Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure No. 2

[Scarhead]

This is my first review, so it won't be too long. In fact, I wouldn't call it much of a review based on the reviews I have seen here on the forum, but rather a synopsis of my experience. Whatever you want to call it here it is.

I had my first HdM Epicure No. 2 today. In the end, I wasn't all that impressed. It started off with a nice spicy taste to it and then progressed to a creamy flavor. The spice came back here and there during the first half and then things went down hill. Although I was smoking it continually the cigar went out around the half-way point. When I went to tap the ash off I discovered an odd tunneling to the cigar. The best way I can describe it would be an inverted cone shape. Picture the foot of a normal cigar when lit and how the ash and burning tobacco has formed a cone. My cigar was opposite of this and the wrapper was fully intact almost as if it didn't burn because it wasn't tobacco. Odd. I then re-lit the cigar and got some great flavors...for about two puffs until it went out again. I cleaned the foot of the ash and re-lit it again. Of course there was a bitter taste to the cigar that went away as the wrapper then began to burn. Unfortunately, the bitterness returned and I got rid of the cigar as it burned past where the band had been.

[Plato]

Thanks for the review mate.

It would be cool if you smoked a few more and then added those notes/impressions as a supplement to this review. It would be interesting to see if your opinion changed.

[TonyV]

Couple of questions.Did you smoke this right off the truck? if not what rh do you keep your smokes at? I all ways have the # 2 in my stock. never had that issue with them

[Scarhead]

The cigars have been stored for about a month or so. RH fluctuates slightly between 65% and 70% in my cabinet. After I smoked this cigar I thought perhaps the cause of the bitterness may be high humidity. Is that what you are thinking, too?

Plato, I definitely will add reviews after I try more. I am always hesitant to review a cigar based only on one, so this was something new. I see you are in the Chicago area. Where? I have friends and colleagues from Chicago. Most of them are in the metro/city centre area, but I believe some are in the western area. If I remember correctly the western area was not too far from the city, but it was rural.

[Scarhead]

I was giving this cigar thought and I was wondering if the way I lit the cigar had something to do with the flavor. I don't want to discount the storage humidity factor as well the cigar itself though. I used a torch as it was windy outside yesterday. Recently, I've found that torching or roasting the cigar gives it a substantially different flavor than just lighting it.

[habanohal]

by far one of my top 5 cigars, and i have been out of them for over a year