Video review HERE.
(Description taken from Cigar-coop.com website)
General Cigar has announced a new offering under its Hoyo de Monterrey brand, the Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure Selección. This is a line that pays homage to the early days of cigar making in Honduras, tracing back to the 1950s when the Villazon factory was established.
Produced at the HATSA factory in Danlí, Honduras, Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure Selección is a Honduran puro highlighted by a Cuban seed wrapper. It is available in three sizes: No. 1 (5 6/10 x 46), No. 2 (4 9/10 x 50), and Toro Especial (6 x 50). The cigars are packaged in 20-count cabinet style boxes.
The Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure Selección also features an ornate, old world style band.
In a press release, Ed Lahmann, senior brand manager for Hoyo de Monterrey said, “Epicure Selección speaks to the legacy of Hoyo de Monterrey which is one of the first brands to have been made in Honduras, and one of the first to feature bold blends made with native Cuban seeds cultivated in Central America. The history of Hoyo de Monterrey was carved out by some of the most revered tobacco men that ever lived, and we honor their contributions to the handmade cigar category with this new collection.”
Blend and Origin
Wrapper: Honduran
Binder: Honduran
Filler: Honduran
Country of Origin: Honduras
Factory: Honduran American Tobacco S.A. (HATSA)
No.1: 5.6 x 46 (8.79 SRP/cigar) REVIEWED TODAY
No.2: 4.9 x 50 ($8.49 SRP/cigar)
Toro Especiale: 6 x 50 ($8.99 SRP/cigar)
The cigar is nicely made and has an average feel in the hand.
The test draw after cutting the cap was firm but I decided to work with it. The initial flavors at light up were different right away compared to the toro especiale. They were citrus/cedar, orange peel, brown sugar, cinnamon, which was not apparent in the toro especiale, nutmeg, a little leather, and a black coffee base. Just like the toro especiale this cigar had white pepper rated at 7 1/2. There are plenty of sweet notes and plenty of lower level (dark) notes. Good start.
At the first third (26 minutes) this cigar is much more enjoyable already. The citrus/cedar notes are nice and the orange peel gives another wrinkle. The brown sugar and cinnamon are always nice. The nutmeg and leather are working together to give a nice flavor that is not overpowering. The black coffee base is in the perfect amount. The cigar is in somewhat of a balance. The finish has a little citrus note and mostly nutmeg with a modest amount of lingering black pepper. The cigar's pepper is changing over to a black pepper. The cigar is medium bodied at this point. It seems apparent that the decreased filler has helped the flavors in this cigar. I rated the first third 92.
As I moved through the second third (55 minutes) I still had the same flavor notes. I also had the quick citrus/cedar flavor right at the start of the flavors, the brown sugar and cinnamon have slightly decreased, the leathery nutmeg has slightly increased, and the black coffee is stable. The cigar is medium to full bodied. The finish is unchanged. Although the leathery nutmeg has increased it has not made the drastic jump as the toro especiale did. The cigar is still enjoyable. I rated the second third 91.
The cigar lasted 1 hour 21 minutes. In the final third I had a little bounce back of the citrus/cedar, brown sugar and cinnamon. In fact, the cigar pretty much reverted back to the way it was in the first third. It became more in balance again. The leathery nutmeg does not overshadow the cigar any more. The cigar is now full bodied. The finish has more citrus on it now to go along with the nutmeg. The lingering black pepper is up. I found this cigar to be much better than the toro and I'm a toro guy. The extra filler in the toro especiale definitely made that cigar more leathery and had more nutmeg. I rated the final third of this cigar 92. Pretty good cigar. You can purchase these cigars HERE.
Overall Score: 91.67
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