Cigar Review: Hoyo de Monterrey Excalibur Legend

Brand: Hoyo de Monterrey Excalibur   
Line: Legend
Vitola: 6.25 x 54, 5.25 x 50
Origin: Honduras
Wrapper: Cuban seed US Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Dominican, Nicaraguan
Body: Medium-Full
Strength: Medium-Full
Box Price: $120 (Box of 20)

Description: This is the newest release from Hoyo de Monterrey. It is called the Legend, and it comes in three sizes: the Challenger – 5.25 x 50; the Conqueror – 6.25 x 54; and the Crusader – 5.75 x 46. The legend was introduced at the 2008 ICPCR trade show in Las Vegas.

I received my first one at the show. It was the Challenger. What a beautiful looking smoke. The cinnamon wrapper seemed to glisten under light. It reminded me of a Rosado wrapper. I finally smoked it a few days ago. And it was goooooood – completely different than the Excalibur’s of yesteryear!

Initial clip gave me a perfect draw! I immediately detected spices and pepper, something I wasn’t expecting. I always remembered the HdM as a creamy, tobacco-filled flavor. I knew this one was different. Upon lighting, I was correct in my assumption. This one had a kick to it right from the start. Bold spices from a bold cigar! Lots of flavor right from the get-go.

As the cigar progressed, the spice never let up. More of tobacco emerged, but it stayed, uh, quite spicy! No hint of coffees or creams I attribute to my prior experiences with HdM. It did even out around the last third, though the spice never faded. The spice became part of the cigar as a whole, rather than standing out on its own. It had a very nice and smooth finish! I’d like to see that smoothness throughout, and maybe a little aging will get it there!

I liked this cigar! It was definitely unique coming from HdM – much more of a powerhouse than I’m used to from this line. Good solid ash that held on for 2 inches (and I wasn’t even trying!). Lot’s of smoke, which I like! I decided I would get some more of these!

Well, I recently discovered that a local cigar shop here in San Diego, Racine & Laramie in Old Town (http://www.racineandlaramie.com/) was hosting an HdM event. So, I went there today. They were promoting the Legend, and I grabbed a sampler (one of each) for around $18. With that, I also received a Conqueror for free. Guess what I smoked? And I wasn’t disappointed!

I had the chance to talk to HdM’s Event Manager, Trenton Smith. He gave me the scoop on the new Legend. Here’s a breakdown on what he told me:

The Legend series is a Honduran-made cigar, utilizing a spicy filler that is a combination of Nicaraguan mainland tobacco, tobacco from an island off of Nicaragua’s coast, Ometepe, and Dominican ligero. If you look into the foot of the cigar, you will see darker tobacco. That’s the ligero. That’s what gives it the strength. The blend with the other tobaccos gives it complexity. This allows the cigar to be strong, but not for sake of just being strong. The wrapper is a United States Cuban seed Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper. A lot of the spice comes from the wrapper. This is a great wrapper.

Thanks for the time Trenton! I’m looking forward to your next trip to San Diego!

Verdict: This is a must try cigar for HdM fans! But, it isn’t your run-of-the-mill Hoyos either. Just, be prepared!

Similar Cigars: Just be looking at the wrapper, I immediately thought, “Partagas Spanish Rosado.” It had the same spiciness too. So, I’ll go with that one!

Popularity: 15% [?]

Tagged as: Cigar Reviews, Excalibur, General Cigar, Hoyo de Monterrey, New Cigar