TX Duo Review - Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure No1

[Çnote]

Jackson's pick, but this is perfect as I've noticed a lot of what I'm smoking is pretty ho-hum. I'll have to look up the box code, but I'm pretty sure these came out of the carts on a crazy deal. 69% straight out of Duo, but if this doesn't perform right it's just an excuse to smoke another and I'll have to dig for the box anyway.

Immediate blast of cream and cedar. Incredibly delicate and mellow. Toasted marshmallow? Mouth coating richness. Chugs along nicely for 1st3rd. Shows a little fireproof wrapper to remind me it's Cuban, but it's also a balmy +80f in North Texas, so who knows? Still mellow and rich, but the flavors aren't laser beams, meringue and coconut cake, just subdued.

Getting past the wrapper issue at 1/2way picks up brioche and icing, a cinnamon-less cinnamon roll.

Pass the bands, classic CC: thick, rich nearly overpowering. Orange peel, marzipan. Unfortunately I'm put in a position where I have to set it down for 20m and upon relighting it never comes back.

91 top of crest for flavor, 88 overall, 82 for 2/3 of a cigar

Putting one in drybox for a revisit in a couple weeks....somehow only got a pic of the bum burn anyway

@Capn_Jacksonwhat's your story?

[Capn_Jackson]

I smoked my Epi 1 a few weeks ago, this one being courtesy of @Çnote. Can't find the pic now, but you crowd know what it looks like!

I am not sure of the age, probably at least a few years. Cold draw is hay, earth, and coffee. Excellent finish in the mouth, actually lingers quite a long time for a cold draw. Upon light-up, I could almost tell you blind that this was an Epi 1. Berries, cream, coffee, cedar, loads of twang. The Epi 1 has, probably, one of my favorite initial puffs of any CC. Smoked many from various boxes, but they almost all hit me with the same initial flavors. Going on, we've got a remarkable bed of nutty almond butter, espresso with creme, and a little bit of raisin or prune faintly in the background. I dry-boxed for a few days, and the give is almost perfect. The finish is loaded with ripe berry flavor, and cocoa bean. Mouthfeel is viscous and oily. Not quite creamy, but oily. If you've read my reviews before, you now that's my favorite smoke texture.

2nd third is more on the coffee side. Not so much fruit here, but definitely a lot of dark maple. A little pancake batter, but mostly the syrup around the plate. A tiny bit of umami, actually, which I don't usually find on an Epi 1, but I'm digging it. Around the midpoint, faint traces of citrus start to join in, and honeyed graham cracker. 

Last act is fantastic. Cointreau, coffee, earth, and antique store mustiness in the background. A hint of soft leather is constantly waiting around the bend, but never gets too strong, and dark stone fruit on the finish.

It's probably been a year since I smoked the last Epi 1 out of a great box I had, and so this is a reminder of why I love this great stick. Gets a 93 from me today.

Thanks again, Cody!

[Çnote]

UEB Apr 2018

I'll circle back.