Origin: Cafradia, Honduras
Wrapper: Honduras
Binder: Connecticut
Filler: Dominican Republic, Honduras, Nicaragua
Size Name: Nobilis
Length: 5.25
Ring Gauge: 50
Strength: Medium
A few months back I decided to try a new online vendor out of Las Vegas. I was browsing the site and was amazed by how good their prices were, so I decided to order a few singles to get my feet wet. I ordered about eight singles, two of which were Excalibur Royal Sterling by Hoyo de Monterrey.
These are a limited production line of cigars first introduced in 2004. The reason I decided to give these a try was due to the good experiences I have had with Hoyo cigars. With that in mind I decided to pull the preverbal trigger and give them a shot.
This stick has a light Honduran shade grown wrapper. The veins were fairly heavy leaving the cigar to appear rugged and lumpy. The feel was firm with a light spring when squeezed. The cap was very thick and difficult to pierce with my plug cutter. When I finally got through it, I checked the draw and was happy with it, so I moved on and began lighting.
Upon lighting, this cigar produced lots of thick billowing smoke. The flavor was mostly woody with a smooth and light finish. The body was in the medium range, making for an enjoyable start to the smoking experience.
After settling in with this cigar I began to get a mild spice when exhausting the smoke from my sinuses. In addition to the spice I started to taste a light sweetness on my lips from the wrapper. The draw was excellent but started to produce a slightly uneven burn. The body stayed medium and the finish was now rich and creamy lasting a few minutes on the pallet before fading away.
Once I reached the two thirds mark of the stick, the burn started to get a little faster. The uneven burn I was experiencing corrected itself while the draw got a little stiffer, but still produced lots of smoke. The body was still medium and the finish just seemed to get smoother and creamier. I could now taste hints of nuts in the background, that when combined with the base flavor and finish, made for a very enjoyable smoke.
When I reached the final stages of the cigar, the body started to get a little stronger. The body was now in the medium – full range and the finish was becoming less creamy. The nutty flavor I could taste before was now fading and turning into a leathery base.
Once the cigar was about an inch long I began to get a sort of soapy taste. This prompted me to set the cigar down and let it go out. Aside from the odd soapy flavor at the end I enjoyed this cigar. The Royal Sterling was not nearly as full bodied as the typical Hoyo cigar, but was a great mid day smoke. I have heard mixed reviews on this cigar, but from my recent experience I would not hesitate to pick up another.
If you happen to come across one on your travels, pick it up and give it a try.
Walt, Great review. I just found this website a few days ago. I love it. I am new to cigars. This website is great for someone like me. How does this cigar compare to the Hoyo Dark Sumatra (Media Noche)? Walt or anyone who reads this post, I am looking for a med. body cigar in a value line for an everyday cigar. My probelm is am hooked on samplers. Thanks.
Bobby Wade
Bobby,
I’m glad you enjoyed the review and thank for you for posting a comment.
The Royal Sterling is much milder than the Dark Sumatra and the flavor profile is much different all around.
Since you are looking for a Medium bodied cigar, I would recommend giving this one a try. The Dark Sumatra is heavier in both flavor and body than the Royal Sterling.
In response to your question on a value line cigar, give La Vieja Habana line a try. I have yet to try one of the new ones, but the Corojo is my “Old faithful”. It is a mixed filler cigar that is very inexpensive (When on sale, I just bough 3 boxes at 17.00 each) and I think they are a decent smoke.
You may also want to try the Flor de Oliva line. They are very affordable but lack the smoothness and complexity of bigger named smokes.
And finally, give a Tampa Sweetheart a try. I have not had one personally, but have been told by numerous people that they are an excellent cigar.
I hope that helps to answer your question.
Again, thanks for the kind words
-Walt
Hey I was wondering if you guys would review the Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure 2. Because it sounds like such a great cigar, but the problem is that I can never find this one. so I would like to hear your guys opinion to get an idea on how good it might be. And I know theres more than one out there so here’s a link so you can check it out. thanks again keep up all the good work.