Brief History of Montecristo Cigars

Cigars come in a wide array of shapes and sizes, in addition to varying brand names. Often, though, a layperson will picture Montecristo cigars when asked to imagine a traditional Cuban. First rolled in the 1940s, Montecristo cigars have earned a reputation as the most popular products of this ilk.

In their native Cuba, Montecristo cigars are rolled and distributed by the national tobacconist Habanos S.A. As you may have guessed, the moniker was inspired by the Alexandre Dumas novel The Count of Monte Cristo, which many factory employees read on the production line. Montecristo cigars are also produced in the Dominican Republic by the brand Altadis.

Today, around a quarter of all Cuban cigar sales worldwide are Montecristo cigars. The Montecristo no. 2, in particular, is a world-famous and celebrated design and flavour. You'll find this cigar available in any tobacconist throughout the globe, remaining instantly recognisable thanks to the bullet tip shape of the product.

So, we've established that Montecristo cigars are the most famous and popular style “ but are they the best? That's obviously a matter of personal preference. In Cuba, a prevailing attitude surrounding cigars is that bigger is always better, but some enthusiasts will claim that rivals “ especially Cohiba “ are superior. As always, the decision as to which is preferable comes down to perspective. 

However, it is worth noting that Montecristo cigars do boast an excellent reputation among cigar critics and collectors. Even if somebody may lean more toward a rival brand or design, you'll rarely find anybody with a bad word to say about Montecristo cigars, and they form the cornerstone of countless collections. Rare and limited edition Montecristo cigarsare particularly popular among those that prefer to collect cigars rather than smoke them.

These limited editions vary wildly in price, often selling in equally unique packaging designed to appeal to collectors. You may even find Montecristo cigars available at auction if you're willing to spend big. However before committing to investing in Montecristo cigars, you'll need to ensure that you're not being tricked by a smart forgery. Where there is an opportunity to make money, unscrupulous scammers will seize upon it.

Genuine Montecristo cigars are identifiable through a gold-embossed logo on the cigar's band, which must always be raised. The band will also boast gold lines, though these are flat. The band itself should be a dark red unless the cigar pre-dates 2007, in which case it will be green. Finally, look out for precision circles, dots, and borders outside the band.

Tags: