Cigar Review – Hoyo de Monterrey Reposado en Cedros Sueño

I probably say this more often than necessary, but I’m generally a big fan of stronger smokes. That said, I’ve been trying to ease some mellower smokes into my repertoire lately to give my palate a break from constant blasting pepper. This week, I smoked one that I definitely think I’ll come back to—the Hoyo de Monterrey Reposado en Cedros Sueño.

According to General Cigar’s website, they’re made using a process called “Inmersion,” in which the cigars are aged in cedar for an additional 6 months before being sold. This process took 2 years to perfect, and is purported to be responsible for an extra level of complexity in the smoke.

Anyway, I removed this cigar from its handsome packaging and was met with the pleasant aroma of (you guessed it) cedar, along with some cream and a little bit of tobacco spice. The cigar was as solidly built as any I’d ever seen. It had an oily and flawless wrapper, and I could see what looked like the cross section of an accordion bunch at the foot. The cap was expertly applied, and after clipping it with a Xikar Xi2, the pre-light draw revealed flavors of cream and caramel, with the slightest bit of pepper.

Lighting this stogie was a breeze, and took about 20 seconds with a dual-torch lighter. Initial flavors were incredibly mellow and sweet with undertones of butter, cream, and vanilla, but no cedar yet. I actually had to smoke about a half inch of it before the cedar came in, but once it did, it was more noticeable than in any other cigar I’d ever had. Along with the cedar, the vanilla flavor became more pronounced, creating a sweet, woody, whisky-like combination.

Further in, cedar, cream, and nutmeg were prevalent, and a bit of pepper started creeping up steadily in the background. At this point, the ash was about 1 ½ inches long and perfectly formed—it was totally solid, and there were no chips or flakes. The burn was near-perfect, only requiring one minor touch-up on an unburned ridge.

Finally, as I neared the end of the smoke, the cedar note became aggressive and the pepper started to climb up, eventually leveling off at around medium-bodied. I’d always heard this described as medium-bodied, but it definitely started very mellow. Anyway, the pepper and cedar, along with a little bit of clinging caramel sweetness, lasted until I set the stubby remainder of the cigar down.

While mellow cigars aren’t usually in my immediate go-to stash, it’s good to smoke a cigar every once in a while that doesn’t knock you on your ass. The Hoyo de Monterrey Reposado en Cedros Sueño delivered plenty of light, sweet, dessert flavors, along with just the right amount of pepper to let you know you’re smoking a cigar. The sweet flavors make it great for an after dinner smoke while the mellowness would make it the perfect accompaniment to a morning cup of coffee. I’d hesitate to say any cigar is universally appealing, but I definitely recommend this one to fans of easygoing and full-bodied cigars alike.