Hoyo De Monterrey Epicure No. 2 was one of the first Cuban cigars I’ve ever smoked.  It always been a very popular cigar especially considering its in a crowded vitola group.  I’ve had quite a few of these, but other robustos like the Partagas Serie D No. 4, Cohiba Robusto, Bolivar Royal Corona, Ramon Allones Specially Selected and San Cristobal De La Habana Fuerza did overshadow it.  Luckily for me, a friend recently gave me one of these, which rekindled my love affair with these cigars.  Lets take a look are the specifics:

• Size:  4.88” x 50
• Date:  2011
• Wrapper:  Cuba
• Binder:  Cuba
• Filler:  Cuba
• MSRP:  $10.00

Construction and Appearance

The cigar looks really well rolled.  The cap was applied perfectly and the wrapper was smooth.  No large veins, sun or water spots on the wrapper were found.  The cigar was a little overfilled, as the draw was a little tight, but nothing that I thought was unbearable.

Flavors

First Half

Immediately you get a bready and caramel flavor that is really nice and flavorful.  This is joined by a cashew nutty note intermingled with some white pepper and cedar.  All the flavors mesh well together and linger for quite awhile on the palate.  The burn is excellent with a decent amount of smoke.  I didn’t have to touch up the cigar at all.  The draw also got a lot better after a little more than a half an inch into the cigar.  It opened up quite a bit which made the flavors pop even more.

Last Half

The last half of the cigar got even more flavorful.  A nice cocoa note and light roast coffee entered, which really worked well with the other flavors.  The caramel and cedar notes came more into the forefront as the white pepper faded in and out.  I would pick up a little saltiness every now and then as well.  Construction remained very good with no touch up like the first half. Volume of smoke increased a little more, which I really enjoyed.

Overall Impressions

I feel like such and idiot for ignoring this old friend for so long.  It’s a great robusto that doesn’t break the bank.  If you age these just a few years, you will be greatly rewarded as these robustos get even more complex and smooth.  This one was pretty young for me, but it did not disappoint.  Great flavors, excellent construction (which is getting more rare these days from Cuban cigars) and approachable price point make this cigar a winner.  If you are where you can smoke Cubans, don’t pass this one up for some of the more famous robustos.  It definitely won’t disappoint you.