The flavor of the Hoyo de Monterrey Excalibur kicks off in the first third with wood, cedar, and pepper.  The pepper offers a nice little kick, but is not too strong.  The second third continues with the peppery theme.  Some earth and coffee are also noticeable at this point.  Strength picks up a bit but is still in that medium to full-bodied range.  The final third is a combination of leather, wood, and sweetness.

I can’t really say that I was blown away by the Excalibur Epicure.  It’s a decent cigar but nothing too memorable.  Having to maintain the burn was a letdown, and the flavors really did not catch my attention.  Give the Excalibur a try if you enjoy Hoyo de Monterrey cigars and want something in the medium to full-bodied range.  Perhaps the Maduro version is better, but I’ll have to see about that one in the future.  You can find the Excalibur Epicure in the $6 range.  It also comes in boxes of 20.

The Hoyo de Monterrey Excalibur Epicure earns a rating of three out of four stars.

Siboney Reserve Robusto

The Siboney Reserve is an affordable line of cigars produced at the My Father cigar factory in Esteli, Nicaragua by the famous Don Pepin Garcia and family.  Two things drew me to this line.  First, the fact that it’s made by the Garcias.  Second, it has a very attractive price tag.  I’m hoping it’s a hit, because I’m always open to budget cigars to keep around the house for myself and friends.

The Siboney Reserve Robusto measures 5 x 50.  The other two sizes produced in the line include the 6 1/2 x 54 Torpedo and the 7 x 50 Churchill.  The Siboney Reserve starts off with a filler of Jalapa and Condega Corojo tobaccos.  Next come Nicaraguan Criollo ’98 and Honduran Habano binders.  Capping things off is a Nicaraguan Habano Rosado wrapper.  The Siboney Reserve is said to be full-bodied in strength.