Hoyo De Monterrey – Hoyo de Tradicion Epicure

Wrapper: Honduras
Binder: Connecticut
Filler: Nicaraguan, Honduran, and Dominican blend

Lets start with the beautiful Honduran-grown Viso Rosado wrapper which was cultivated from the Jamastran Valley. Its reddish-brown, toothy, and visually beautiful. Now I reviewed this cigar once before back in early 2008. I really enjoyed this cigar back then, consuming quite a few of them if memory serves me correctly. So a month or so ago I was back in a large humidor at my local B&M and saw this cheap but loyal old friend and figured I’d fire up some more of these.

Boy, what a difference a year makes. And for those of you who would ask, “is it the cigar that changed or your palate?” I honestly don’t know. But the experience was not a good one. The cigars sat in my humidor for about four weeks prior to smoking. They had no visual flaws or otherwise. The reviewed cigar looked perfect. But the experience was far from it, and has been consistently so.

First Third: Very tight initial draw, no real aroma off this cigar except ammonia, it is faint, but its never been a pleasant smell in my book. Touch of spice, medium tobacco notes. Nothing really jumps off the palate here at all – even with Fernet con Coca as the drink of choice.

Second Third: Draw finally opens up. Plenty of smoke. Good helping of roasted nuts and medium tobacco flavors. Very flat on the flavor profile. Tickles of spice on the back palate. Aroma is stronger and more ammonia coming through now. Very disappointed in the aromatics of this cigar. I don’t remember it being like this.



Final Third: Gets very toasty. Roasted nutty flavor almost becomes too overpowering. AMMONIA MONSTER shows up and really takes over here. Needless to say this is not a cigar I burned my fingers on.

In the end, I was supremely disappointed. I don’t believe my palate to have changed this much in one year and so I am curious as to whether or not the leaves in these ‘09 Tradicions are just not up to par. The ammonia is a good indication of young leaves. Has anyone else noticed the quality of the newer Hoyo de Tradicions slipping? DM me.