Hoyo de Monterrey le Hoyo du Depute TEO SEP 19 (M&CRW)

[Bijan]

I don't usually listen to music while smoking cigars so this contest was me trying something new.

For this review I went with my spotify liked songs playlist.

Started with a song that drives my wife up the wall as being super depressing in her view but a song that I find oddly relaxing, the very minor 1990s alternative hit Fade Into You by Mazzy Star. Usually there's something a bit unexpected the first time you hear a song and you have to listen to it a few times before you get the hang of it. This song from the first note is just one slow long predictable and comforting number.

I light the cigar as the song opens.
The cigar opens up with baking spice.

Listen to the song a second time again.

My liked songs playlist at this point is uptempo garage punk from when I joined spotify in 2019, mostly my favourite band of the genre, the little known New Bomb Turks. Then hard rock and alternative, including a fair bit of AC/DC. Then a good chunk of pre-war blues. And most recently a lot of 60/70s soul and R&B.

I move on to the prewar blues. Match Box Blues by Blind Lemon Jefferson.
The cigar goes on to sweet vanilla, maybe a bit of cream.

Soul/R&B now. Home in your heart by Solomon Burke and then Broke Down Piece of Man by Sam and Dave.

Second third is has the baking spice back up a notch, still some vanilla.

Now the New Bomb Turks for a bit. Songs are too fast to relax and enjoy a cigar. I can feel my heartrate speeding up. It doesn't help that it's a pretty hot day and I'm sitting in the midday sun. Try to pace myself during two fast songs, Professional Againster and Id Slips In, and then listen to a one of their rare slow songs, Wrest Your Hands.

I'm thrown off a bit as I get a cold call supposedly from some foreign investment broker.

Final third has some bitter citrus peel. And then a bit woody slightly tannic.

Hang up the phone and listen to two different Soul covers of The Weight by the band, first The Staple Singer and then Aretha Franklin. There's something oddly satisfying about a cover that shifts things around.  Like Aretha Franklin's gender change in Respect vs Otis Redding's original. And the same in the Raincoats version of the Kinks song Lola. I can't stand the original at all now, since it's so tongue in cheek vs the Raincoats version, which sounds sad and deeply serious despite being even more ridiculous.  In this case the song the Weight works better as a Soul song than a folk/country song due to the gospel aspect.

In any case the opening two plays of Fade Into You and the closing two versions of The Weight book ended the cigar fairly well.

Cigar nubbed. Smoke time 52 minutes. Not bad for a thinner version of a Party Shorts.

If nothing else I have some idea of what songs work with a cigar and which don't.

I think I'll give this cigar 4.5/5. Extremely flavourful, not too strong but not weak either. Good complexity for such a short smoke, and relatively good construction and smoke time.
 

[Chas.Alpha]

Love your taste in music!

[inter4alia]

Close the contest down now, this review wins!  Outstanding, @Bijan, truly outstanding! 

[Cairo]

Great review--I think these hit their stride at the three year mark.

[karp]

Awesome review - I like your music and cigar selection 

[oneizzzz]

Thanks @Bijan.  I want to try one now!

[Tobacco-oil]

👍 one of my favorite quick smoke's. nicely balanced for a little morning or afternoon coffee pairing. 

[jonnyfromiranny]

Great review. This is on my 'buy' list.