Montecristo cigars are considered by many to be among the best in the world. And lucky for all of us, there are actually two excellent Montecristo cigar companies in the world! The Cuban version cannot be sold in the U.S. due to the federal embargo, and so we carry those made by the Dominican Montecristo company. Dominican Montecristo blends (which include all kinds of tobacco, not just leaf from the D.R.) routinely appear on many publications’ annual best-of lists. They’re reliably great smokes that many cigar lovers swear by.
There are plenty of people for whom “cigar” means a Montecristo, and nothing else.
The company is a legendary heritage brand that was first founded in Cuba in 1935. While not as old as, say, H. Upmann or Romeo y Julieta (whose roots go back to the 1800s), it still ranks as one of the longest-lasting cigar companies.
The name for the company is taken from the literary classic novel The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas. It’s about a wrongfully imprisoned man’s quest for revenge against the former best friend who betrayed him to steal his girl. The book was a favorite of cigar rollers (torcedores), who listened to a professional reader (lector) tell the story as they worked in the factory making cigars.
Alonzo Menendez, the owner of Particulares cigars is the one who launched the Montecristo brand. Like many cigar men, he lost his company in 1960 when Castro came to power and nationalized the tobacco industry. Ultimately, Menendez landed in the Dominican Republic and re-founded his Montecristo cigars company at a factory in La Romana. The brand has been headquartered in the D.R. ever since.
The company produces a number of delectable blends.
Montecristo’s portfolio of stogies has been led in more recent years by the 1935 Anniversary Nicaragua. It was named the #2 cigar of 2021 by Cigar Aficionado, who gave its spicy and sweet profile 93 points.
Core blends like the White and Classic also have done quite well with judges. Both have been rated 90 points or higher. The White is a mild and nutty cigar with a Dominican and Nicaraguan filler blend, while the Classic is a medium-strength toasty and woody smoke made from a core of Dominican tobacco with a Connecticut shade wrapper.
For more earthy offerings, try the 90-rated Espada, or the fantastic Platinum. With a 94-point rating, and notes of leather, dark fruit, and hickory, this Dominican smoke stands shoulder to shoulder with the 1935 Anniversary as one of Montecristo’s very best blends.
The Nicaragua Series was the #10 cigar of 2019 and would be a great place to start, too. It has a masterful balance of flavor, including notes of “chocolate-covered espresso beans, rich woods, and dried fruit.” There’s also the strong and chocolatey Monte to toast up – a 91-point cigar that represents Montecristo’s attempts to satisfy a certain segment of more modern smokers.
Montecristo cigars are owned by Altadis, who also produces H. Upmann (the non-Cuban version), Aging Room, Henry Clay, and many other brands. Under the leadership of the tobacco experts of their Groupo de Maestros, Montecristo will continue to be a foundational brand for a long time to come.
Please browse our selection of Montecristo cigars at your leisure.
