Monte by Montecristo Altadis USA

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Dominican Olor/Vintage Nicaraguan Corojo (Double Binder)
Filler: Aged Dominican tobaccos
Jacopo No. 2: 6 1/8 x 54 (Box Press Piramide)
Price: $9.25 (Famous Smoke Shop)

A detailed assessment of this cigar was done on Cigar Coop.

The Monte is positioned as a fuller offering in the Montecristo brand. It is the latest blend to offer something in this range. The Montecristo New York Connoisseur Edition and Montecristo Epic Vintage 2007 are two examples of cigars that also fall into this category.

The Monte has a little more complexity than originally I thought. This is one of those cigars that if you sit back, relax, and smoke it will offer a lot of flavor nuances. I picked up notes of cocoa, earth, red pepper, caramel, grass, and citrus along the way. The most interesting thing is that midway I picked up a cinnamon note. From smoke to smoke I had with the Monte, the amount of time the cinnamon lingered varied. In one case, it faded quickly, in another case, it remained for the full second third, and in a third case it faded somewhere in between. The flavors are medium to full-bodied and by the end they are full-bodied. The burn and draw performed quite well for a pyramid.

This is still a nice cigar. It’s not quite up there with the Montecristo New York, but for a lower priced Montecristo offering, it’s still worth picking up a fiver.