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Cigar Review: Montecristo No. 4

Size: 5X42, Petite Corona

Wrapper, Binder, Filler: Cuban Puro

Strength: Medium

Price: Gifted

Grade: 9.2

Introduced in 1935, Montecristo has emerged as the best selling Cuban cigar in the world. A good friend of mine gifted me this cigar about six months ago. It has been resting up nicely in the humidor and I figured it was time for me to fire up it up.

Let’s get to it, shall we?

Pre-light, 1.7:
The wrapper on this smoke was somewhat toothy with a few prominent veins. The construction was nice and had a good weight, consistency, and cap. The pre-light aroma and cold draw produced earthy tobacco notes with a very subtle sweet spice on the end. The band was classic Montecristo, which always gets me a little excited since we all know Cubans set the bar for handmade smokes. Though not really a scoring factor, I really liked the size of this smoke; it just felt really right between the fingers as I got ready to put the torch to it.

Burn, 1.9:
After a quick clip and toasting, the foot of this smoke was aglow. The draw was very nice and produced an adequate amount of smoke with just the right amount of effort. The ash was grayish white in color and held to well over an inch before I knocked it off. The temperature on this stick was nice considering the small size and there was never a hint of harshness, which I sometimes encounter with smaller smokes.

Flavor, 2.8:
The first puff on this Cuban puro produced earthy tobacco notes with a mild sweet finish. As the smoke progressed, I picked up some woody flavors with a dominant earthy tobacco profile. The second third seemed to carry on the above earthy tobacco notes but on the exhale there was some darker notes of cocoa with a continued finish of spicy sweetness. The final third of the smoke was consistent with the second third but with a hint more of the spice. All in all, the No. 4 produced an earthy tobacco flavor profile with hints of cocoa and some spice throughout. Not terribly complex but very, very consistent.

Overall, 2.8:
All in all this was a great smoke with a very consistent flavor profile. Because of the lack of pricing, I can’t really take value into account but I know these cigars are reasonably priced at authorized retailers outside of the states in comparison to other Cubans. This is a good forty five minute smoke that will not leave you with a full feeling that is characteristic of a heavy stick and, for that reason, the No. 4 can be enjoyed at any time of day. I really enjoyed this one on a Friday here in Georgia.

(Total:  9.2)