Trying Different Marcas

[cbenham73]

What would you recommend for someone trying the Juan Lopez marca for the first time and giving the Hoyo de Monterrey marca another try? In the HdM I had the Epi2 and was not impressed.

FoH please give me your thoughts!

[lovethehaze]

My 2 cents as a newb is jl1 especially younger they really great ! I haven’t liked any jl2’s but have only smoked young ones. HDM I recently have got some San Juan’s and rio secos, I haven’t smoked either but lots of great reviews on these. 
good luck 

[rcarlson]

JLS1 rock young.  

[fitzy]

JL1

HDM double corona

HDM Epi 1

HDM le Hoyo du Depute 

HDM Petit robusto

HDM Epi especial 

[Chef]

I prefer the JL 1 over the 2 as well. I’d give it a go. 

What did you not like about the Epicure 2?  Maybe you just had a bum stick?  

[PigFish]

I think those newer to Cuban cigars get stuck in the ruts that they bring from smoking NC cigars. There are more to cigars than Robustos and Hermosos 4 formats.

Any of these cigars can range from a real bummer to a fantastic smoke. Break some old habits and look at some thinner ring cigars, perhaps those that you were not used to in NC cigar choices.

Best of luck on your journey! -the Pig

[Hammer Smokin']

I find the HdM much more refined, and very pleasurable to my pallet.

JL is a different story.

Much more mongrel. Truly a much different Marcas.

Kind of like comparing Bolivar and Montecristo (at least in my mind).

But that's the fun of trying everything Cuba has to offer.

[NSXCIGAR]

Not a fan of Hoyo myself, but the Depute and Du Maire are very much worth checking out. Extremely flavorful for the marca. 

[bbguardsp]

I can't think of a single cuban brand (for which there are still multiple vitolas and haven't been butchered by HSA) in which I dislike every single size.  Some I like several and some I only like one. Vitolas have more effect on flavor than most people realize.  I suggest taking the time to try singles in a B&M or the carts and work your way through and I'm confident you will find something special.

[RDB]

With JL there are only really two vitolas, so obviously try both!

With HdM there’s a much wider range, so it makes sense to try a range of different sizes.

One thing I’d say is it takes quite a few examples of any one vitola to really get a read on it. There’s a lot of variation between examples of the very same cigar, and context makes a huge difference to the smoking experience too. Don’t write anything off after just one or two tries.