Sunday 12 August 2012

Montecristo No.4

I was recently gifted a Monte No.4 by a work colleague. I read it is the biggest selling Cuban Cigar in the world so I decided to give it a go and to review it as I went.



Appearance: 
The stick was a bit firm. The wrapper was a lovely chocolate colour. Slightly bumpy to the feel but that is usually good in my experience.

Pre-light draw:
Old Tobacco. Nothing else.

Opening:
Very smooth. Lots of milk chocolate.



First 3rd: 
WOW!! Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate!! It was like smoking a Dairy Milk Bar. Intense and lush. Mild to medium at this point. A slight hint of coffee and woodiness towards the back of the first 3rd



Second 3rd: 
All about the wood in this 3rd. The chocolate that had been so prominent dissipated very quickly and was replaced by a pleasant cedar taste. The coffee never came through at all.



Final 3rd: 
The cedar was still dominant at this stage. The chocolate returned in the background but was now a bitter chocolate. Not unpleasant. There was also a very mild spice coming through. Not strong enough to detect a flavour, however it left a nice tingle on my lips.



Finish:
The cigar turned on my at the end of the final 3rd. The last half an inch or so that I call the finish was turning out to be very harsh. I stopped smoking at this point so as not to ruin my experience.



Draw: 
Tight for the first two 3rds. Required double puffs to get a desired amount of smoke. Opened up in the final 3rd. Not bad enough to take away from my enjoyment of the cigar.

Burn: 
Slightly wonky. I touched up the cigar on two occasions however it still would have smoked perfectly if I hadn't.

Time to smoke: 
1hr 25mins. This was due to the draw. On a perfect draw I say the Cigar could be smoked in under an hour.

Value for Money: 
It was a gift. I do know they retail at around the €11/12 and at that price they are worth the money.

Overall:
I found the cigar a very pleasant smoke. I can see why it is a top seller. It has all the qualities and complexities of any Cuban Cigar but none of which are overpowering. A great cigar for a newbie smoker or if the experienced smoker would like a nice change of pace. I would certainly have another.



No comments:

Post a Comment