A piece of Cuban history.
Don José Gener y Batet was a Catalan Spaniard who emigrated to Cuba in 1831 at the age of thirteen. He worked on his uncle's plantation in Vuelta Abajo. Around 1850, he went to Havana to start a manufactory and his own brand of cigars: La Escepcion.
This was an immediate success and in the 1860's José Gener used the acquired capital to buy the farm "Hoyo de Monterrey", located in the heart of the famous Vuelta Abajo in San Juan y Martinez. In Spanish, "Hoyo" means hole and "Hoyo de Monterrey" means the hole of Monterrey. A particularly appropriate term for this vega that extends below the banks of the river that irrigates San Juan y Martinez. This area was known at the time for producing the best Cuban tobacco.
José Gener's Hoyo de Monterrey cigar brand was registered in 1865 at the address of its manufactory at 7, Principle Alfonso Street, Havana. The cigars, composed with sweet and aromatic blends, quickly became internationally successful and very popular in England.
Don José Gener y Batet returned to Spain in 1895 and died there in 1900, leaving his daughter Lutgarda Gener to take over the flourishing family business. At that time, the Hoyo de Monterrey manufactory was the largest in Cuba, employing no less than 350 workers.
After the death of José Gener, the demand for cigars declined. The family focused more on the cane plantations than on the tobacco fields. In 1931, the Hoyo de Monterrey brand was sold, along with La Escepcion, to the Fernandez Palicio y Ca company. This company had been founded by Ramon Fernandez and Fernando Palicio and already owned two not insignificant brands: Punch and Belinda.
Ramon Fernandez died in 1948 and Fernando Palicio took over the business and founded Fernandez, Palicio and Cia S.A., in which he was the sole owner. During the Revolution, the company was still located at 51 Calle Maximo Gomez and carried many brands such as Hoyo de Monterrey, Punch, La Escepcion, Belinda and many others. In 1958 it accounted for 13% of Cuban cigar exports.
Most of Hoyo de Monterrey's formats are rolled without the strong ligero tobaccos. Still, Hoyo de Monterrey cigars impress with the full body of Cuban tobacco, making them appealing to novices and connoisseurs alike.
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