Montecristo Open Master LAS OCT10 : Rancid Review Week

[El Presidente]

Ahh the Montecristo Open Master. i was in Havana for the launch of the Open range in 2009 from memory. We started the evening at the Karl Marx Theatre with much pomp and ceremony as the "Open Line" was launched with a slick video incorporating Horse Racing, Power boats, Golf, Tennis....not a veguero or tobacco field to be seen on screen. The objective was clear, a cigar to be enjoyed for the outdoor well healed type.

The follow up function was at Club Havana that night. Beautiful setting. The Open line left me speachless. Of the three, The Junior was the best that night. It is not hard to be the "best" when the benchmark was set so low that only a snake could slither under. Appalling was not only my thoughts but the general consensus.

I remember this video by ken and I on the Master in 2009. http://www.friendsofhabanos.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=97926&hl=open.

The video got me into no end of trouble with HSA marketing at the time

Today I am revisiting a 2010 example. Almost 5 years on it.

The cigar has an ok wrapper consistent with the rest of the box. No aroma at cold. Dry draw.....easy, no distinguishable flavours.

The cigar lights easily and for the first third delivers pleasant "airy" light tobacco flavour. Maybe just a hint of nut on the edges of the palate. Maybe I am searching too hard. I can't find any Montecristo flavour profile (cocoa/milk coffee).

The ash is flaky but holding.

By the midpoint some milky aspects are coming through. There is no astringency/hard edges. Body has been light throughout. Flavour one dimensional. I could safely hand these out at a non smoker nun convention and each of them would be able to finish it.

Had to take a phone call and put it down. Came back 10 minutes later and it was still smoking away. We didn't miss each other.

Into the last third. Slight kick up in body but still under medium. Pretty sure it is not an intentional blend change.

Wrapping up.

The positive I suppose is that the cigar is inoffensive. Water is also inoffensive. Polite conversation...inoffensive.

This Montecristo Open Master never once sought to make a statement. Never once defined itself as "Montecristo" or even Cuban. It could very well pass as an average to good Dominican and this is why I have always detested it so much. The cigar is nothing more than an attempt at average. Tabacuba/HSA absolutely nailed mediocrity and if they had launched it under a new brand ....let's call it "Flacido Open" or " Flojo Open" then I could live with it as a niche cigar for 14 year olds who want to show off at lunchtime behind the school toilets. But no, they put the Montecristo name to them and to me that is akin to Romanée-Conti releasing a sparkling Sav Blanc.

So no I didn't enjoy the cigar. The Montecristo Open Master is innoffensive and soulless. Internationally it sells very well particularly through duty free and so HSA is on a winner. It is a cigar that has appeal to entry level/occasional cigar smokers. However it is does not represent Cuban cigars.

This is my personal opinion on the cigar. I note there are people out there that do enjoy them and that is fine. My opinion is no more valid than yours

...and only to prove I finished it

[melies]

Had one the other day just to compare to the other Robustos in the competition... The cigar looked grate, it actually smelled great

Then... The horror!

It was a 2014 example. If it would have been like the one you reviewed Rob at least I could have though about something else while I smoked it.

But that thing... Was the cigar of nightmares! Like smoking a burnt coal.

Never again my friend... Never again.

[santela]

Great review. This is the only regular production robusto I have yet to try...

[El Presidente]

Great review. This is the only regular production robusto I have yet to try...

I have boxes...and boxes...and boxes ...that I can supply

[Rye]

I should look through my notes and old threads, but your description sounds a lot like how I remember last years blind tasting where you subjected us poor unsuspecting folks to these (I believe with the same code) completely ruining my ability to say that I've never tried the line...

Thanks for the review Rob! May your name come up in the draw, and may you enjoy your Bushido!

[JohnS]

I have boxes...and boxes...and boxes ...that I can supply

Specials for Petrol Stations, Tobacconists and Dan Murphys Liquor outlets?

[El Presidente]

Specials for Petrol Stations, Tobacconists and Dan Murphys Liquor outlets?

Ditto

[Rushman]

I had my first and only example of the open line soon after moving to Mexico. It was not enjoyable.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Smoking Ninja]

So still no love with this line huh. Any new updates?  I have a box of Regata I figured it was cheap to hand out  whenever I have some folks over.  I will try to light one up in a near future!

[subport]

I smoked one junior and one master. The junior was better. Somewhere around 3-4 on the scale of 100. Enough said, no love.

[TheMonk]

A MC Open sucked... I'm shocked!

[Bohn007]

Glad to know that this is one cigar that I don't need to buy