Tell me all about Montecristo Especiales No. 2

[DrStogie]

I just ordered my first box of these. I‘m very excited since they seem to be right up my alley in terms of vitola and flavor. What can you tell me about these from your experience

[99call]

Without meaning to be unhelpful.   Run a search on the forum, and you'll find dozens of reviews and topics on this particular... or any given cigar.   

[Digi]

It's been a minute since I've had one but do have an SOP JUN 20 box waiting in the wings.  My experience in the past was very strong Monte DNA - cream and chocolate.  Don't let the vitola fool you, it's a powerful smoke

[Bijan]

1 hour ago, Lord Verulam said:

Unfortunately they’ve been lackluster for me despite a good hit of hype around the forum ….been a bit of typical watered down monte flavors for me ….I’m sure I’m in the minority but that’s just my experience


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Same for me. I've had better experience with the longer monte especiales ("no.1"). But I haven't had them from too many different boxes.

[Ites]

29 minutes ago, Digi said:

My experience in the past was very strong Monte DNA - cream and chocolate.  Don't let the vitola fool you, it's a powerful smoke

This pretty much sums it up for me as well. I've only had a few though.

[JohnS]

From a traditional viewpoint, i.e. Habanos SA's point-of-view based on how they've managed marcas in the past post-revolution, the Montecristo Especial and Montecristo Especiales No.2 are deemed to be of a more prestigious standard within its marca (in French it might be stated as a "l'air de qualité"), in the same way that the similar Cohiba Lanceros and Cohiba Coronas Especiales are for the Cohiba marca. I could point to the pig-tail, the origin dates of these cigars, their continued production at a point in history when long-and-skinnies are seemingly 'passé' etc to support this idea, I suppose.

The point I want to make is that if you get a bland box of Monte Especiales 2, don't give up on the cigar. They are meant to be of better quality than Monte 2s or Monte 4s.

[Juliano88]

They are solid. Core monte flavors but more concentrated. I prefer the Monte 1, especially the 19's that I had. I feel like they have more complexity. But the Especiales No.2 is very elegant and a nice vitola. Enjoy! 

[cigaraholic]

The Especiales #2 and #1 used to be the crem de la crem of Montecristo, an elegant powerhouse smoke. The #1 is one of the 3 or 4 cigars I smoked my first day smoking cigars...and the one I still remember ❤️ Today the #2 is a elegant smoke, the power has left the building. The 1935 Line tobacco had to come from somewhere 👻 The #2’s are always delicious, lovely cocoa, coffee and that earthy twang that is Montecristo!

[gustavehenne]

Well done on picking up a box - they are really terrific smokes.

I find the Especiales 2 (and 1) full of cocoa powder, chocolate, light coffee etc. I think I read somewhere that it was concentrated Montecristo... That really does nail it.

The vitola is absolutely brilliant and usually takes me an hour or so to finish one.

Had a few plugs in the box but that is the roulette that is CC buying

[RDB]

One of my favourite smokes, and probably my all round favourite vitola. Responds to speed of smoking. Go gently and they are elegant but certainly complex. Smoke faster and they heat up and can be strong…

[JRB]

Do they come in 10 packs? I’d like to try the Esp1 or 2

[DeskSmkr]

Love them dearly. Could smoke them all day. Had three in one session about a year ago, slowly while on a long distance call. What year did you get?

"It's a proper cigar." That flatly was my literal expression while other cigars often get quite descriptive - example rose colored ice double whip caramel cherry incense, you know, finely detailed descriptions. My especiales no 2 experiences haven't teased and beat around the bush, they get straight to satisfaction.

Have not compared to 1935, and expect 1935 line to be stellar.

[NSXCIGAR]

12 hours ago, Bijan said:

Same for me. I've had better experience with the longer monte especiales ("no.1"). But I haven't had them from too many different boxes.

Yes, I also can attest the No. 2s of 2018-2020 have been disappointing. It seems they're putting much more effort into the Especial lately. Unfortunately they are rare as hen's teeth at the moment.

And yes, technically they are Montecristo Especial and Montecristo Especiales No. 2. Even MRN got it wrong. 

[bishop532]

7 hours ago, JRB said:

Do they come in 10 packs? I’d like to try the Esp1 or 2

I don’t think so, unfortunately. Great cigar though, worth a box buy IMO. 
 

Edit: Though it’s been a few years, so maybe some caution is in order based on NSXCIGAR’s (and others) recent experiences. 

[Bijan]

9 hours ago, JRB said:

Do they come in 10 packs? I’d like to try the Esp1 or 2

If cigar supply goes back to normal again you can expect to find the esp 2 sold as quarter boxes (6 cigars) on 24:24.

[dominattorney]

2 hours ago, Bijan said:

If cigar supply goes back to normal again you can expect to find the esp 2 sold as quarter boxes (6 cigars) on 24:24.

