Hoyo de Monterrey Excalibur Maduro Epicure
Rank: 8
Rating: 92
Price: $5.15
Made By: Honduras American Tobacco S.A.
Factory Location: Honduras
Dimensions: 5 1/4" by 50 ring gauge
Filler: Honduras, Nicaragua, Dom. Rep.
Binder: U.S.A./Conn. Broadleaf
Wrapper: U.S.A./Conn. Broadleaf
Among the fattest cigars in the Hoyo Excalibur line, the Excalibur Epicure is a 50-ring cigar measuring 5 1/4 inches long. General Cigar Co. makes the cigars in its Villazon unit in Honduras, which is also home to the Punch brand. Angel Daniel Núñez, General’s president and chief operating officer, walks the company’s vast tobacco fields and visits each of its myriad cigar factories as he oversees production of General’s entire line. In maduro wrapper, the Epicure is a gem, a rare combination of two leaves of dark Connecticut broadleaf (one for the wrapper, one for the binder) around a bold filler blend combining Honduran, Nicaraguan and Dominican tobaccos. It’s a leathery, earthy cigar with plenty of sweet cocoa and coffee flavor. It’s also an undeniable bargain, one of the least expensive cigars on this list.