The Montecristo brand originated in Cuba, but the Dominican version of this popular cigar is made by Altadis, with Dominican filler tobaccos and Connecticut shade wrappers. This is a review of the Montecristo #3, a Corona sized cigar, measuring 5 ½ inches long with a ring gauge of 44.
Flavor
The taste of this cigar started off as being very bland. However, after several puffs, the true flavors began to explode. This is a medium bodied cigar, having a nice woodsy flavor with a creamy texture and a hint of sweetness. The cigar tasted great for about 15 to 20 minutes, then the flavors began to fade. I was able to smoke the cigar down to about two inches, but the finish was far from being delightful.
Draw and Construction
The Montecristo was perfectly constructed, and there were not any issues to detract me from enjoying this cigar. The burn was even, the draw was easy, the ashes were long, and the cigar did not require any relights. I smoked this cigar for about 40 minutes, but as indicated above, the cigar's excellent flavor began to fade away much too soon.
Value
When purchased by the box, the cost per cigar is about $4.00. If purchased as a single or in a five-pack, expect to pay $5.00 or more. Cigars with popular brand names can command premium prices, and Montecristo is the flagship premium cigar brand manufactured by the world's largest cigar company, Altadis. However, the price of this cigar is a little more than I'd like to pay for a Corona sized cigar, especially one that delighted me for only about half its length.
