too precisely.

Even the cold draught surprises me.
And I hesitate to say it for a moment because it sounds so unusual: salt.
There is a hint of it on the tongue, on the lips. Accompanied by a fine pepper, gentle, not intrusive. It's that moment when you pause and know - this is going to be more than just a cigar.

The first trains carry me away.
Not mentally, but almost physically.
Suddenly there is this feeling: tropical.
A deep, dark tobacco note spreads out, carried by salt, pepper and a hint of earth. Everything seems connected, nothing pushes itself to the fore. It's not a game - it's a balance.

The cigar becomes richer in the first half.
Wood enters, dry and warm, the earth becomes more present, almost tangible. The burn is flawless. The embers draw straight, calmly, as if they had all the time in the world. The ash is firm, compact, like an excellent indication of quality.

And then, slowly, almost imperceptibly, something changes.
Strength grows in the second half.
Not abruptly, but like a breath that deepens. In the end, it reaches a strength of around three out of five - exactly where it should be. No excess, no harshness. Just balance.

It is this balance that remains.
This rare, almost fragile harmony that cannot be explained, but simply experienced.

And as the last of the smoke clears, one thought remains:
I wasn't here for a moment.
For a moment I was in Havana, Cuba.

Free eBook: PURO – A Journey to the Heart of the Cigar.

Forget superficial flavour lists. As a thank you to the zigarren.zone community (since 2014) I’ll give you my complete eBook as a PDF. Experience a fascinating glimpse behind the scenes: from the very first lighting, through the secret of ageing, to the true art of the blender. You’ll receive the download link just in time for Christmas 2026, sent directly by email.

Your first name

Your email address

Get your free eBook