Stogie Reviews: Hoyo de Monterrey Governor EMS

Hoyo is one of those sticks that I would smoke every now and again several years ago, but haven’t gotten around to delving into lately. And since its one of the few brands that’s not yet represented on our archived reviews page, I decided to pick up a Hoyo de Monterrey Governor EMS for old time’s sake.

This 6.12 inches by 50 ring gauge cigar had a caramel-colored Ecuador Sumatran wrapper with a few very prominent veins. In fact, one vein protruded dubiously for the length of the cigar more noticeably than any other I’ve seen in my smoking days. It therefore goes without saying that if you’re one of those smokers who obsesses over appearance, you might want to stay away from this one.

Pre-light the stogie smelled of sweet honey and molasses, and my double guillotine cutter yielded a loose draw. Owning up to its Honduran origins, however, the taste was much spicier when lit – producing a flavor that can best be likened to a honey graham cracker. As the smoke progressed, the tastes graduated from sweet to clove. The Connecticut Broadleaf binder and the blend of Dominican, Nicaraguan, and Honduran filler kept a good balance on the palate.

Even though my stick was properly stored for several months, I noticed a little tear in the wrapper near the cap, and some small bits of tobacco flaked away. But this fortunately did not effect the even burn. The black and gray ash held firm better than average throughout the one hour and fifteen minute smoke.

At about $5.30 apiece, I’d recommend picking one of these up – especially if you’re into cigars with changing flavors. For great taste and a few construction flaws, I give the Hoyo de Monterrey Governor EMS three and ½ out of five stogies.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here.]

–Patrick A