Hoyo De Monterrey Dark Sumatra

Brand: Hoyo De Monterrey
Cigar: Dark Sumatra Espresso
Shape: Robusto
Size: 4 1/2" x 50
Wrapper: Ecuador
Filler: Honduran, Nicaraguan, and Dominican
Binder: Honduran, Nicaraguan, and Dominican
Price: $2.25

Appearance: 7
Construction: 7
Taste: 9
Value: 9
Overall: 8


As part of my never ending quest for the perfect maduro I took advantage of JR Cigars big fiver sale last weekend to stock up on some stogies I've been wanting to try. Last night I decided to fire up a Hoyo De Monterrey Dark Sumatra Espresso.

This cigar comes wrapped in a partial cedar sleeve which is a nice touch for a bargain smoke. The dark Ecuadorean wrapper was finely veined and the cigar had a solid feel for such a small vitola. The beautiful appearance was marred a bit by some sloppy rolling which was evident when looking at the cigar's foot. There were a few large air pockets and spots where the tobacco looked pinched.

Once again I used a punch as I usually do with smaller cigars and once again the cap ended up with a small tear in it. It didn't affect the smoking experience in the least but was still a bit annoying. The Espresso lit up right away, burned evenly and fast, and gave off smoke like nobody's business. It was pouring out so much smoke I had to hold it away from my face like I had a skunk in my hand. This cigar would make the perfect mosquito repellent.

Flavors started out with a great unsweetened cocoa and coffee taste (think a mocha without all the sugar) which stayed consistent through the first half of the cigar. At the halfway point a bit of pepper started to kick in but remained firmly in the background. Toward the end the Espresso really kicked into gear with a full-on, well, espresso flavor. This was a great tasting cigar and I only wish the little bugger hadn't burned itself out so fast.

The Hoyo De Monterrey Dark Sumatra Espresso stands as one of my favorite maduros to date and at about two bucks a stick on sale it's certainly easy on the wallet. My few minor quibbles with the appearance aside, the cigar smoked wonderfully -- if not a bit like a beekeeper's smoker -- and tasted great. Since it did smoke so fast I'll probably try out one of the larger sizes after my initial five pack is gone -- which shouldn't take too long at all.