Hoyo de Monterrey Double Corona RUE DIC 2016 (XNYRW2)

[Jfeath74]

Relaxing Saturday after our Christmas block party on Friday night. Nothing to do but overcome a hangover, so decided to fire up a double corona. This Hoyo de Monterrey DC comes from a 2016 50 cab that has produced some of the best cigars I’ve had. One of my all time favorites, so anticipation and expectations are high. 

This HdM DC has a stunning appearance with a Colorado wrapper that has plenty of sheen and is silky smooth to the touch. Draw cold seems near perfect with just the slightest resistance. 

1/3 - Right from the jump this cigar brings a myriad of delicious flavors. Cream, baking spices of nutmeg and cinnamon, cedar, roasted almonds, dark roasted coffee all present in the first third, excellent. Smoke has a lush creamy texture to it, draw is perfect, medium strength, full flavor, delightful aroma. Checking all the boxes for what you could hope for in a excellent cigar. 

Whiskey - Didn’t grab a whiskey until I got into the 2/3 of the cigar, made the mistake of a pour pairing choice on my last review, so trying to get into the cigar a bit before I made my pairing choice. The whiskey I decided on is a 13 year straight bourbon whiskey single barrel from Joseph Magnus, who sources its barrels from Midwest Grain Products (MGP) in Indiana. Whiskey is 49% ABV and has tasting notes of sweet oak, black cherry, vanilla & cinnamon apples. Baking spices ramp up on the finish, making a complex, sweet & spicy whiskey that is oh so delicious. 

2/3 - The cream profile has evolved to more of a sweet cream note. The roasted almond note has evolved into more of an almond praline. Not sure if the sweet whiskey on the pallet is bringing forward sweeter notes on the cigar, but I am sure that what was already a great cigar, appears to be getting even better. 

3/3 - cream and spice carry through to the very end, the whiskey seems to have amplified the cinnamon notes. The cedar notes from the cigar and sweet oak notes from the whiskey really mingle together nicely in the final third of the cigar.

Overall there was excellent construction, a perfect draw, full flavored, complex, medium strength to a touch over medium by the end. One side did burn a bit faster then the other and required a little touch up, but outside that it was near perfect. Best cigar I’ve had in recent memory, probably all year! 

125 minute smoke time 

Construction 10/10

Draw 10/10

Burn 8/10

Aroma 9/10

Complexity 10/10

Taste 49/50

Score 96

Pictures from the Christmas block party the night before:

[RDB]

Nice little journey you’ve taken us on there, thanks. Party looks fun too.