Hoyo De Monterrey Churchill 2001

[Kingantz]

We were a little worried with Hanna coming in this past weekend. It seems these big storms always have to come through in the middle of the night. Fortunately, it wasn’t too bad. Just some fairly gusty wind and a ton of rain. I did get woke up around 2:45 a.m. from the rain hitting the awning outside the bedroom window. But, I made more of a mess while walking through the dark of the house than the hurricane did outside. I won’t go into detail, but will say it involved bumping the dresser and breaking a lava lamp on the bedroom Persian carpet. Not one of the gel lava lamps mind you, but one with the glitter crap in it (was SUPPOSED to be in the baby girl’s room).

We didn’t get any damage at all from the storm, and it was gone by time we got up the next morning. It did however, leave a lot of dampness that has made it almost unbearable outside in the heat and humidity. I went out to smoke yesterday and only made it a little over halfway with a PSD4. Knew I shouldn’t have attempted it, dagnabbit. So today is a little better with the heat not quite as bad and a decent breeze blowing. The wife got the baby girl down for her afternoon nap, and I picked out a Hoyo De Monterrey Churchill from 2001 to take outside for a smoke.

The Churchill was a gorgeous cigar with no defects to be found. It had a somewhat box pressed shape to it and felt very good in the hand. The cap was perfectly rounded on top with the typical three layers of leaf and the foot showed decent bunching. I punched the cap and found the draw a tad bit on the tight side with taste of well matured tobacco with a slight nuttiness.

The foot lit, first draw was quite mild but with a very rich tobacco taste. A light coffee with rich cream and a spoonful of sugar. Hints of leather and wood came through in the aftertaste. After an inch of fairly mild smoke, the cigar finally began to open up to a mild-medium of pure, rich tobacco with a wonderful sweetness that tickled the throat. The smoke really evolved spectacularly at the halfway mark bringing out a richer coffee flavor with delicious toasted almonds. An excellent long finish that was completely satisfying to the palate.

There was a razor sharp burn throughout the entire smoke with the ash falling on it’s own about every inch. The wrapper ash was light gray, almost white with the filler dark. The final third turned to a strong, black coffee that had a richness all to it’s own. Definite leather notes as well as dark roasted nuts. It never got hot or bitter in the slightest, even at the nub. This, was a fantastic smoke!

[KB24]

Nice review!! This sounds like my kind of cigar. I've never had this cigar but will enter it into the mix for the next box I buy which will be a Churchill type size. So far on the list is a Romeo Churchill, HdM DC, or the RAG.

-Patrick

[El Presidente]

Great review and I always enjoy your detailed photo's

HDM Churchill is an enigma. When "on" (and it takes years) it is a sexy singing light to medium bodied siren that delicately works its complexity of sweet spices and wood.