Montecristo 75th Aniversario Review

7/31/2014

Cigar: Montecristo 75th Aniversario
Size: Edmundo, 5.3”x52
MSRP: $17.50
Strength: Medium
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Origin: Dominican Republic

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Prelight: Another gorgeously wrapped cigar by Montecristo (and for the MSRP, it better be); there are a few medium-sized veins and the cigar narrows between the band and the shoulders, but has a nice sheen to it and feels well packed. The wrapper smells of earth and pungent wood. The foot, which has a weird box-press happening (maybe it sat too close to the Shark in my humi and grew jealous of the unique shape), but smells delightful: powdered cocoa and dusty oak. I am curious if the concavity will cause any draw issues…only one way to find out! I punch the triple-cap and the cold draw ensures me I will have no issue getting a nice, slow, cool pull from this cigar. The flavor is woody, but there is evidence of baking spices as well.

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1/3: The Aniversario starts out smooth and sweet, yet a little sour. It is creamy but has a tinge to it, like sour cream. But not like “sour cream”. There is also a healthy dose of nuts in the flavor mix, and as leather joins in, the sourness fades. Before I even reach the transition to the second third, I also get some grassiness added to the creamy, nutty, leather. (:hmm: That sounds like a concoction one would find in the Tenderloin district of SF.)

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2/3: Cedar increases at the onset of the second third, and there is a bit of fruitiness mixed in with the grass. (Now I must be talking about SF.) The cedar picks up in spice and gets a bit of a charred flavor to it. The burn has been exceptional and the ash lasts over an inch (easily) at a time.

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3/3: More spiciness; cedar and pepper are the main flavors at this point. I find this odd, as many cigars start spicy and mellow out. I really enjoy how this cigar seems to be mixing it up. There is still a hint of grass, but it has taken on almost a minty quality. It’s not overt, but I am picking up traces of it.

Overall: Great cigar! For the price? No. I would easily spend $6-$8 on it though. I guess that’s one of the biggest problems with NC Montes; the hype is reflected in the price. The construction was great – the odd concavity never affect burn or pull – and the flavors were interesting, delightful and pleasantly surprising. I’m not convinced it is a medium as far as strength though. More of a classic Monte mild-medium.