Cigars.ie

Christmas Corona Gordas, Day 4: Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure No.1

My cold is not getting any better and smoking three cigars with the gang last night surely didn’t help. But we had a fantastic night and we all enjoyed it. The 4th Transnational Tasting next year will be something to look forward  to. Despite not being in the best of conditions to smoke another cigar, I am determined to get these smoked in time, and also I am anxious to smoke a cigar that will live up to the expectations.

Today I will be smoking a cigar that I have high hopes for, the Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure No.1. The Epicure No.1 has been around quite a while and has always been a cigar that suits both novice and seasoned smokers. It is available in 3 tubo packs, cabinets of 25 and up to last year in cabinets of 50.

All three of the Epicures are my favourite cigars amongst the marca, along with the Double Corona; although they all have different character, I find them a lot more enjoyable than the rest of the Hoyos. Strengthwise, the Epicure No.1 seems to be the mildest of the three Epicures, but that is not always the case. Aged Epicure No.1 -over 10 years- seem to loose most of their strength in favour of smooth and elegant flavours. The Hoyo I am smoking today is relatively young.

I have seen better wrappers than the one on this Epicure no.1. The outside leaf looks quite rustic, with a light brown colour and some veins, a few bumps and wrinkles.The bunch is firm and the cap is rounded and well applied. Light grassy aromas are present on the foot of the cigar and the cold draw is good.

The cigar starts with some complex flavours of bread, wood and coffee, with a light tingle of spice and a smooth, sweet finish. On the first third the cigar has a distinctive sweet creaminess that makes it very enjoyable. On the background there is some coffee and fruit, and just that tiny bit of spiciness on the finish that couples greatly with its sweetness. The body is medium and the cigar draws and burns like a dream!

In the second third, the cigar keeps its sweetness, but also it has some earth, coffee and wood on the foreground, all in great balance. The distinctive sweet spiciness is there on the finish, with a touch of cinnamon. The cigar burns effortlessly and produces clouds of smoke. The ash is dark grey in colour, firm and falls off without reaching more than an inch in length. I am loving this so far…

In the last third the cigar keeps its sweet and rich character. The earthy, creamy, fruity and woody flavours alternate after every puff, with some leather and grass on the background. The finish is no more spicy, but sweet, with flavours of toffee. The body is now medium to full and the Epicure No.1 smokes comfortably until the end. I smoked this right to the end, up until my lips couldn’t stand the heat, and up until then, it tasted great!

Finally, I smoked a corona gorda that matched my expectations. I was not expecting a powerhouse, or a cigar with the highest complexity you can get; but I was expecting a rich cigar, with a medium body and sweet, pleasant, smooth and elegant flavours. And that is exactly what I got from the Epicure No.1, a cigar that can easily be smoked young. Don’t worry about laying them down for years, a year or two and these cigars are good to smoke. Five stars for the Epicure No.1 and 91 points.

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