Excalibur No. III by Hoyo de Monterrey Review

Overview

In an era dominated by relentless Nicaraguan strength and barrel-aged bravado, the Excalibur No. III by Hoyo de Monterrey stands as a quiet monument to a different kind of excellence. Conceived in the 1970s by General Cigar under the storied Hoyo de Monterrey banner, the Excalibur line helped define the original premium Honduran category—long before the industry’s center of gravity shifted south. Its numbered vitola system, a hallmark of that debut era, remains intact today, with the No. III Lonsdale being perhaps the most balanced and telling expression of the blend. This is a cigar that has aged not merely in the sense of its constituent tobaccos—each Honduran and Nicaraguan long-leaf is aged a minimum of three years prior to rolling—but also in the sense of its philosophy: unhurried, deliberate, and thoroughly classical. The No. III measures a stately 6.75 inches with a 44-ring gauge, a format that rewards patience and attentive smoking. Its Honduran Natural wrapper, a shade-grown Corojo in a Colorado hue, is medium brown, silky, and slightly toothy—a tactile promise of the refinement within. Hand-rolled at the HATSA factory in Danlí, Honduras, it bears the structural hallmarks of a factory that has long prioritized consistency: an even burn, a firm draw, and ash that holds in solid gray columns of an inch or more. The construction is traditional—no box-press—allowing the circular profile to deliver an unimpeded, linear smoking experience that spans 60 to 75 minutes. Upon lighting, the No. III opens with refined cedar and dry toast, punctuated by mild white pepper on the retrohale. Subtle almond and light floral notes emerge on a clean, slightly sweet draw. By the second third, the profile deepens into dried hay, toasted oak, and gentle leather, with an earthy undercurrent that occasionally surfaces as cashew and baking spices—cinnamon and nutmeg. The final third tightens into a more pronounced woody bitterness and lingering caramel sweetness, with leather and cocoa powder asserting dominance before a long, dry finish accented by mild peppery warmth. This is not a flashy cigar. It is not built to overwhelm. It is, in the best sense, a dinosaur—a reminder that Honduran tobacco, when properly aged and blended with restraint, produces a smoke of profound equilibrium. For the aficionado weary of the strength race, the Excalibur No. III offers a return to grace. It is a cigar that asks to be understood, not conquered.