Tonight's study smoke was Dark Sumatra Espresso from Hoyo de Monterrey. Accompaniments were home made brownies and a cup of freshly brewed coffee.
Lately, I've been on a bit of a dark-wrapper jag and this stick fits the bill with a dark, sun-grown Ecuadorian Sumatra capa or wrapper. The binder is Connecticut broadleaf and the tripa or filler is a three country blend of Honduran/Nicaraguan/Dominican. So, this is about as far from a puro or single-country composition as you can find.
Billed as a full-bodied, Cuban-style cigar, it seemed just the thing for a chilly night of reading in the garage lounge.
Prelight and Initial Stage
This cigar certainly had nice packaging. The essential Hoyo band was coupled with a cedar sleeve which had supplemental bands at the top and bottom. A nice presentation. Slipping off the sleeve revealed a rich, medium dark leathery brown wrapper that resembled that on the Ashton VSG line though not as oily. Lightly veined and not toothy, it looked promising of a rich smoking experience.
Light-up was trouble free and soon the cigar was burning nicely. Initial impressions were indeed of earthiness and medium-rich tobacco. There was a pleasant toastiness to the scent. Though billed as full bodied, I'd say it was more medium-full by my reckoning. Smoke volume was very good and the draw was on the light side of right on. It was easy to blow smoke rings with this baby. I also noticed right away that almost in contradiction to the fullness and earthiness of the flavor, the lingering scent was light, almost floral and quite pleasant. Aftertaste was rounded, light and pleasing. I wonder how much of this is a characteristic of the Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper. This was the second stick in a row with this wrapper (the other being the LGC RF, Nat, previously reviewed) that had this characteristic. Rich, texture and delightful aroma.
Late Stage and Finish
This cigar was turning out to be a nicely satisfying smoke. Heading into the half-way point, the ash was a stiff light gray. Burn continued to be organically straight with only a few flame and dab touch ups needed for slight runs and lags. Flavor remained an engaging and rich earthy base with slight elements of woodiness emerging. I also started to notice some decent bean flavors upon double puffing. This was a pretty smooth and dense stick. Good overall. The smoke and lingering scent continued to be very pleasant with a lovely floral tone. I worked this one down to about the last 7/8" and it never got harsh or rough. In fact, it seemed to thicken up even more with an amplification of the earthy notes. Nice.
Overall: A very nice stick at a very nice price of around $4 I think. Rich, earthy, great aroma, tolerant of huffing and good to the very last. Recommended.
(IMG:http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h73/Gins...oDarkSumEsp.jpg)
Wilkey
Lately, I've been on a bit of a dark-wrapper jag and this stick fits the bill with a dark, sun-grown Ecuadorian Sumatra capa or wrapper. The binder is Connecticut broadleaf and the tripa or filler is a three country blend of Honduran/Nicaraguan/Dominican. So, this is about as far from a puro or single-country composition as you can find.
Billed as a full-bodied, Cuban-style cigar, it seemed just the thing for a chilly night of reading in the garage lounge.
Prelight and Initial Stage
This cigar certainly had nice packaging. The essential Hoyo band was coupled with a cedar sleeve which had supplemental bands at the top and bottom. A nice presentation. Slipping off the sleeve revealed a rich, medium dark leathery brown wrapper that resembled that on the Ashton VSG line though not as oily. Lightly veined and not toothy, it looked promising of a rich smoking experience.
Light-up was trouble free and soon the cigar was burning nicely. Initial impressions were indeed of earthiness and medium-rich tobacco. There was a pleasant toastiness to the scent. Though billed as full bodied, I'd say it was more medium-full by my reckoning. Smoke volume was very good and the draw was on the light side of right on. It was easy to blow smoke rings with this baby. I also noticed right away that almost in contradiction to the fullness and earthiness of the flavor, the lingering scent was light, almost floral and quite pleasant. Aftertaste was rounded, light and pleasing. I wonder how much of this is a characteristic of the Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper. This was the second stick in a row with this wrapper (the other being the LGC RF, Nat, previously reviewed) that had this characteristic. Rich, texture and delightful aroma.
Late Stage and Finish
This cigar was turning out to be a nicely satisfying smoke. Heading into the half-way point, the ash was a stiff light gray. Burn continued to be organically straight with only a few flame and dab touch ups needed for slight runs and lags. Flavor remained an engaging and rich earthy base with slight elements of woodiness emerging. I also started to notice some decent bean flavors upon double puffing. This was a pretty smooth and dense stick. Good overall. The smoke and lingering scent continued to be very pleasant with a lovely floral tone. I worked this one down to about the last 7/8" and it never got harsh or rough. In fact, it seemed to thicken up even more with an amplification of the earthy notes. Nice.
Overall: A very nice stick at a very nice price of around $4 I think. Rich, earthy, great aroma, tolerant of huffing and good to the very last. Recommended.
(IMG:http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h73/Gins...oDarkSumEsp.jpg)
Wilkey
