Hoyo De Monterrey Cigars – A Brief History
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Hoyo de Monterrey cigars are one of the earliest and most popular cigar brands in the world. A great blend of aromatic, peculiar, and sophisticated essence has made the brand a symbol of Cuba’s finest cigars‘ representation.
Though the company registration was done in 1865, its actual beginning goes as far back as 1831b – when a young teenager had a goal to establish a cigar brand that would top the charts.
In 1831, Don Jose Gerner y Batet, a Spaniard from Tarragona, emigrated from Spain to Cuba and started off doing jobs in Vuelta Abajo, his uncle’s plantation. Now, the region is popularly known as the best for growing tobacco; however, factory owners were only starting to see the prospects early in the nineteenth century.
After Jose spent twenty years on the plantation, he saved up some money and established a cigar company called La Escepion. Though the cigar brand was not very popular, he made enough profit to purchase one of the region’s most giant farms. He registered the cigar brand, and he named it Hoyo de Monterrey.
The literal translation of the name means “the hole of Monterrey,” which references the farm’s hollow shape that favored the production of premium tobacco leaves. It also signified the low position of the farm close to the San Juan y Martinez river bank. The Hoyo de Monterrey quickly became popular in the British market, and the factory became one of the giant factories in Cuba.
In 1900, Jose Gener passed on and left Hoyo de Monterrey to Lutgarda Gerner, his eldest daughter. The cigar brand remained in the family for thirty years after his death. In 1931, the family agreed on selling off the cigar brand to concentrate more on their sugarcane plantation.
Another cigar brand, Fernandea Palicio y cia, took over Hoyo de Monterrey and added it to its existing brands, Belindea, and the cherished Punch cigars. The cigar production industry was great until the Cuban Revolution.
Shortly after Fidel Castro took over power, the head of the firm, Fernando Palicio, moved to Florida. The Villazin family bought over his cigar brands, and they started making non-Cuban cigars using Honduran tobacco. To date, the Cuban production of Hoyo de Monterrey is owned and operated by the Cuban government.
Hoyo De Monterrey Cigars – A Brief History
Where Are They Made Now?
Hoyo de Monterrey, being a combination of two brands of top-quality cigars, is produced in both Cuba and Honduras. The Hoyo de Monterrey produced on the Island of Cuba is run by Habanos SA, a state-owned tobacco company. The Hoyo de Monterrey manufactured in Honduras is made by a General Cigar Company, which is now part of Swedish Match.
Their Most Popular Cigar Produced
There are several Hoyo de Monterrey cigars in production. However, here are the most popular.
Epicure line
The epicure line of the Hoyo de Monterrey cigar is known for several good and spectacular reasons. The epicure line’s No. 1 is one of the best cigars the brand has produced. The cigar has a ring gauge of about 46, and the flavor is soft, mild, and it tastes luxurious.
The exterior of the cigar Is as glamorous as its rich flavor, with a glitzy double band finishing: one to identify the brand and the other to display the name.
Another great Hoyo de Monterrey cigar from the epicure line is epicure No. 2. Considering how popular the demand for the initial epicure, the No. 2 followed.
Though the ring gauge is slightly larger than the first, the cigar starts gentle and soft and slowly transitions into a rich pepper and cedar flavor. The Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure No. 2 cigar is richly seasoned, with an intensity that rises gradually from light to medium flavor.
Bottom Line
Overall, Hoyo de Monterrey continues to be one of the oldest and most recognized cigar brands, even with the advent of modern innovation and technology. The brand is constantly at the fore of creating new flavors and a wide range of sizes to please cigar aficionados.
The Hoyo de Monterrey has produced numerous cigar flavors, such as the Vilotas, Edición Limitada, Colección Habanos, and others. Hoyo de Monterrey remains one of the longest-lived cigar brands from the nineteenth century, and the legacy lives on.
Dan Stevenson
I have been smoking cigars for 30 years and counting, I started at 18 years old with mild Cubans and worked my way up to medium and now bold. I own 4 humidors, that I try to keep stocked at all times.
