Hoyo La Amistad Dark Sumatra Noche Cigar Review

March 5, 2021

Hoyo La Amistad Dark Sumatra Noche

Today I chose to review the Hoyo La Amistad Dark Sumatra by AJ Fernandez cigar; namely, the Noche size.  However,  before I take this hefty 6.5 x 52 Toro for a spin, here is a little background on this very popular blend.

In 2019 the masterminds at General Cigar decided that their classic  Hoyo de Monterrey Dark Sumatra line needed a modern overhaul due to stagnating sales. So,  they called upon the talents of iconic cigarmaker AJ Fernandez to add his fresh new take and thereby bring this decades-old Hoyo de Monterrey line extension back to life.

For this modern revamping,  AJ chose the following five-nation blend that he produced at his famous factory in Estelí Nicaragua.

Wrapper:    Ecuador Sumatra

Binder:        Connecticut Broadleaf

Filler:           Honduran, Nicaraguan, Dominican

Strength:     Medium to Full Bodied

Pre Light

Right off the bat, I could tell that this stick had a complete overhaul. Missing was the traditional Hoyo band replaced by bright orange and black dual-band engraved with a new Hoyo logo on the first one and AJ Fernandez written on the second one. A long cedar sleeve was placed below both bands.  Without close inspection, you would be hard-pressed to tell that this cigar was a Hoyo de Monterrey.

Appearance-wise, this is a great-looking stick. The cigar was firmly packed and the Oscuro wrapper had an even dark brown color that displayed very tight seams and a nice oily patina.

First Third

Immediately after lighting,  I detected a bold blast of black pepper common to fuller strength cigars that I’ve smoked before.  A few inches in, tasting notes of earth, and chocolate join the mix and remain the only three flavors up to this point.

Hoyo La Amistad Dark Sumatra Noche Cigar Review

Second Third

At the second third mark, the complexity really picks up.  The tasting notes now include more pronounced notes of chocolate, backed by leather, espresso,  some woodsy tones,  and to a lesser degree hints of black pepper. The cigar is burning like a champ up to this point, with no touch-ups required.

Final Third

In the last third, some notes of cinnamon emerged and melded effortlessly with its core flavors of chocolate, leather, espresso, and black pepper that’s now prominent on the retro-hale. I’m finding this top-notch Toro to be a very long-lasting smoke with a crisp, slow burn, and a firm greyish white ash. Near the nub, it becomes much softer in strength as a rich tobacco sweetness brings this stick to a creamy smooth finale.

Final Thoughts:

  • This was a very flavorful cigar from start to finish that really shows off AJ Fernandez’s top-notch blending style, this time in a more classic and traditional Hoyo de Monterrey way.

 

  • This wasn’t my all-time favorite AJ Fernandez blend, but it still was a very tasty smoke that’s found a permanent home in my humidor.

 

  • The cigar was flawlessly rolled and held its complexity right down to the nub. Combine these qualities with an affordable box of 20 prices, and you have a cigar that’s an exceptional value, and one that should be on every medium to full-bodied smokers must-try list.
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