Perhaps this cigar would have been better named Epicure No.3 as its presentation and style of taste are identical to the Epicure 1 & 2. Introduced in 2004, it was a timely anticipation of what smokers would face with incoming smoking bans.
Hoyo de Monterrey owes its origin to the town of San Juan y Martinez, which lies at the heart of the Vuelta Abajo tobacco zone. Here the Hoyo de Monterrey plantation, one of the great Vegas de Primera (First Class Fields), can be reached through a gate on the town’s main square inscribed ‘Hoyo de Monterrey. José Gener. 1860’.
‘Hoyo’ literally means a ‘hole’ and in this case describes the low-lying position of the plantation on the fertile banks of the San Juan y Martinez river. José Gener, a Spaniard from Tarragona, first used the name of his vega on a brand of Havanas in 1865.
The flavour of Hoyo de Monterrey’s blend makes it an attractive choice for those who seek a delicate yet aromatic Havana that is lighter to the taste but with great elegance and complexity.
The brand is renowned for its Double Corona and for the prestigious Epicure series, the No.1 and No.2, to which the longer Epicure Especial was added in 2008. There is also a range of vitolas known as the Le Hoyo Series. These are generally accepted to be slightly stronger and spicier than the brand’s classic range.
All sizes are ‘tripa larga, totalmente a mano’ – long filler, totally handmade using filler and binder leaves from the Vuelta Abajo tobacco zone.