Hoyo Epicure No2

[Gauntleys]

Over the last 3-4 weeks i have had a number of complaints about the double banded Epicure No2 (from 3 packs). I had one smoke in 15 mins. My customers have had them crackling and popping while smoking. Others have also commented on the foul taste. So far i have had 4 customers & my self find this. We are now selling them from a 25 SLB as there single banded and feel/smell as they should.

Anyone else (Retailers/Public) noticed this????

[eggopp]

There are several posts on here regarding the crackling and popping and several different conclusions, i experienced this myself, but not from your store or an HE no2 either.

One conclusion which i prefer to beleive was poor quality leaf with air pockets and slightly to dry, with cracking of the outer leaf and crackling and popping when the heat reaches an air pocket...

Other more worrying conlusion ws the heat popping beatle eggs and possibly lavae in the stick. If the h whole cab is like this, there may be an infestation.. if you havent already id isolate the cab and maybe freeze it.

And for my good suggestion you can bomb them to me when they defrost or send em anyway and let me freeze them.

[Gauntleys]

Its not the ones from a cab, just the new double banded ones in 3 packs, so far all my cabs have been the older single band which are darker and have a much nicer unlit aroma(what Hoyos should be). I have had this in many different orders from Hunters. Its not a beetle issue, no white power in bottom of box or holes in the cigar. One of my customers has also had this on a cigar purchased from another retailer. But thanks for the reply

[eggopp]

Well i also meant beetle eggs, they can be on the leaf before rolling, there not loose they stick like they have a glue on them, might be that popping.. who knows whatever it is needs a fix.. without sounding out of order, not a good avert for your shop on a cigar forum lol... if you were an individiual may be it wouldnt matter so much. No offence chap, just how i see it. Hope you get it resolved. Let us know the outcome.

Maybe Mitch can help with advice if you email him at his shop, he is lways very obliging

[EugeneSax]

IMO - the fewer bands on an Epi 2, the better. The experiences above seem to support this.

[EugeneSax]

who knows whatever it is needs a fix.. without sounding out of order, not a good avert for your shop on a cigar forum lol

I can't think the observations Glyn reported are likely to be down to their (most recent) storage conditions thus not really a bad advert for his shop. Cigar vendors are not entirely responsible for the quality of the cigars they sell, Habanos & H+F have a wee bit to do with it as well - thus Glyn's post to see if anyone else had similar problems with recent batches of HdM E2 3 boxes from other outlets.

BTW - any idea of the size of these beetle eggs? I would have thought that they must be pretty small to get past the picking/curing/rolling process without being spotted ,so it seems odd that they might be the cause of noticeable popping noises.