In Our Memory Of: Hoyo Churchill

Friday, October 21st, 2011

Another classic cigar that is being discontinued in 2012 is the Hoyo Churchill. Not so many years ago, when the robusto and corona variations were the popular sizes, Churchill was the size of “celebration” cigars. With the number of large format cigars being limited back then, the sales of the Hoyo Churchill were good. Nowadays, that 55 ring gauge and 8 inches in length seems normal, there is a lot more large cigars one can choose from. Inevitably, the Hoyo Churchills became less and less popular, until the news of their deletion broke out.

This Julieta has always “lived” in the shadow of the legendary prominente of the brand, the Double Corona. The Hoyo Churchill has always known to be a gentle giant, a large and mild cigar that would not intimidate a beginner smoker but would not overly satisfy the demanding aficionado. The younger ones were too bland and mild, and when you add the common construction issues, it makes a recipe for disaster… On the other side, there was more attention paid in the Double Coronas, which always had smoother and darker wrappers and were ready to be smoked young.

The cigar I will be smoking today is young; it doesn’t seem to have more than two years of age. Will this be the one to change my opinion on them? I hope so…

Appearance 13 /15

The Hoyo Churchill is a well constructed cigar. The wrapper is light brown and oily, smooth to touch with very few veins and no imperfections. The triple cap is rounded and well applied and the bunch is firm and consistent throughout. Some earthy aromas are present on the foot and the prelight draw is on the tight side.

Flavour & Body 20 / 25

Rich flavours of coffee and earth are present from the beginning of the cigar. However, the tight draw, mutes the flavours and prevents them from surfacing. The body is mild to medium at start and the finish is short and sandy. Smoking in the second third and not much has changed; earth and coffee have a monopoly on your palate, with a little bit of chocolate and wood on the finish. The cigar finishes with a body that is borderline medium. The flavours change very little; wood, coffee earth and some sweetness, nothing too exciting but certainly not unpleasant.

Draw & Burn 19 / 25

The cigar has a tight draw from the start, which does not make it hard to smoke, but affects its taste. This stays until the last puff. The burn however is consistent, with a good, pyramid shaped coal, but little smoke coming through. The ash is dark grey, a little flaky, falling off every half an inch.

Overall 30 / 35

Although it was never unpleasant, I cannot say that I overly enjoyed this cigar. It was mild and monotone, with the draw problems making things worse. This cigar needs a lot of age; in fact the only way to enjoy a Hoyo Churchill, you need to smoke one with age… At least 8 to 10 years are needed for this cigar to unfold its full potential. The Churchills with the older band (especially the 2002 to 2004 vintages) are smoking quite well at the moment - at least a lot better than this one! A young Hoyo Churchill is bland and monotone, but an aged one shows a lot more character or complexity. So if there are a few in your humidor, put them to sleep!

TOTAL 82 /100

Verdict: Although there is a lot better churchills in the market right now, a large format cigar from a global brand should be in a collector’s stash. If you have a box, put it away, forget about it for at least a decade. A 10 year old Hoyo Churchill will smoke well; it will not blow your mind, but it will definitively be worth a few shillings!