Yea for like 35 seconds. 

[MrBirdman]

I am surprised by the comments regarding recent production. All my boxes of Espy 2’s from 2019 have been stellar. It’s one of my favorite, most frequently smoked cigars. I will allow that the Especial is on another level, but it’s one of the truly great Cuban cigars so that’s hardly an indictment of the No.2.

[joeypots]

My experience? I had one recently that was a gift and it was epic. No idea when and where it was made. I've gone through a fair # of Especials and Lanceros.  Great cigars but they are a little too skinny for me. I love the MC#1.Ya gotta smoke a laguito # 2 slowly.  Suck it down too fast and it'll get unpleasantly hot. 

[DrStogie]

On 1/7/2022 at 4:57 AM, 99call said:

Without meaning to be unhelpful.   Run a search on the forum, and you'll find dozens of reviews and topics on this particular... or any given cigar.   

I appreciate it but for some reason searched don’t work at all for me on the forum 

 

On 1/7/2022 at 4:14 PM, JRB said:

Do they come in 10 packs? I’d like to try the Esp1 or 2

As far as I know, they’re only produced in cabs of 25 and they’re pretty much just produced seasonally and the esp1 I think has only been available exclusively in Cuba for awhile. The 25 cabs are not expensive though. A lot of people seem to say they’re a good bet for getting a premium smoking experience at a good cost. 

 

On 1/7/2022 at 4:32 PM, DeskSmkr said:

Love them dearly. Could smoke them all day. Had three in one session about a year ago, slowly while on a long distance call. What year did you get?

"It's a proper cigar." That flatly was my literal expression while other cigars often get quite descriptive - example rose colored ice double whip caramel cherry incense, you know, finely detailed descriptions. My especiales no 2 experiences haven't teased and beat around the bush, they get straight to satisfaction.

Have not compared to 1935, and expect 1935 line to be stellar.

I’m not sure what year. I bet they’re 2021 though. I’m in the US so I pretty much have to buy blind. It’s true I could put more effort into conversing with my vendors and dialing down a year, box code, or wrapper I want, but I’ve actually had pretty great luck buying blind so far. Sometimes they give the option to have them inspected but I’d rather the box remain sealed because I don’t want to risk fakes being injected. 

 

On 1/8/2022 at 5:26 AM, joeypots said:

My experience? I had one recently that was a gift and it was epic. No idea when and where it was made. I've gone through a fair # of Especials and Lanceros.  Great cigars but they are a little too skinny for me. I love the MC#1.Ya gotta smoke a laguito # 2 slowly.  Suck it down too fast and it'll get unpleasantly hot. 

I’m a tremendously slow smoker, so I like the skinnies. I just had ordered first box of por larranaga montecaos recently too and I’m loving those, but what I don’t love about skinnies is that I am one that finds them to be too tight or plugged more often than larger gauges which is annoying, but it doesn’t happen too often and for me the majority of the good ones makes it worth it 

 

On 1/8/2022 at 5:13 AM, MrBirdman said:

I am surprised by the comments regarding recent production. All my boxes of Espy 2’s from 2019 have been stellar. It’s one of my favorite, most frequently smoked cigars. I will allow that the Especial is on another level, but it’s one of the truly great Cuban cigars so that’s hardly an indictment of the No.2.

Yeah, I’ve never had one, but from what I’ve heard from them, the boxes form 2018-now have been some of the best so I was perplexed too 

[99call]

4 minutes ago, DrStogie said:

I appreciate it but for some reason searched don’t work at all for me on the forum 

I know what you mean,  because most members refer to cigars in specific formats like "Fundies" or "Fundy's" etc it does muddy search results.  I tend to find it works best when you do the following:

1, Focus your search term so it will eliminate the amount of results you don't want, probably in this case  "Especial No 2" and ensure you have is in quotation marks

2, Run the search then go into "more search options",   select "content titles only"

3, this should have refined just the results to your specific search term

here's a few past review found running this search

 

[Monterey]

53 minutes ago, DrStogie said:

As far as I know, they’re only produced in cabs of 25 and they’re pretty much just produced seasonally and the esp1 I think has only been available exclusively in Cuba for awhile.

Not a true statement.  Available off the island.  Just picked up a few boxes.  But still rare.

I did regularly see them in Cuba though.

[99call]

13 hours ago, Monterey said:

Not a true statement.  Available off the island.  Just picked up a few boxes.  But still rare.

I did regularly see them in Cuba though.

.

[gustavehenne]

13 hours ago, Monterey said:

Not a true statement.  Available off the island.  Just picked up a few boxes.  But still rare.

I did regularly see them in Cuba though.

Indeed. I was in Switzerland a few months ago and there were 12-13 boxes of the Especial available and a mountain of the Especiales No. 2.

No Cohiba Lanceros, Esplendidos, etc.