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| STARS OF THE SHOW VIII |
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Page 1 of 2  Tasting and grading the newest from Montecristo and Rocky PatelLos Angeles, September 26 – Montecristo is probably the most celebrated and well-known cigar trademark in the world, so there’s little doubt why Altadis U.S.A. continues to develop new blends to add to the Montecristo line-up. Although of much more recent origin, Rocky Patel has become a brand name to reckon with in the cigar trade and he debuted a series of new blends at this summer’s International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association trade show. We decided to take a taste of both. Montecristo Reserva Negra: [Dominican Republic: available in 5 sizes] This 2008 introduction is the first Montecristo to be marketed by Altadis U.S.A. and designed as a maduro-wrapped cigar and the seventh different, currently-available Montecristo blend from Altadis U.S.A. The line started with the original Montecristo from 1995 and now also includes the Montecristo Classic, Montecristo Cabinet Selection, Montecristo Platinum, Montecristo Serie C and Montecristo White in addition to the Reserva Negra. And there are a half-dozen other Montecristos made for other distributors, not to mention some discontinued versions! But it’s the dark Mexican Morron wrapper that separates the Reserva Negra from the others. The blend is full-bodied and there’s a spicy aroma. The flavor headlines a light, rich and caramelized taste with just a hint of spice on the finish. It’s very well made; all five sizes are box-pressed and burn quite evenly. The Nicaraguan binder and Nicaraguan and Dominican filler leaves team up to produce more spice in the second half that ends up tickling the tongue right to the end. There’s considerable depth to this cigar and the balance is excellent. All five sizes are offered in boxes of 20 with suggested retail prices from $7.50 to $12.00, not including local sales and tobacco taxes. Overall grade: A-: Excellent. Montecristo White: [Dominican Republic: available in 11 sizes] The Montecristo White line was introduced in 2003 and has found its place among the Montecristo lines as one of the smoother blends. In 2008, two tubed sizes were added in popular sizes: a 5-inch by 52-ring Robusto Grande and a 6-inch by 54-ring Toro Grande. Just like the others in the line, these are medium-bodied cigars which are elegant to look at and extremely smooth to smoke. All Montecristo Whites share a top-class Ecuadorian-grown, Connecticut-seed wrapper and the Nicaraguan binder and Nicaraguan and Dominican-grown filler leaves offer a spicy aroma. The taste is lightly caramelized and smooth, with just a suggestion of spice on the finish. It stays consistent throughout and is an easy-to-enjoy cigar that’s perfect in the afternoons after lunch, or following a lighter dinner. The balance is nice and the White won’t tire you out as it burns evenly. The tubes themselves are quite striking, with a white body and the famous Montecristo logotype and cross-swords symbols at the top. Both of the new tubed shapes are offered in boxes of 15 (the non-tubed shapes are in boxes of 27); retail prices for the entire line run from $7.00 to $11.00, not including local sales or tobacco taxes. Overall grade: A: Exceptional. |
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Did you know?
“"Sandwich" filler includes both long and short pieces, with the long pieces folded over to form the "sandwich."
