Brand guide
Hoyo de Monterrey
Hoyo de Monterrey is a 19th-century Cuban cigar name now used by two separate makers: Habanos S.A. in Cuba and General Cigar Co. in Honduras.
José Gener named it after his farm
Hoyo de Monterrey is named after a tobacco plantation in San Juan y Martínez, in Cuba's Vuelta Abajo, owned by Spanish-born José Gener.
Gener arrived in Cuba from Spain in 1831, at 13, and worked on his uncle's plantation. He opened a Havana cigar factory around 1851 and used the profits to buy his own farm. Wikipedia puts the brand's registration in 1865. Habanos points to a plantation door inscribed "Hoyo de Monterrey. José Gener. 1860." The name means "the hole of Monterrey," for the low ground growers liked.
Gener died in 1900. His daughter, Lutgarda, ran the business for about 30 more years.
From Palicio to two separate owners
In 1931 the Gener family sold Hoyo de Monterrey to Fernández, Palicio y Cía, the Havana firm that also owned Punch.
By 1958, Wikipedia says, Fernando Palicio's brands made up 13% of all Havana cigar exports. Then came 1959. The state took over the island's cigar factories. Palicio left for Florida and sold his rights to the Villazon family, who made Hoyo, Punch and Belinda in Tampa from Honduran tobacco for the US market. Cuba kept producing its own Hoyo. General Cigar bought Villazon in 1997, and General is now part of Scandinavian Tobacco Group.
Cuban Hoyo de Monterrey from Habanos
Habanos S.A. markets the Cuban Hoyo de Monterrey and lists the brand as light in strength.
The Le Hoyo series dates to the 1940s, when it was made for the Swiss distributor A. Dürr. Habanos renewed it with Le Hoyo de San Juan in 2014 and Le Hoyo de Río Seco in 2018. The Epicure line grew in 2008, when the Epicure Especial joined Epicure No. 1 and No. 2. A Petit Robusto, 102 mm by 50 ring, was added in 2004.
Where is the non-Cuban Hoyo made?
General Cigar says Hoyo de Monterrey for the US market has been made in Honduras since 1965.
The blends reach well beyond Honduras. Excalibur uses a Connecticut Shade wrapper and binder over Dominican, Honduran and Nicaraguan filler. Hoyo de Monterrey Sumatra pairs an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper with a Connecticut Broadleaf binder. Epicure Selección and Shade are Honduran throughout. A US Le Hoyo, listed as coming soon, wears a Honduran OSA wrapper over a US Broadleaf binder. Shared names, different cigars.
Hoyo de Monterrey lines from both owners
Rows are labeled by owner, because the Cuban and Honduran brands use some of the same line names.
| Line | Owner | Wrapper (maker) | Stated body or strength | Notable sizes (x ring) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Excalibur | US (General Cigar) | Connecticut Shade | Mellow to medium | No. IV 5.625 x 46, No. I 7.25 x 54, No. 660 6 x 60 |
| Hoyo de Monterrey Sumatra | US (General Cigar) | Ecuadorian Sumatra | Medium | Rothschild 4.5 x 50, Sultans 7.25 x 54 |
| Epicure Selección | US (General Cigar) | Honduran | Medium to full | No. 2 4.88 x 50, Toro Especiale 6 x 50 |
| Shade | US (General Cigar) | Honduran Shade | Mellow to medium | Rothschild 4.5 x 50, Gigante 6 x 60 |
| Epicure No. 2 | Cuba (Habanos) | Vuelta Abajo leaf | Light (brand) | Robusto, 4.9 in x 50 |
| Double Coronas | Cuba (Habanos) | Vuelta Abajo leaf | Light (brand) | 7.6 in x 49 |
General Cigar also lists Excalibur Maduro, Black, Cameroon and Dark Knight, plus La Amistad, Rojo, Oscuro and Hoyo de Tradición.
Hoyo de Monterrey milestones
Hoyo de Monterrey's timeline forks in 1959.
- 1865: Brand registered, per Wikipedia (Habanos cites an 1860 inscription).
- 1931: Sold to Fernández, Palicio y Cía.
- 1940s: Le Hoyo series made for A. Dürr of Switzerland.
- 1959: Nationalization in Cuba; Palicio sells to Villazon.
- 1965: US Hoyo production in Honduras begins, per General Cigar.
- 1997: General Cigar acquires Villazon.
- 2014: Cuban Le Hoyo de San Juan launches.
What to know before you buy a Hoyo
Hoyo de Monterrey comes from two makers, so the first thing to confirm is the country of manufacture on the box.
General Cigar's sizes run from a 4.5 x 50 Rothschild to a 7.25 x 54 Excalibur No. I. Body ratings there go from mellow-medium to medium-full. Those are the maker's words. See how they map on our strength and body scale.
Hoyo de Monterrey ownership questions
Is Hoyo de Monterrey Cuban?
Both. One is sold by Habanos and rolled on the island; the other comes from General Cigar's Honduran operation for American shops.
What does Hoyo de Monterrey mean?
Wikipedia translates it as "the hole of Monterrey," a reference to the low, concave ground that premium tobacco growers favored on José Gener's farm.
Who makes Hoyo de Monterrey Excalibur?
General Cigar Co. makes Excalibur, a Honduran-made Hoyo de Monterrey line with a Connecticut Shade wrapper and binder over Dominican, Honduran and Nicaraguan filler.
How strong is Cuban Hoyo de Monterrey?
Habanos lists the Cuban Hoyo de Monterrey brand as light in strength, though it rated its 2021 Primaveras release as medium.
Where the Hoyo de Monterrey facts come from
- Hoyo de Monterrey brand, Habanos S.A.
- Hoyo de Monterrey: Hand crafted in Honduras, General Cigar Co.
- Excalibur blend and sizes, General Cigar Co.
- Hoyo de Monterrey, Wikipedia
- General Cigar Company, Wikipedia