Montecristo

The Montecristo Platinum Robusto is meticulously crafted in La Romana, Dominican Republic by Altadis, a subsidiary of the British conglomerate Imperial Brands. This brand boasts a rich heritage, traditionally renowned as one of the most coveted Cuban cigars globally. Interestingly, it’s worth noting that the Montecristo brand has a dual existence, with the Cuban version under the ownership of Habanos SA, and a completely distinct Dominican counterpart under Altadis.

The Cuban iteration’s origins date back to July 1935, when Alonso Menéndez acquired the Particulares Factory. A year later, in July 1936, Menéndez established a new venture with a partner, christening it Menéndez, García y Cía. Following their departure from the turmoil of the Cuban revolution, Menéndez and García rekindled their brand in the Canary Islands and subsequently in La Romana, before eventually being acquired by Altadis S.A. The brand’s name is an ode to The Count of Monte Cristo, a masterpiece penned by Alexandre Dumas père.

Blend Specifics

• Cigar Reviewed: Montecristo Platinum Robusto
• Wrapper: Mexican San Andreas
• Binder: Dominican
• Filler: Peru, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic
• Size: 5×54

Appearance & Construction

The cigar is a tipple capped maduro robusto.  The wrapper leaf is paper thin. The cap is a darker shade than the rest of the wrapper.  The cigar is packed tighter at the bottom and looser at the top.

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

The wrapper and foot smell like a combo of Cinnabon’s and hay bales.

The cigar has a very loose cold draw with molasses on the breath. Sweetness….

First puff is faint.  Sweet leather and mesquite.  Leather aroma.  Toasty retro. Great smoke production. Good heat maintenance. The smoke has a very light body to it that is dominated by cedar, leather, and baking spices. Burn line could be better.

Second third starts off with some canoeing that I have to touch up. The smokes body is still faint with nuances of leather, sweetened coffee and cinnamon. Ash buildup is flaky.  Good heat maintce and smoke production.  Burn line is still struggling. A little marshmallow as we go into the final stretch.

Last third needed another touch up for more canoeing.  The smoking experience is still very singular and airy.  Baking spices and leather nuances but nothing overpowering. Black coffee and pepper finish. Leathery retrohale and aroma.

Conclusion

In conclusion the Montecristo Platinum Robusto wasn’t a great smoke but it wasn’t an absolute failure.  The Montecristo Platinum Robusto is definitely an anytime smoke, but not a smoke for somebody looking for complexity or a thicker more flavorful body. Touch ups don’t bug me too much, I’m used to it at this point in the game, but I can see that bothering some people.  If you like leather and baking spices give the Montecristo Platinum Robusto a shot. Just don’t tell anybody I was the one that recommended it. Enjoy!

Final Score: 80

Up for review today is the Montecristo Espada Oscuro, a highly anticipated release from Altadis. Why anticipated? I can’t speak for anyone else, but since the original Montecristo Espada is probably my favorite blend from the brand, I was thrilled to hear that there would be a new blend to take on the name.

Here’s what Eddy Guerra, Sr. Brand Manager at Altadis had to say about the Espada Oscuro:

“We are extremely excited about the Montecristo Espada Oscuro. The success of the original Espada we felt, gave us mandate to push the envelope, to give our customers another great blend that can proudly sport the Montecristo Espada band.”

So let’s get to it and see if the Oscuro can live up to the Espada’s well-earned reputation.

Blend Specifics

• Cigar Reviewed: Montecristo Espada Oscuro
• Wrapper: Nicaraguan habano rosado oscuro
• Binder: Nicaraguan
• Filler: Nicaraguan
• Size: 6 x 50 (guarde)

Appearance and Construction 

First, the look and feel. The Montecristo Espada Oscuro comes presented in a sleek double banding that features a dominant black and gold color palette. Near the bottom of the large secondary band is a note that reads “Blended by Grupo de Maestros in Dominican Republic and made in Nicaragua by Plasencia Family.”

