Hoyo de Monterrey Double Coronas Cabinet Selection Cigar - 1 Single

Date Added: Friday 03 June, 2016 by Staff

Reviewed by Tom Anderson (June 2001)

The package arrived at my house; I opened it and was stunned by what I saw. Like identical triplets, 3 magnificent Hoyo de Monterrey double coronas from José Gener. Beautiful light brown smooth wrapper 7.5inches long and with a ring gauge of 49. I placed them carefully in my luxury El Presidente humidor. (You know, the one with the glass lid and the inaccurate hygrometer J ) I wanted to allow them to rest for a few hours to recover from the rigours of travel with Royal Mail.

Cigar 1: I have a palate, which can be likened to a sumo wrestlers armpit, but my nasal lining is to die for. I enjoy a cigar best in my car and that evening I was going out! I took the 1st HdM and snipped the cap with my Xigar and sucked experimentally on the unlit cigar. The initial taste was of too much air so I gently squeezed the cigar and thought that it had been rolled a bit too loose. I toasted the foot with my Blazer and it lit evenly but with loads of smoke. Each draw and I could see the burning end racing towards me. It had been rolled too loose. It burned quickly but evenly with a medium grey firm ash. I don't expect too much from a cigar in the first inch and this one did not disappoint. I began to exhale the smoke through my nostrils and I felt a smooth spicy sensation. Perhaps this was going to be good after all. As the burn progressed the flavour intensified and I was eagerly awaiting the hit on my palate. It came but turned hot and acrid almost immediately. The cigar had climaxed and expired in the first 3 inches. I persevered but had to abandon it with about 3 1/2 inches to go. No way José (Gener)

Cigar 2: The next day I had to drive into London and selected the 2nd cigar from my humidor. I pierced this one with a punch and drew experimentally on it. What a difference. I sensed the rush of tobacco odours. I lit it and set off on my journey. A half-inch into the cigar and my nose was experiencing a smooth creamy sensation that was very reminiscent of a Cohiba. This lasted for some time and then I felt a rich spicy sensation in my nose, which intensified as the cigar progressed. The palate sensation came next. I find it difficult to describe but between draws on the cigar I would run my tongue around mouth, teeth and lips to get more of the flavour. I was drawing desperately on the cigar to intensify the sensation. I wanted to slow down on the draw but, I couldn't, the sensations were unbelievable. I was down to ¾ of an inch and I did not want to surrender it. It deserved more than being put into the ashtray. I continued to draw on it until the heat from the lit end was singeing my moustache. The sensations continued in my mouth for what seemed like an eternity.

Cigar 3: I lit this cigar the following day. There was some slight damage to the cap but I cut it carefully, fully expecting it to unravel during the smoke. It didn't. A cigar following on from No 2 has got to be an anticlimax. This was a superb smoke. It was almost as good as its predecessor and its only failing was to have a bitter taste about 2inches from the cap. I find it difficult to believe that these 3 cigars came from the same "stable". They appeared to be almost identical in every way but smoked differently