Hoyo do Monterrey Le Hoyo de Rio Seco SOR ENE 20 (BPCRW)

[saltbox]

Rested just over 3 months at 62RH 62F, 10 months box age. This one came with a split in the wrapper near the head that was the result of overpacking. Not only did the overpacking cause the draw to be overwhelmingly tight, the split itself pulled air in and made it essentially impossible to pull any smoke through. I realized it was a problem when, after lighting the cigar, I could feel the air shooting back at me through the split when blowing through the cigar to purge it. Fortunately, getting the PerfecDraw through this spot helped opened up the draw a bit, and patching the split with some of the wrapper leaf I broke off from near the foot allowed the cigar to start smoking well. The hack repair job can be seen in the last pic, with the discolored spot above the band.

First third: Ginger spice and sweet cream, with cedar and mineral notes on the finish. There are some occasional orange zest notes on the finish as well.

Middle third: The ginger spice ramps up in intensity and is wonderfully aromatic on the smoke coming off of the foot in between puffs. Those orange zest notes still appear here and there but less frequently than before.

Last third: The ginger spice really continues ramping up, and where before it was balanced well with the cream, the increase in intensity of the spice coupled with a decrease in the strength of the creaminess makes this last third feel off-balance in comparison. By the end of the smoke, all the other flavors have become quite muted and the cigar is mostly that gingery peppery spice, which is less fun without the creamy sweetness to go along with it.

Overall: Dinged a bit for the construction issues, but the flavors were great for the first two thirds. Last third was rough and unbalanced and could use some rest to help smooth out. 87/100