Removing the bottom band reveals the dark, oily oscuro wrapper which has minimal veins, an oily texture, and one water mark which you can see on the photo below. After clipping the cap with a straight cut, the pre light draw is fairly unrestrictive (about a 6/10 in terms of amount of restrictiveness). The cold draw releases flavors of citrus, cocoa, barnyard, and some hay. Taking a whiff off of the foot of the cigar summons strong and cool notes of cedar, coffee, cocoa, Cognac and stone fruits. 

Flavors and Smoke Characteristics

Once lit, the Montecristo Espada Oscuro produces thick, rich smoke that has a spicy texture and a largely sweet, creamy flavor. What I really love about the opening is, despite featuring a wrapper not typically found on Montecristo cigars, I can still clearly sense the cedar and floral notes that I associate with other Montecristo blends. As the cigar progresses to about a half inch in, a bitter black coffee note hits the palate, balancing well against the spicy and sweet components of the smoke. Strength wise, I’d put the beginning of the cigar at medium to full in body and strength. 

It’s an excellent start to the cigar, and it seems that was just the start because at an inch in, the strength increases even more. There’s now a significant black pepper note hitting both the palate and the retrohale quite hard (if I were honest, maybe a bit too hard to stay in balance with the other flavors). Still, I’m enjoying the power this cigar is offering and I have no doubt it’s intentional. 

The ash drops after the first inch and a half and, though the burn was perfect up to this point, it does start to stray by the beginning of the second third. Around the same time, the balance of flavors shifts very nicely towards cedar, floral, and strong coffee with pepper layered beneath. The change is mirrored on the retrohale which becomes a lot more manageable and features charcoal, black coffee and toasted bread. 

In the final third, the strength drops down to medium and the coffee notes condense into something more like espresso. There are also some new flavors, including a powdered sugar note that is just delicious and adds nice complexity to the smoke. This is about where I’d start to worry about the smoke heating up too much to continue, but in this case I’m happy to find that the cigar smokes cool all the way to the end. 

Conclusion 

The Montecristo Espada Oscuro is probably the most aggressive cigar from the brand that I can remember, with the possible exception of the Grupo de Maestros Private Batch III. 

That said, the Espada Oscuro is an excellent cigar and I think it fills a nice niche in the Montecristo portfolio, especially when compared to other releases like the Montecristo Nicaragua and original Espada. It’s hard to say whether I like the Oscuro more than the original Espada, but it certainly comes close. The only critique I’d offer for the Espada Oscuro is that at times the spice and pepper notes dominate the other notes which are great and deserve more of the spotlight. 

In either case, it is absolutely a cigar to pursue for any fans of Montecristo or Plasencia tobacco.

Final Rating: 91

Few brands in the cigar world have the of cache and sheer brand gravity that Montecristo does. It’s even more remarkable given that the brand is split, with the Cuban version owned by Habanos SA and a completely separate Dominican brand owned by Altadis. Today, we’re reviewing the Montecristo Open Master (Cuban). The Habanos SA website doesn’t offer much by way of information, but it does offer a few details as it explains,

Montecristo’s perfectly balanced blends are created exclusively with selected filler and binder leaves from the Vuelta Abajo zone, home of the finest tobaccos in the world. Both its original medium to full taste and medium flavour found in the Open Series offer a distinguished aroma and appeal equally to new and experienced smokers.

Product Specifics

• Cigar Reviewed: Montecristo Open Master
• Wrapper: Cuba
• Binder: Cuba
• Filler: Cuba
• Size: 5 x 50 robusto

Appearance & Construction

The Montecristo Open Master is a beautifully constructed cigar. The wrapper does have some very minor flaws (a watermark here or there), but otherwise has very fine veins and a velvety texture. When squeezed, the cigar has a slight give, suggesting a tight pack on the filler tobacco.

After using a straight cut, I test the draw and, unsurprisingly, it’s fairly restrictive. Probably an 8/10 in terms of level of restrictiveness. The cold draw is cool and light, but with a very strong presence of almonds and fresh bread. Off of the foot of the cigar, I pick up bright aromas of cedar, salt, and some light pepper. Nothing special, but lighting up can change that in an instant.

