Montecristo Monte

Montecristo Monte

• Strength: 4/ 5
• Size: 6 x 52
• Origin: Dominican Republic
• Price (local): $13.40
• Wrapper: Ecuador Habano
• Flavor Text:

For those who want to see the full MONTE!

With a name that’s short and sweet, this savvy, sophisticated cigar turns tradition on its head by employing not one, but two binders for an added dose of depth. The end result is robust, complex, and flavorful, leaving you with a highly memorable experience that’s a cut above the rest. A mix of aged Dominican long-fillers are cradled by a Dominican and a Nicaraguan Corojo binder, adding a touch of spice. It’s all bundled up inside an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper. And coming from Montecristo, one of the most well-known cigar brands in the entire friggin’ universe, it’s no wonder this is one helluva tasty experience. Have a great time with Montecristo MONTE.

Montecristo Monte already caught the eye of critics, earning a 93-rating in the process. Here's what they had to say: "The cigar has plenty of leather and spice on the palate, with a note of chocolate on the finish. It’s a delicious new take on a celebrated old cigar brand."

What an excellent, excellent cigar. I have to say, this is one of my favorite Dominican cigars, and for good reason: it is packed with flavor and the textbook aroma of Dominican tobacco is never too far away after you light up one of these. This smoke is a powerhouse of flavor and experience, and I'll give you my best explanation of what makes it so delicious.

For this review, I smoked the box-pressed Toro size Monte. It was a good choice for me because a Toro is typically the longest I'll go when sampling a cigar, and while the Robusto looked excellent, frankly I wanted a longer smoke on this day after work. The cut on this cigar was pristine and I never once had any issues with keeping it lit or pulling on it, even after putting it down for a few minutes. It was always burning, ever so slightly, and it was always ready for me to have as needed. There were no issues with the wrapper or cap, and the draw was quite powerful. It has some of the most brilliant construction for a box-pressed cigar that I've seen.

This cigar is a curious mixture of mostly-Dominican tobacco with some Nicaraguan filler as well, and let me tell you, this combination comes together to form one helluva cigar. The aroma from this cigar is some of the best my nose has ever experienced: it is toasty, nutty and warm. It smells like your classic tobacco room, but it isn't aggressive enough to turn you off when you catch a whiff of it in your nose. It's heavenly, and just as a good cigar should smell. As for the tobacco blend itself, it's wonderful and slightly above a perfect-medium body cigar; a 4/5 on the rating scale would be an accurate description of the power of this stick. The Monte contains a lot of notes and some complexity and evolving flavors as you work down to the nub, with some cinnamon spice, leather and wood. The smoke is creamy and robust, and as the cigar smokes, it develops an interesting and attention-grabbing dark chocolate note to it that ends the entire experience with a bang. Simply put: this cigar will grab and keep your attention, and the sensory experience behind this one is unrivaled by most cigars out there.

Montecristo makes amazing cigars, and this is certainly one of the better cigars in their catalog. It is a must-try if you love Dominican tobacco, and still recommended for anyone who likes a medium-body offering with plenty to explore through the entire life of the smoke. It is delicious and not the most aggressive cigar on the block, but there is a certain degree of spice to keep you on your toes. It's fantastic and worth a try for mostly everyone. A very rare medium, yet smooth, cigar.

Happy smoking! CB