Bought Cigars Daily. 3/15/25 I rate this cigar at 95. Temperature 64 and dry boxed down to 55% RH. Cigar Aficionado 2024 #2 rated at 97. Sometimes, when a company makes a larger version of a successful cigar, the blend doesn’t scale up properly and it loses some of the elements that made it great in the first place. The Montecristo 1935 Anniversary Nicaragua captures all the coffee bean, earth and spicy notes. The blend was conceived by Rafael Nodal of Altadis U.S.A. and Nicaraguan cigarmaker A.J. Fernandez as a tribute to the 80th anniversary of the iconic brand. Together, they struck gold with a rich, powerful cigar worthy of the Montecristo name. Accolades piled up quickly, including high scores in our blind tastings and the No. 2 spot in 2021’s Top 25 (for the No. 2 size). A few years after the brand’s release, Altadis added its first addition to the line—the Espeso. The word translates to “thick”. It’s big, it’s box-pressed, it’s chunky and it’s delightful. It’s also proof that you can indeed enlarge a cigar without diluting its properties. In this case, you might even be making it a little better.—Gregory Mottola Length In Inches 6 Ring Gauge 54 Shape Toro Wrapper Nicaraguan Binder Nicaragua Filler Nicaragua Country of Origin Nicaragua Strength Medium-Full Flavor Notes. Vivid flavors of coffee, spice, earth, cinnamon, wood, and natural tobacco sweetness. FIRST THIRD Starts with black pepper and spice punch but quickly calms down. The main flavors of oak, cedar and espresso emerge. Additional undertones of cocoa, leather, toasted bread, manuer, earth and slight cinnamon. A very distinct brownie sweetness combines nicely with a large amount of black pepper on the retrohale. Flavor comes in at a solid medium, body is medium-plus and the strength ends just over the medium. Draw is perfect with creamy thick texture. Ash is flaky but thick. Slightly wavy burn but is VERY WINDY. Great complexity. SECOND THIRD Chocolate, coffee and earthy tones with traces of barbecue and pepper. A subtle sweetness emerges. The leather notes are undertones. Pepper backs down in the retrohale with cocoa notes taking center stage. Draw remains smooth and creamy with medium full-body. Flavors are medium plus and a touch more complex. Strength is medium-full. Burn slightly wavy but it’s definitely the wind. No ash left in ashtray! FINAL THIRD A sweet oak flavor joined by cocoa and brownie notes. Undernotes of leather, bread, earth, cinnamon, popcorn and a touch of black pepper. The brownie sweetness continues to be quite distinct on the retrohale back by black pepper. Flavor ends up just at medium-plus, body is full and the strength is medium-full. No construction issues. Excellent smoking experience but for the wind. Little dry so next time smoke at 60% RH.
