Montecristo Platinum #3 Staff Review
Today I am reviewing Montecristo Platinum in the No. 3 format, a 5.5 x 44 Corona. Montecristo may be the most well-known cigar brand in the world, thanks to its lengthy Cuban heritage. The iconic Torpedo we all know as the Montecristo No. 2 is one of the single most recognizable cigars ever created. Despite their popularity, the overall consistency of even the most sought-after Cubans leaves much to be desired when you’re in search of the best Montecristo cigars.
Luckily, you can also smoke a more reliable Cuban-legacy edition of Montecristo that’s made in the Dominican Republic (DR) and widely available in the U.S. There are plenty of Dominican-made Montecristo cigars to choose from these days.
Montecristo Platinum features tobaccos from four different countries. An oily, reddish-hued San Andrés wrapper grown in Mexico covers an aged Dominican binder and long-filler tobaccos from Peru, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic. The No. 3 is a standard Corona-shaped cigar that offers lots of complex taste over a 35 to 45-minute smoke.
Intense pre-light aromas of leather, cedar, and cinnamon tingle the senses while the cold draw adds hints of bittersweet chocolate, wheat, and black pepper. The cigar starts off very creamy, which is quite unexpected given the amount of pepper present on the cold draw. As the cigar heats up, the profile becomes woody with undertones of light cocoa. Sweet notes of spiced apples develop nicely with a bit of leather. The retrohale reveals notes of coffee beans and pepper which keep the profile balanced.
Montecristo Platinum takes a sharp turn around the halfway mark as the flavor progresses. A bit of saltiness pokes through along with notes of leather and espresso. The spices drop off leaving a sweet and earthy profile. The finish is loaded with notes of charred oak and cedar.
Although the cigar was somewhat soft, its construction wasn’t bad. The draw was loose for my preference but produced an ample amount of smoke. The burn was straight throughout the entire length of the cigar. I was not expecting Montecristo Platinum to be as full-bodied as it inevitably became. The No. 3 finished on the fuller side of the spectrum.
Several Montecristo blends are available to satisfy a range of cigar lovers’ tastes. The original Montecristo blend and Montecristo White are great for newer cigar smokers. But if you’re a seasoned connoisseur and prefer a little more kick, I recommend Montecristo Platinum. The blend is packaged in silver boxes of 27 cigars, each wrapped in a pair of silver-colored cigar bands in keeping the cigar’s name. The blend’s toothy wrapper San Andrés wrapper leaf is a solid example of one of the best Mexican wrappers the company has blended with. Smoke one today and rely on your pals at Holt’s for your favorite Cuban-legacy brands at the lowest prices in the country!
