This is a brief review of the Cuban Seed Honduran leaf that I received today from WLT.
For almost a half century, I have been particularly fond of the traditional cigars of Hoyo de Monterrey and Punch (which have probably always been the very same blend in slightly differing sizes), both made in the Villazon factory in Honduras. [Yup. I'm that old!] They are "blended" from Honduran Cuban seed tobacco--derived from the infamous batch of seed smuggled out of Cuba in a diplomatic pouch. Nicaraguan Cuban seed tobacco is neither better nor worse than its Honduran counterpart, but it's different in aroma and body. They're both likely the same seed variety, though that is not certain. The soil and cultural practices are slightly different, and the two tobaccos are readily distinguishable.
My guess is that the traditional Hoyo and Punch were and continue to be "blended" in the same manner as is current in Cuba (e.g. at Robaina). That is to say, the blend is of different leaf positions from the same plant.
After opening the sealed bag of Honduran Cuban Seed tobacco from WLT, I frog-legged the first three leaves that separated from the hand, then bound and wrapped the bunched leaf in my own FL Sumatra sun-grown wrapper, which contributes minimal flavors and aroma. Within minutes, I was smoking a dead ringer for a slightly over-sized EMS Hoyo Rothschild. The flavor, aroma and medium-full bodied richness was unmistakable.
If you are a fan of Hoyo or Punch traditional cigars, then you can do no better for home rolling than to acquire some (a lot) of this Honduran Habano leaf for filler. Wrap it in Besuki or Ecuador Sumatra leaf for an EMS cigar. For maduro, go with the Ecuador Maduro wrapper.
Of course, you can blend this filler with any other leaf. But for a traditional Hoyo or Punch aroma, just straight Honduran filler is on target.
Bob
For almost a half century, I have been particularly fond of the traditional cigars of Hoyo de Monterrey and Punch (which have probably always been the very same blend in slightly differing sizes), both made in the Villazon factory in Honduras. [Yup. I'm that old!] They are "blended" from Honduran Cuban seed tobacco--derived from the infamous batch of seed smuggled out of Cuba in a diplomatic pouch. Nicaraguan Cuban seed tobacco is neither better nor worse than its Honduran counterpart, but it's different in aroma and body. They're both likely the same seed variety, though that is not certain. The soil and cultural practices are slightly different, and the two tobaccos are readily distinguishable.
My guess is that the traditional Hoyo and Punch were and continue to be "blended" in the same manner as is current in Cuba (e.g. at Robaina). That is to say, the blend is of different leaf positions from the same plant.
After opening the sealed bag of Honduran Cuban Seed tobacco from WLT, I frog-legged the first three leaves that separated from the hand, then bound and wrapped the bunched leaf in my own FL Sumatra sun-grown wrapper, which contributes minimal flavors and aroma. Within minutes, I was smoking a dead ringer for a slightly over-sized EMS Hoyo Rothschild. The flavor, aroma and medium-full bodied richness was unmistakable.
If you are a fan of Hoyo or Punch traditional cigars, then you can do no better for home rolling than to acquire some (a lot) of this Honduran Habano leaf for filler. Wrap it in Besuki or Ecuador Sumatra leaf for an EMS cigar. For maduro, go with the Ecuador Maduro wrapper.
Of course, you can blend this filler with any other leaf. But for a traditional Hoyo or Punch aroma, just straight Honduran filler is on target.
Bob