Hoyo de Monterrey Regalos Edición Limitada 2007

A fusion review with my fellow "Brother Of The Leaf", MikeD:Country: Cuba
Length: 5 3/8"
Gauge: 46
Format: Gran Corona
Box Code: OEB MAY 07

#1M1k3y_w00t!: burn is straight
#1M1k3y_w00t!: draw still a tad firm
#1M1k3y_w00t!: just noticing the wrapper...
#1M1k3y_w00t!: very evenly colored
#1M1k3y_w00t!: no light or dark spots at all
daftpunk79: very uniform I have one vein
#1M1k3y_w00t!: there is a small one on mine
daftpunk79: the ash is a bit flaky, only bad point so far
#1M1k3y_w00t!: I get that too
#1M1k3y_w00t!: only slightly flaky though here

Appearance: On the surface this is one very nice looking cigars. I had one little vein, but it was no big deal, and never caused an issue burn wise. Dark, rich and evenly packed, a graced with a darker aged wrapper, this cigar aesthetically rises to the challenge.
Pre-Light: Clip was easy and the pre light draw seemed just fine. This cigar had pre light notes that were dry and tasted of cedar and earthiness.
Burn/Draw: The burn on this cigar got a little weird on occasion but generally self corrected. The draw on my cigar was just fine (though Mikey said that his was a bit tight, and his cigar was from the same box), and produced a good amount of cool smoke. the ash was friggin' annoying though! It was flaky and made a giant mess, which I must admit pissed me off.
daftpunk79: pepper and cedar to start, tongue tingly
#1M1k3y_w00t!: I get that as well (pepper and cedar)
daftpunk79: still early but dry compared to Hoyos I've had so far
daftpunk79: yeah burn is good draw is good here
daftpunk79: its like a Hoyo with no sweet notes, weird
#1M1k3y_w00t!: still cedary, but pepper has rolled back a bit
daftpunk79: exactly
daftpunk79: very very woody
#1M1k3y_w00t!: but there is a richness behind it
daftpunk79: yeah its hard to explain its not one note, it is a feeling that gives the flavor depth
#1M1k3y_w00t!: it gives it a fuller flavor...like a support to the main cedar note of the cigar

(later)

#1M1k3y_w00t!: draw is opening up a bit more for me
daftpunk79: I am really digging this variation so far
#1M1k3y_w00t!: the full cedary flavor?
daftpunk79: yeah, I usually dislike that (very intense woodiness), but this is deeper
#1M1k3y_w00t!: Hoyos do tend to have a light woody flavor
daftpunk79: yeah but say the Epicure Number 2 have honey/vanilla to offset
#1M1k3y_w00t!: I know what you mean about overly cedary
#1M1k3y_w00t!: I hate that too
#1M1k3y_w00t!: this is strong, but not over powering
daftpunk79: yeah
#1M1k3y_w00t!: its just enough right now to keep up with the full body of the cigar
#1M1k3y_w00t!: I could see this cigar needing a few yrs of nap time to be stellar
daftpunk79: yeah the potential is there though

(even later)

#1M1k3y_w00t!: burn got funny for a sec
#1M1k3y_w00t!: any changes?
daftpunk79: still cedar, some leather, and something damp and organic
#1M1k3y_w00t!: cedar rolled back a tad
daftpunk79: yeah not as prominent
#1M1k3y_w00t!: I got the leather as well
#1M1k3y_w00t!: but didn't get the organic
#1M1k3y_w00t!: maybe I did, but it was fleeting
daftpunk79: I don't know how to explain it yet
#1M1k3y_w00t!: not prominent at all
daftpunk79: something that makes it more than wood and leather
#1M1k3y_w00t!: its that "je ne sais quoi" flavor that was just under the surface at the start
daftpunk79: yeah thats a good way to put it

(halfway point on the cigar)

Flavors: The first half of this cigar showed tons of potential. Surprisingly dry for a Hoyo, this cigar was all pepper and wood notes at the beginning. Normally this would put me off, because I do not like overly woody cigars but the notes were a little different here. There was a depth, another fleeting note that I just couldn't put a finger on but added a richness that makes the woody notes that much more fascinating. Through the first half of the cigar, this EL was a fascinating twist on the Hoyo profile worth exploring. . .

#1M1k3y_w00t!: how far along are you?
daftpunk79: just past 1/2
#1M1k3y_w00t!: we're about even then
daftpunk79: the smoke is rounding out s bit, and getting fuller
#1M1k3y_w00t!: a bit
#1M1k3y_w00t!: the cigar is okay so far in my book
#1M1k3y_w00t!: does really need time
#1M1k3y_w00t!: way too young
daftpunk79: that's kinda the shame with both these ELs
daftpunk79: need more time after a big investment
#1M1k3y_w00t!: I think so
#1M1k3y_w00t!: I dunno about you but the last third isn't really inspiring
daftpunk79: not as much as I was hoping
#1M1k3y_w00t!: almost starting to go south kinda early
daftpunk79: kinda just losing flavor, so sad
#1M1k3y_w00t!: that's what I mean
#1M1k3y_w00t!: biterness is creeping in and there is still at least a 1.5 inches left of smokable cigar
daftpunk79: hmm I dint get that really
#1M1k3y_w00t!: very slight
#1M1k3y_w00t!: but there
#1M1k3y_w00t!: this may be a long term aging project
#1M1k3y_w00t!: 4-5yrs perhaps
#1M1k3y_w00t!: minimum
daftpunk79: need that big bad cedar note to back off some
#1M1k3y_w00t!: they need to round out more
#1M1k3y_w00t!: and that underlying flavor needs to come through
daftpunk79: mmhmm
#1M1k3y_w00t!: I'm considering putting this one to rest
daftpunk79: hmm I am gonna ride it out
#1M1k3y_w00t!: well you got the review to write
daftpunk79: true
#1M1k3y_w00t!: but if you didn't...
#1M1k3y_w00t!: would you toss it at this point?
daftpunk79: probably not but its a bit of a bummer

Alas, as good as the first half was, the second half was a disappointment. At about the halfway point, the flavors rounded out and mellowed (going from med/full in the first half to mild/med in flavor). Normally an evolution in a cigar is great, but this just kept mellowing out until over the final third it really didn't taste like anything. This was astounding, and very disappointing. especially to me, because I have loved all Hoyo de Monterrey vitolas to this point. Maybe some long term storage would do this cigar some good, but at this present point in time, this cigar is mediocre. I heard somewhere that this is going to become a regular production cigar, and I am hard pressed to understand why.


TomC