Hoya de monterrey des dieux late 2006

[Ryan]

Very nice review, great pictures. I would not have guessed that english is not your first language.

I have a box from '00 and the wrappers look nowhere near as nice as yours. They are one of my favourite cigars. Two adjectives that would describe the Des Dieux for me would be "strong" and "wood". It's a good cigar when you have the opportunity to concentrate on it.

[Sandman]

Awesome review! I love the Des Dieux, and now I want to try a recent production example. Thanks!

[jdbrown]

I recently acquired a box of Mar 07. Wonderful looking sticks however the first one I tried was completely plugged. My first 07 that has had those issues. I just checked the box and the others appear fine. I will try another this weekend.

[idesign]

My favorite Hoyo........great review, I might need to pick up a new box soon.

[Colt45]

Very nice review.

[Leftridge]

Nice review! Thanks!!

I suspect the spots to which you reference are water spots on the leaf. Sun gets magnified by water drops on the leaf and burns them. I'm no botanist but I see it from time to time on household plants.

» The cigar has also two imperfection, is two white spots, its not plume,

» nor mold. Its not a dent its actually smooth, run the fingers over the

» spots and they are inside the tobacco leaf, again never seen this either.

[shrink]

sandholm,

I just loved your review. It was clear, revealing, and very entertaining. Just one of the many lines that made me smile:

this is how cigars should smell, like sitting inside a bakery/chocolate factory while its on fire.

The des Dieux is one of those cigars that have been hit-or-miss for me. When "on", with a few years of age, they are a real treat, sweet, woody, and mildly spicy. Almost like a confection. When "off" they are bland or bitter.

I haven't smoked any younger than '03 or so. Keep up the reviews!

[Hugomarink]

Great Review! I recently purchased a 50 cab of Des Dieux from 2003. I haven't had the chance to sample one yet but the wrappers are much lighter than the '06 version seen here. Anybody have any experience with the '03s?

[shrink]

Anybody have any experience with the '03s?

Mid '03s from a 50 cab are the best I've ever had.

[Stalebread]

» Anybody have any experience with the '03s?

»

» Mid '03s from a 50 cab are the best I've ever had.

I picked up some singles of DIC '03 in Geneva in January. Have not smoked any of them but other '03s I've had were outstanding cigars and that's why I got just a few more. It never hurts to have just a few more.

[Hugomarink]

» Anybody have any experience with the '03s?

»

» Mid '03s from a 50 cab are the best I've ever had.

I do love to hear that. :-)

[Hugomarink]

» I picked up some singles of DIC '03 in Geneva in January. Have not smoked

» any of them but other '03s I've had were outstanding cigars and that's why

» I got just a few more. It never hurts to have just a few more.

Excellent! Thanks for letting me know.

[marco polo]

Thanks for the review/pics! :-)

[Curt]

Excellent review.

These are a go to for me. I smoke 3-4 a week.

I am currently working on a cab from '02 and have another from '02 and one from '03 in the humi. Since cabs of these are no more, I think I'll let those sit and order some of the more recent production.

[El Presidente]

Thank You for a wonderful review. You have me looking forward to Monday to try a late 06/07 HDM Dieux :-)

[sandholm]

So my first foh review, english is not my native language, so sorry for that... but lets start from the beginning.

Last time I was in my local cigar shop (this town has three major once...) I picked up some random Hoyo de Monterrey, which is my favorite cigar brand. My intentions where not to get any Dieux, but I really like that size, so ended up getting 5, now my plan was only to get a couple of them, but the poor guy had to open a new box, so I took 5, turned out to be a terrible mistake... Well, I got home and placed them in the humidor for a couple of weeks, just enough to settle down. For the last weeks I have been traveling in business so I backed my travel humidor, and two of the Dieux got into it... Now I dont remember the box code, except there where from the end of 2006.

After a couple of days of traveling I picked up my first Dieux and lit it and it was just mind blowing. Everything was perfect, pure Hoyo de monterrey taste, construction perfect and one of the best draw ever. Unfortunately I didn't have my camera and I was really tiered so I didn't write anything down, but I sat there and thought that I should have just picked up the whole box... or should I...

