The embodiment of the smooth, classy smoke, the Montecristo White series is a legend in the industry.  It is one of the best-selling and most popular premium cigars on the market and has been a staple of cigar shops for years.

The White Series is handcrafted at the Tabacalera de Garcia factory in the heart of the Dominican Republic.  It is rolled with a blend of aged Dominican and Nicaraguan tobaccos for the filler, followed by a stunning Nicaraguan binder.  Its Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper is smooth and creamy and offers up wonderful notes of light coffee and cedar.  When thinking of mellow yet luxurious smoke, most people will think Montecristo White.

Ask any seasoned cigar smoker, what is the first high-end cigar you have tried… most will answer the Montecristo Original.  The Original is still considered the epitome of the high end, the premium mellow cigar.  It is hand-rolled at the largest factory in the world, Tabacalera de Garcia.  It uses only the finest aged Dominican filler and binder tobaccos for a smooth, creamy center.  It is cloaked in a golden-brown Connecticut shade wrapper.  Each puff delivers notes of vanilla, cedar, cream, and a dash of leather.

While the make-up and blend may seem similar to the White Series, the different variations of Connecticut wrapper actually make a difference.  The Ecuadorian Connecticut is a little more mellow and requires some stronger filler tobaccos to really bring out the flavor.  This Connecticut grown wrapper on the Original brings that intense flavor all on its own.

The Montecristo Espada was a turning point in the history of Altadis USA.  It was one of their first new age, boutique offerings that pushed power and flavor over everything else.  It also began their history of collaborating with some of the biggest names in the industry for new and interesting blends. The Espada is a Nicaraguan puro crafted for AUSA by the legendary Plasencia family.  It quickly became one of their more popular cigars and a new chapter in Montecristo history.

This past year, the two companies partnered again for a much anticipated follow up known as the Montecristo Espada Oscuro.  While the originally Montecristo Espada was known for its spice and zesty notes, the Montecristo Espada Oscuro was created to be bold, rich, and robust.  The tobaccos were hand-chosen by Rafael Nodal and Nestor Plasencia for their dark colors, flawless appearance, and flavor profiles.  The cigar is blended with 100% Nicaraguan filler and binder tobaccos along with a stunning Habano Rosado Oscuro wrapper.

Each puff delivers something new and exciting for the palate.  Notes of dark chocolate black cherries and spice combine in a whirlwind of rich flavors.

Before the Espada, there was the Montecristo Epic.  In my opinion, this is one of the most underrated of the line, besides maybe the Platinum.  The Epic was unlike any other Montecristo before it, really pushing flavor and complexity while still maintain that signature smoothness.

The Montecristo is a solid medium body, using carefully aged Nicaraguan and Dominican tobaccos along with an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper.  It was complex yet smooth, rich, and zesty.  The problem was that this was billed as the strongest Montecristo yet, however, compared to other cigars at the time it was more of a medium body.  However, this is an amazing cigar, and seeing the potential, AUSA re-released the special belicoso size this year.  The critical response was much better than during its original run.

2019 marked the 50^th Anniversary of the legendary Tabacalera de Garcia, the factory responsible for crafting H.Upmann, Romeo y Julieta, and of course Montecristo.  To celebrate the occasion, the famed Grupo de Maestros, the blending team for most Montecristo cigars, put together a very special release known as the Cincuenta.

I’ve been saying for the past few months, this is one of the best Montecristo cigars I’ve ever had the pleasure of smoking.  Its blend of aged Dominican and Nicaraguan tobaccos make for a smooth yet complex blend, and its Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper adds in wonderful notes of coffee and richness.  The cigar is only available in two sizes.  The toro is widely available, while the belicoso was only available in limited Elie Bleu humidors worth upwards of $10,000.

This is the only entry on this list that is a private release just for us, but it is one of the best blends Montecristo has put out and one of our best private projects.  The cigar takes its name from the book the Count of Montecristo.  In fact, the cigars come packaged in a box that resembles a book.  While the packaging is eye-catching, it is the blend that really makes this cigar stand out.

It uses a blend similar to that of the Montecristo Epic.  Dominican and Nicaraguan filler tobaccos blend effortlessly with an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper that is nothing short of flawless.  What makes this stand apart from the epic, was the addition of 10-year-old filler tobaccos, giving it complexity and smoothness that is unrivaled.