Welcome to our first review! I wanted to do a totally new cigar to me with our first, so here we are with the Epicure Especial by Hoyo De Monterrey.
I picked this one up on a recent business trip to London. As someone who lives in the US it’s difficult to get your hands on singles. I’m pickier than most, and find it difficult to commit to boxes without having tried the stick. Being in London and being able to pick up a single was a real treat for me. When I saw the Epicure Especial tubo looking up at me I knew I had to pick one up (along with a handful of other painfully expensive cubans). So lets get into it!
The first light up had some biscuit notes on the palate – almost a gingerbread. There was also a light coffee bean in the background. The retro was incredibly smooth, and had a tinge of citrus zest, which is one of my all time favorite flavors in cigars.
As we got into the second third a distinct creaminess with a long finish was introduced. The palate was predominantly a cappuccino note, with a bit of honey sweetness in the background. Wow.
Getting into the final third the coffee shifted to a darker coffee roast, the honey, and cream had diminished almost entirely. Red and green peppers have also made an appearance. The retro still had a bit of that tingly citrus but it was not as prevalent as the first two thirds. The flavors here were significantly more bitter, but still enjoyable.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this blend. It’s fair to say that this was not at all what I was expecting either. It reminded me a lot of the H. Upmann Connoisseur A in the first two thirds, which is one of my all time favorite blends. It’s worth noting that the cigar was a bit overpacked and I had to use my PerfecDraw to open it up. This example was also much darker than other ones I’ve seen – Unfortunately it was a solo tubo purchase so I have no way of knowing the factory code or the production date. I’d happily try these again, the flavor profile was good enough to make up for the less than ideal draw, and if they’re consistent I’d happily add a box to my collection.
