Hoyo De Monterrey Epicure No 2 (PSO March 08)

[El Presidente]

Hoyo De Monterrey Epicure No 2 PSO March 08

Let me start off by saying that this HDM Epi 2 was “Visually Challenged”. I took her with a bare cursory glance from an open box in the depths of the humidor. In the semi dark she looked ok…..taken to the full light of the deck there was some peach fuzz on the quite unattractive dry wrapper, plenty of green spots and a lumpy feel. I am sure we have all been there before.

I was looking for an excuse to take her back to the box and select another but there were two things stopping me…..I was lazy and the aroma at cold was pungent and menacing. To top it off Smithy had just made a batch of Mango Daiquiris and presented one on the deck. I wasn’t going anywhere.

Serrated the cap and took a nice long draw at cold. The draw was over easy but there was a lovely Habano tang discernable on the palate. Good tobacco.

Fired up the foot and commenced the first draws. Quite acidic on the opening…bitter. It has been a while since I have had a cigar start this way and it took me back to some of the worst Hoyo’s from the “dark period” of 1999. Thank goodness I had Smithy’s Daiquiri to smooth out the bitter taste of the cigar.

Slowly….5-10 minutes….the Hoyo began to regain its composure, casting out little by little the bitter overtones and introducing some milk coffee notes. It was really the first opportunity I had to assess the true body of the cigar which was settling into a medium profile. The smoke was white and plentiful, the aroma punchy …a mix of tobacco and wet dog. While the volume of smoke was plentiful it had a whispy nature and no intent of engaging/coating the tastebuds outside of the most cursory manner. The first third was all in all rather disappointing.

By the first section of the second third the HDM Epi 2 was developing into a sound cigar. Nothing exceptional….but neither was it abhorrent. Medium bodied with a core of light milk coffee and toasted tobacco. We were both going through the motions….it pretended it was a good Cuban cigar and I was looking for reasons to praise it. No praise forthcoming.

The cigar built in strength in the last third to medium full and brought some heavier charred woody elements to the table. Worked nicely with the milk coffee. The open draw continued to annoy me as it stole any chance for real depth of flavour. In the end I looked forward to putting it in the ashtray.

There was obviously a lack of love in the production of this particular cigar. The wrapper was below average, construction was below average, blend was below average. In the end it delivered a below average smoke. This is such a shame because I have loved the Epi 2’s of 07 and 08 so far. They have had such richness that it has put the Epicure No 2 up toward the top of the list of regular production Robusto’s. This poor bastard of a cigar never really stood a chance with its draw. This ugly duckling was never going to turn into a swan….it was just an ugly duckling and always will be.

82

As for Smithy’s Daiquiri ….not a bad effort. 86. (Keep trying).

[Rogers72]

Hopefully this was just a bad example and not a sign of things to come as I have also had many from 07 and 08 that I have been loving. The most recent ones have been from a box of Feb 08 from your humidor and are delicious!!!

[habanohal]

I have learned 1 thing from all these years on only 1 cigar, iy has been to ahe them 5 years. When they hit the 8 year mark , you will be in heaven

[aavkk]

Well maybe Im looking into this too much but it seems the loose draw is plaguing many cigars (namely the JUN or later Mag 50's)across the board here in 08; much more so than in 07. This makes me very weary and hopefully it is just a few isolated random reviews.

[Dogwatch Dale]

Rob, I'm curious if this is the same box from which you shared one with me. I too was underwhelmed and left wanting more. The usual richness was lacking. An apt description - "nothing exceptional, but neither was it abhorrent".

[Colt45]

Thanks for the review. I'd be interested in an update in the future.

It's good to see Smithy was able to bring at least one of the skills he picked up on "the island"

back to Czar House.

[terrantheman]

That looks like a tasty cocktail!!!

[El Presidente]

Rob, I'm curious if this is the same box from which you shared one with me. I too was underwhelmed and left wanting more. The usual richness was lacking. An apt description - "nothing exceptional, but neither was it abhorrent".

It probably was Dale although I hope we sent you a better visual example. I have come to expect a richness from 07/08 HDM E2 which ust wasn't present in this example. I am sure that it was a rogue box. We will find out in the next month or so

[josie67]

I had one from the Travel huimidor last week, and it was BORING as hell....very light wrapper, bumpy, BLAND. just underwhelming.