Montecristo Reserva Negra Review
8/14/2014
Cigar: Montecristo Reserva Negra
Size: Belicoso, 6.1”x52
MSRP: $12.00
Strength: Medium
Wrapper: San Andreas
Origin: Dominican Republic
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Prelight: A nice, oily wrapper envelopes this cigar. The few veins that are there are small, and have some Cuban-esque qualities to them. The scent is also quite barnyard-like. The foot is woody and dense. There is some chocolaty taste coming from the cold draw, which has a nice pull to it.
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1/3: A strong peppery wood kicks off the smoke, with just a bit of fruit, which is transitory. There is a tunnel in the filler, which is causing some canoeing, which I touch up immediately before it has a chance to run away. There are also some baking spices, and the profile reminds me a bit of an Undercrown. There might even be an underlying hint of chocolate, but at the transition, it is mostly cedar.
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2/3: The second third is a two-hit wonder – I’m wondering why the MSRP is so high. Just cedar and some slight baking spices. An Undercrown is much fuller in body and cheaper. The burn is still slightly lopsided, but copacetic, and the ash is fine as well.
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3/3: The final third is harsh, hot, bitter charred wood. Not pleasant at all.
Overall: This is what you get when an Undercrown and a Gurkha have a bastard. The initial notes are fine and like the Undercrown, but quickly the Gurkha genes rear their ugly head. Do yourself a favor and skip this one. I’m not bashing Montecristo in general, as a few I had were decent. But, this one is to be shunned.
