The Hoyo de Monterrey Regalos Limited Edition was released by Habanos in 2007 and is presented in an unvarnished slide lid box of 25 cigars in two layers. The Regalos, as with all limited edition Habanos cigars, are not part of the usual range of the Hoyo de Monterrey brand. The careful selection of a two year aged wrapper from the upper level of the Cuban plant gives this release a darker colour which sets them apart from other HDM cigars. Binder and filler leaves used for the making of these limited edition cigars have also been aged for two years adding to its character. Having said that we had certainly looked forward to reviewing the HDM Regalos and partnering the Regalos for the review was ’The Yearling’ 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon from Rymill. 

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In the early 1830’s at the age of thirteen Don José Gener y Batet left Spain immigrating to Cuba and began working on his uncles tobacco plantation in Vuelta Abajo. Some twenty years on he opened his own cigar factory  in Havana and produced the La Escepción line of cigars. In 1865 Don José Gener y Batet then acquired one of the best tobacco farms in Vuelta Abajo and registered a cigar range named Hoyo De Monterrey. Literally translating to “the hole of Monterrey” this reflected the concave terrain sought by growers of premium Cuban tobacco. Today it’s commonly acknowledged by many Habanos aficionados that Vuelta Abajo is the region where the best tobacco leaf is grown.

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