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

Lighting the cigar, the Montecristo Open Master opens quite mild, with flavors evenly matched between mild sweetness, bitterness, and spiciness. The first impression is almonds, light pepper, yeast, and coffee. The retrohale is where most of the flavor resides, primarily in the form of spice and toasted bread. Fairly straight forward and uneventful. The tight draw doesn’t seem to have affected the smoke production much, which is about our even a touch above average, thankfully.

At an inch in, the burn is straight but the cigar doesn’t seem to want to stay fully lit for more than thirty seconds to a minute, forcing me to choose between smoking the cigar slow and getting too-little smoke, or puffing too quickly and overheating the smoke. Annoying, but the problem thankfully seems to subside by the beginning of the second third.

At the beginning of the second third, the mild body of the smoke increases, bringing along with it more flavor while remaining very smooth on the palate. The primary almond note, while still present, it’s superseded by espresso and pepper, giving the experience a bit more personality. These notes are nicely balanced by a new lemon peel flavor that touches the tip of the tongue.

About five minutes in to the second third, the balance and composition of flavors shifts dramatically, with a delicious sweet, almost floral cake note joining the pepper and espresso. It’s nicely balanced and has caught my attention, though the cigar has yet to reach even medium strength.

The Montecristo Open Master smokes this way until the final third, where the strength and body continue to creep up to just about medium. The espresso is now back in full force, along with strong cedar, and the pepper which was initially mild is now fully developed on the palate. There’s a bit of cream on the finish, but it isn’t quite pronounced enough to fully balance against the cedar which is a bit too bright for my tastes. Still, there are moments in the final third where the Open Master is fully balanced, and those moments are wonderful.

Conclusion

Though by no means a perfect cigar, I really enjoyed the Montecristo Open Master. After a somewhat subdued start in the first third, it gains some wonderful notes of sweet cake, cream, espresso and wood that is nicely balanced out by cream on the finish. Construction held the experience back at times, but it’s absolutely a cigar I’ll return to given the opportunity.

Overall, I think the Open Master accomplishes what Habanos set out to do, which is produce a cigar that is gentle enough for new smokers to enjoy, but complex enough for a veteran smoke to smoke in a pinch.

Final Rating: 90

Montecristo Open Master is available at many duty free shops or online at Montefortuna Cigars.

Up for review today is the Montecristo Grupo de Maestros Private Batch IV, a limited edition cigar that represents the experience of the Grupo de Maestros. Together, the Maestros have a combined experience of more than 200 years.  Like previous Grupo de Maestros releases, the Private Batch IV is shipped in large, 100 count crates, and features an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, Dominican fillers, and a combo of Nicaraguan, Dominican, and Peruvian tobaccos. I’ve never been a big fan of Peruvian tobaccos, so I’m curious to see what I think of the Private Batch IV, especially after Private Batch III landed at #10 on our Top 10 Cigars of 2017 list.

Production for the cigar is limited to just 500 crates, meaning there are just 50,000 of these on the market until they’re gone.

Product Specifics

• Cigar Reviewed: Montecristo Grupo de Maestros Private Batch IV
• Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
• Binder: Dominican
• Filler: Nicaraguan / Dominican / Peruvian
• Size: 6 3/4″ x 48

Appearance & Construction

The Montecristo Grupo de Maestros Private Batch IV comes wrapped in a seamless Ecuadorian Habano wrapper. It has minimal veins, a slight oiliness, and the back of the band denotes that this is Private Batch IV. When squeezed, the cigar has a slightly above average give, but seems to be packed consistently the length of the cigar. Overall, it’s pretty attractive, and the shiny gold on the band reflects the limited nature of this blend.

The foot is aromatic, with some light black pepper, savory spices, generic wood, and grass. On the cold draw are faint spice notes, warm bread, and wood. Not the most tantalizing pre-light draw but it is anyone’s guess if it will determine the experience of the cigar overall. The draw has just the right amount of restrictiveness for a cigar of this size. Let’s light up.