So last sunday, had some work to do but it was a really nice day. Not a super hotel but it had a balcony so ended up sitting there working and after a while I lit another HdM Dieux, and expected the same cigar as the first time... so lets start..

Construction

(horrible balcony floor but great large shady balcony)

Nothing to say, A class, wrapper is smooth as silk, no really any hard or soft spots, but 2 cm from the foot it feels a little to "compact" but not really hard. The color is milk chocolate brown, and the smell is cold tobacco, a bit sweet, would say some coffee or vanilla.

Looking at the foot and I see some "green" spots, this is not mold... its actually the tobacco leaves . I have never seen this before, anybody have any ideas or seen it?

The cigar has also two imperfection, is two white spots, its not plume, nor mold. Its not a dent its actually smooth, run the fingers over the spots and they are inside the tobacco leaf, again never seen this either.

I clip the top of (very very thin) and again some green colors shows up, what is this?

Test the draw and this one is suffering from the Dieux plague, its too tight, not unsmokable tight but still a bit to tight. My hope is that this comes from the "compact" area 2 cm from the foot. The taste resemble the smell, chocolate, quite sweet, a bit vanilla along with some earth tones, might even be some leather, but main tone is chocolate, coffee with a twist of vanilla..., pure HdM Dieux.

The draw is a bit tight, really hate this, the first one where just perfect. So before lighting I massage the compact area, and it makes some difference, light it, but the draw is still to tight, so I end up clipping 2-3 mm more, and that changes it to acceptable.

Taste is pure Dieux, coffee along with creamy chocolate, but also a hint of spiciness, not that much vanilla. The best part is the smell, its just mind-blowing. As with the first one I ending up holding it so I have access to smoke all the time, this is how cigars should smell, like sitting inside a bakery/chocolate factory while its on fire.

Smoked for a while and after passed the compact area the cigars opens up, the draw is better, not perfect as the first one, but now I dont really have anything to complain about. Much more of the flavors comes out, just increase the cigar experiment, just perfect.

Unfortunately my phone starts ringing and I have to start dealing with more work related issue, but the cigar is there and just deliver, every draw are just mindblowing...

Now mid way, the cigar has a good burn pattern, the problem is that I dont really pay that much attention to it, quite a shame, its really good and the smell/taste is just great, but sometimes I forget it for a long period and I have to touch it up (I never have to relight it). When I reach the "white spot" the wrapper cracks, but no problems arrises from it.

The cigar deliver lots of smoke, coffee, vanilla and chocolate, the smell is to die for. I would say that its still in the midrange body, but not a pushover, and it starts to build up more of a punch, a bit more spiciness has turned up.

If i would compare it to something, I would say a Vivalto Lungo coffee, with a hint of amaretto and some tobleronne on the side. I also start picking up more of herbs when getting close to the last third, cant really put my finger on it, anise?

The last third, it has become a bit stronger, would say the higher end of midrange/lower full body, now the sweetness has toned down a bit and I am picking up more of the leather, a bit hay, chocolate is still there, but more like a 80% dark chocolate then the milk chocolate that it started with. No bitterness, not harsh. I treat the cigar quite bad, just demand more and more but it never go harsh on me.

Conclusion

This cigar just surprised me so much, they are always a wild card du to the draw issues, cant believe that HdM cant get an even draw on these cigars, its really a pity. I still have three left, but I am glad that I didn't pick up the whole box, instead I will order a box from czar, and the once that are plugged or to tight I will be send back to our president... because this cigar is just to good to pass over.

Ratting

quite hard, if you get a cigar with a perfect draw its definitive above the 95 level its that good, but with the draw issue I would say around 92-94 (its good just a pain in the ....) . There is no harshness or rough edges, just a great smoke, so I would say that they would not benefit much from aging, max 1 year then its time to light and smoke them.

my next order will definitive consist of a box of these, again sorry that I didn't write down the box number, and for the pore/fast written review.

cheers