Montecristo No. 3

(Havana)

Again, it’s a bit odd to introduce a cigar that I already know I adore. After all. I chose it.

Up until this point, the best cigar I’ve ever had was the a Montecristo No. 4 that was traded to me. I instantly knew I had to have a box of them. When I found out that it came in a No. 3 vitola that was the exact same ring gauge but with an extra half inch, I figured that would be the way to go, because really, I was not ready to stop so soon the last time.

This one is about 16 months old, so it’s still a bit “green”, but from what I’m told, Montecristos require a little less aging than some of the other marcas. Let’s dive in!

Statistics

CotM: Novermber 2013



Novermber 2013





Shape: Parejo







Chosen by: givequicheachance









Size: 5.6: x 42







Country of Origin: Cuba







Wrapper: Cuban







Binder: Cuban







Filler: Cuban







Color: Colorado Claro

Colorado Claro





Strength: Medium-full







Price Paid: $6.60

$6.60





Smoke Date: November 26, 2013

November 26, 2013





Box Date: July 2012

Accessories Used

Palio Composite cigar cutter, Silver & Chrome Vector Stratos single-flame torch lighter, Handmade English walnut ashtray made by wedgewoodrings.

Pairing

Manaslu Tippy Green Thai-style loose leaf green tea from Nepal served in a small porcelain teapot (Adagio PersonaliTEA) and matching Asian style (no handle) teacup. I just recently discovered this tea, and it very quickly became my favorite green. It’s light, fruity, and sweet. I hoped it would pair well with the richness of the Montecristo. The refreshing sweet flavor of the tea was an excellent way to accentuate the rich sweetness of the cigar without overpowering or tainting it.

Appearance/Nose

This was not the prettiest cigar I’ve seen. There was a large vein running lengthwise across the middle section. The coloration was a beautiful cinnamon-brown, and the texture was smoothand dry. The band is a very simple affair–probably the most classic band in all of cigar smoking, and emulation about a million times–brown and white with a fleur de lis. Since this is a newer stick, the band has very precise embossing of the white parts. The nose was fairly faint ans smelled a bit of hay and cedar.

Construction

The stick itself was lightly box-pressed. The triple cap was applied quite nicely. There were no soft or hard spots. The burn got a little uneven several times, due to humidity and wind, and didn’t play nicely. The ash was dark and chunky, holding on for about an inch at a time.

Cold Draw

The cold draw was fairly tight and the wrapper cracked a tiny bit on the cut (these things have ridiculously fragile wrappers! The flavors were of wheat and coffee.

Smoking

First third

The draw loosened up a little bit upon lighting, but remained a bit tight. The initial flavors were coffee, honey, and a twangy, grassy citrus flavor. The smoke production was about medium. There was little or no spice on the retrohale but instead, intensely sweet flavors of rich coffee, caramel, and honey.

There was a lot of creaminess in the smoke, and a hint of citrus on the aftertaste–like lemon zest. Towards the middle of the first third, it began to burn unevenly and required a touch up. The ash came off at about this point.

Second third

In the second third, the twangy flavor became much more pronounced.

Coffee and grassy twang battled for dominance. There was not a lot of strength in this cigar. Despite being listed as medium-full. I would put it on the milder side of medium.

Despite that, the flavor was incredibly rich. The sweet flavors, combined with the green tea pairing, put me into a relaxed, zen-like state of bliss.

Final third

Coming into the final third, the honey flavor began to take over, replacing some of the twang. The coffee held in there. There have been no major transformations here. The profile of coffee, honey, and zesty twang has been pretty consistent the whole way through, with only the proportions shifting a bit.

Another touch up was required shortly before the band. The stick burned cool and the flavors remained rich and sweet right down to the delicious nub. Despite the extra length, I didn’t get any more smoke time out of this than the no. 4, perhaps because of the touch ups.

I was not ready to be done with this when my fingers got burnt trying to hold on, and I gave in.

Notes

Draw: Medium-tight

Medium-tight





Body: Medium

Medium





Primary Flavors: Coffee, citrus, honey

Coffee, citrus, honey





Smoke Output: Medium

Medium





Smoke Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Overall

This is what happens when you focus completely on flavor. The presentation is simple, bordering on sparse. Even the box is I impressive cardboard. The construction is adequate, but not pretty. The wrapper leaf is extremely delicate. But Hell if this isn’t, for my money, best tasting stick on the market. This stick is so delicious that I can overlook the shortcomings (though I do really wish the wrapper wasn’t so fragile). I’ve had several of these, and this was the first one with serious burn issues, requiring two touch ups, but I didn’t dry box it for very long, and it was a windy day out. In any case, for what these retail at, they are an absolute steal. The mildness makes them a perfect morning smoke with a cup of green tea.

Rating