Montecristo No. 3 : The Count Would Be Pleased

[El Presidente]

 

https://quillandpad.com/2020/04/15/montecristo-no-3-cuban-cigars-the-count-would-be-pleased/

Montecristo No. 3 Cuban Cigars: The Count Would Be Pleased

 

by Ken Gargett

If I offered a cigar lover a Montecristo, the chances are that he (or she) would almost certainly assume that I was talking about either the legendary No. 2, the most popular pyramid outside Egypt, or the ubiquitous No. 4, the much-loved petit corona.

For reasons seemingly unfathomable, Nos. 1, 3, and 5 never enjoy the same love.

No. 5 is an even smaller version of 4 and, to be honest, of such diminutive stature that it must almost seem like smoking a cigarette (in fairness, perhaps I should not comment on that as I have never had a cigarette in my life).

No. 1 is a personal favorite, and those few remaining dinosaurs among us, me included, still enjoy a good Lonsdale (think slim and long).

No. 3 is a corona (yes, an ugly word these days, but one hopes they remain uninfected). Technically, a ring gauge of 42 mm and a length of 142 mm. The trend to jawbreakers led to many a good corona being left to wallow in the dust.

And the Montecristo No. 3 is most certainly a good corona.

Montecristo No. 3 Cuban cigar

That said, I must confess that it had been a few years since I had tried one. They really do sneak under the radar. But when a friend offered me one recently, I quickly remembered why they should be in everyone’s rotation and what I had been missing.

In recent years, regular-production cigars have slipped a peg or two as all the Limited Editions, Regional Releases, Añejados, one-offs, jars, books, and vintage releases take center stage. So we thought it might be a good time, with everyone locked away, to suggest a cracking cigar that is great value and usually readily available.

Come on down, the Montecristo No. 3!

Montecristo No. 3 in a box of 25

A little Montecristo history

Established in 1935, Montecristo is one of the most admired cigar brands in the world.

Alonso Menéndez was a Spaniard who worked in the United States in the tobacco industry before moving to Cuba in the early 1930s. In 1935, he purchased the Particulares factory and added a new brand, Montecristo.

So successful was the new brand that it allowed him to purchase the Upmann Factory from J. Frankau & Co./J.R. Freeman & Son in 1937. He then transferred production of the Montecristo cigars to that factory, although it didn’t take long before a larger site was required. The tobacco comes from the elite region of Vuelta Abajo.

The name Montecristo comes from the book The Count of Montecristo by Alexander Dumas, which was a popular favorite among the books read in the factory to the rollers as they worked. More correctly, when read by the lector to the torcedores.

Originally, just the 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 were made, but these days the range is considerably increased. New cigars were introduced from 1969. More recently, Montecristo has added what is known as the Open range, which are apparently, good sellers, but a long way from my favorites.

The character of Montecristo is for medium to medium-full cigars with lots of chocolate, cocoa powder, and richness.

Tasting notes on the Montecristo No. 3

For me, Montecristo No. 3s offer lovely chocolate notes with cocoa powder – exactly as mentioned above – with good intensity and richness, which carries throughout. The key is balance.

In addition, creamy coffee notes are likely to emerge fairly quickly, but we are talking a dash of cream in strong, dark coffee. The texture is velvety and cushiony. If you are a lover of Montecristo No. 4s, imagine a Monte 4 on steroids. It will take a pleasant hour, give or take, to smoke.

Montecristo No. 3 Cuban cigars

One point – we talk about the desirability of evolution in a cigar throughout the journey. The Montecristo No. 3 does not offer much evolution, but that is hardly an issue. The flavors are powerful, balanced, and rich. More than enough.

A benefit of Montecristo No. 3s is that they tend to be very consistent from one cigar to the next, something rarely said about most Cuban cigars.

Remember that these cost around $255 (AUD$750 if you are so unfortunate that you have to buy in Australia), so it is not as though you should be expecting the glories of a pre-Revolution smoke. They are simply delicious cigars, offering terrific flavors and fabulous value.

There is no reason for these not to be a part of your regular rotation.

 

[CaptainQuintero]

  My favourite all time and consistent cigar, I know I've been banging on about them for years but just the Cuban cigar for me. After a couple of years raisin makes an appearance and some real magic starts to happen from 5 years in, a lovely citrus note comes in, and who doesn't love chocolate and citrus.

[TTP21]

3 hours ago, CaptainQuintero said:

  My favourite all time and consistent cigar, I know I've been banging on about them for years but just the Cuban cigar for me. After a couple of years raisin makes an appearance and some real magic starts to happen from 5 years in, a lovely citrus note comes in, and who doesn't love chocolate and citrus.

 

Had my first earlier this year and was truly impressed. Love the vitola as well.  Would you say that these age well long term? 10, 20+ years?  

[SCgarman]

The difference in price of the Monte3 versus Monte4 is simply not worth it. The 3 is just a tad bit longer than the 4 and the same ring gauge. But the 3 is in the mid $200 range/box? That's a ripoff if I ever seen one. I'll stick with the #4

[CaptainQuintero]

5 hours ago, TTP21 said:

 

Had my first earlier this year and was truly impressed. Love the vitola as well.  Would you say that these age well long term? 10, 20+ years?  

I've had boxes that are 10 years old and they were just as good, the vanilla and raisin were stronger if anything. I would've be able to say on personal experience on 20 year old boxes but there no reason why a good box of any CC shouldn't age week as long as there good to begin with

 

1 hour ago, NYgarman said:

The difference in price of the Monte3 versus Monte4 is simply not worth it. The 3 is just a tad bit longer than the 4 and the same ring gauge. But the 3 is in the mid $200 range/box? That's a ripoff if I ever seen one. I'll stick with the #4

  That's the impression I found myself at when I first started and was trying to figure out what to try. Then I realised you're not spending more for a slightly longer no.4, the no.3 is a completely different blend. I don't particularly care for the no.4

  Like the Molinos to the Non Plus.

[SCgarman]

2 hours ago, CaptainQuintero said:

I've had boxes that are 10 years old and they were just as good, the vanilla and raisin were stronger if anything. I would've be able to say on personal experience on 20 year old boxes but there no reason why a good box of any CC shouldn't age week as long as there good to begin with

 

  That's the impression I found myself at when I first started and was trying to figure out what to try. Then I realised you're not spending more for a slightly longer no.4, the no.3 is a completely different blend. I don't particularly care for the no.4

  Like the Molinos to the Non Plus.

Is the blend of the Monte3 worth almost $100usd a box more than the #4? For the difference in coin it better smoke like gold. For $250, I would choose plenty of other boxes than Monte#3

[CaptainQuintero]

3 hours ago, NYgarman said:

Is the blend of the Monte3 worth almost $100usd a box more than the #4? For the difference in coin it better smoke like gold. For $250, I would choose plenty of other boxes than Monte#3

  To me it certainly is, like the difference between Upmann PC and Upmann Coronas Major. I don't know if it's a more developed blend or due to the lower production numbers, possibly both, but to me it's a big step up in quality, consistency and construction. Plus they age superbly.