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

The Montecristo Grupo de Maestros Private Batch IV opens with flavor loaded, medium bodied smoke. It’s very tasty, with notes of spicy oak, cream, sourdough bread, and some light kitchen spices / pepper. Overall, the profile at the beginning hits spicy, bitter (the sourdough), and sweet (the cream). It’s enticing, but a dozen puffs later, the bitterness and pepper build too much, leading to a very imbalanced flavor which sticks around on the finish for far too long. The draw is perfect and smoke production is just above average, which is great. But I find  myself hoping for a return of the opening cream note which balanced the profile nicely.

At an inch in to the Montecristo Grupo de Maestros Private Batch IV, the flaky white ash is holding strong and the burn is straight. The cream returns as well alongside a nice salt and floral note combination. Texture wise, the smoke is quite soft, though with a bit of texture from the spice. The retrohale is medium strength, with notes of mineral and red pepper.

The Montecristo Grupo de Maestros Private Batch IV retains this character until a bit past the second third mark. Then the profile changes, introducing a very distinct cappuccino note which has an incredible natural sweetness. Alongside that are notes of oak, burnt marshmallow, bitter leather and minor black pepper. Construction remains nearly perfect, with a straight burn and the ash falling in one inch increments. Strength and body remain at medium.

As the Montecristo Grupo de Maestros Private Batch IV burns into the final third, the balance again fails. Sourdough and dry cedar eclipse the sweet and savory notes, totally dominating the overall profile. It’s a big bummer considering the second third performed so well.

Conclusion

The Montecristo Grupo de Maestros Private Batch IV has some bright spots, but the first and final third are unfortunately mostly out of balance, with bitter leather and sourdough taking up far too much space. Given that bitterness is dominant for so much of this cigar, I’d recommend a sweeter single malt or a bourbon to pair here with. Glendronach, Macallan, Glenmorangie for single malts or Four Roses for bourbon.

Final Rating: 86

Up for review today is the Montecristo Epic Craft Cured, which is the latest release from Altadis (shipped to retailers in December of 2017). I had been waiting eagerly in early January for the cigars to arrive at Nat Sherman, and after I complained one too many times about the cigars not having arrived on Facebook, Rafael Nodal was kind enough to send me a few for this review.

The Montecristo Craft Cured was blended by the Plasencia family, the same minds behind the Montecristo Espada (a cigar that remains my favorite from Montecristo). The line is offered in three sizes, robusto, toro, and belicoso. Up for review today is the Montecristo Epic Craft Cured Belicoso.

Blend Specifics

Cigar Reviewed: Montecristo Epic Craft Cured
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Rosado Oscuro
Binder: Nicaragua (Ometepe)
Filler: Nicaragua (Condega, Esteli, and Jalapa)
Size: Belicoso (6 1/8 x 52)

An inch in, a bitter chocolate note enters the smoke, along with a white pepper which is evident both on the draw and (much stronger) on the retrohale. At this point, the bitter side of the profile (dark chocolate, leather, cedar) is dominant, with a sweet oatmeal not quite balancing out the experience. This is making me wonder if a coffee with milk or cream would help balance out the bitter side nicely.  The ash is solid, with no fraying or splitting, and rolls off in one piece.

Moving into the second third, Montecristo Craft Cured finds more balance, with the oats and sweetness gaining a bit more share of the profile. The dry cedar also moves back to the retrohale joining the white pepper, providing more space for an emerging hickory note in the aroma.

By the final third, the pepper and dry cedar are on the retrohale, and a floral note has developed alongside the hickory, cream, and oats. The body and strength are at medium to full, and the smoke has become smoother than at any point previous. Unfortunately, that only lasts till about the last inch and a half, where the smoke becomes bitter and harsh, leading me to set the cigar down.

Conclusion

I enjoyed the the Montecristo Epic Craft Cured more and more as it progressed. The burn was nearly perfect throughout, the cigar produced great amounts of smoke and the complexity of the sweet, savory, and spicy notes was excellent. My only criticism is that about a third of the smoking experience felt off balance, with the leather, cedar, bitter chocolate, and white pepper at war with the creamy, sweet, and oaty notes.

At roughly $15, this cigar is not cheap, but it is worth the purchase, especially for Montecristo fans and fans of the generally underrated rosado leaf. As for me, I think I’ll be sticking with the Espada for now.

Final Rating: 88