Tasting Notes

As earlier mentioned, the Montecristo Nicaragua was conceived by Abdel Fernandez and Rafael Nodal. Abdel Fernandez is a 3rd generation cigar genius and the brains behind the current success of AJ Fernandez Cigars while Rafael Nodal is the Head of Product Capability for Tabacalera USA. The Montecristo Nicaragua is hand-rolled at Tabacalera AJ Fernandez Cigars de Nicaragua S.A. in Esteli.

Altadis has been on an aggressive revamping mission to reawaken age-old brands. In this campaign, brands such as Montecristo, that have enjoyed decades of success, got new revolutionary tweaks to appeal to both the vintage and new customers. The Montecristo Nicaragua is the first of these revolutionary cigars to join the Montecristo 'Core Line' cigars.

The Montecristo Nicaragua is a little expensive; is it worth it?

What is the monetary equivalent of a decadent smoking experience? You may be surprised to realize that for such a flooded market, finding a true premium smoke is not easy. Sure, long filler, hand-rolled cigars are a dime a dozen, but a legit top-notch stogie is hard to come by.

The Montecristo Nicaragua is a bona fide flavor bomb with a plethora of transitions and implicit complexity in perfectly balanced luxurious tasting tobacco. In this stogie, you can taste the quality, care, and expertise that went into creating such an exquisite smoke.

While some may find the $11 to $13 price a bit steep, in my opinion, the Montecristo Nicaragua is worth every dollar. Cigar enthusiasts who have enjoyed the Montecristo brand of cigars for nearly a century would not bat an eyelid when paying $12 for a Montecristo. Besides, the Montecristo Nicaragua is on the same price line as the equally famous Montecristo White and more or less the same as the other Montecristo cigars in the 'Core Line'. What this implies is that the Montecristo Nicaragua is not exorbitantly priced.

Is the Montecristo Nicaragua an everyday smoke or a special occasion smoke?

The overall smoking experience delivered by the Montecristo Nicaragua is absolutely divine. But as much as I would love to declare the Montecristo Nicaragua an everyday smoke, realistically, it isn't.

An everyday smoke needs to be more affordable and, dare I say, less exquisite. You need to be able to put it down in case of an emergency without feeling like you wasted a premium stogie.

The Montecristo Nicaragua deserves a special occasion just to appreciate the complexity and depth that went into making it.

My Montecristo Nicaragua is a treat. It calls for an exclusive sit-down with my friends alongside a glass of the finest so we can pay tribute to a sublime cigar worthy of the time that goes into enjoying it.