Montesino Diplomatico: Throwback Weekend Review

[fitzy]

This wasn’t my first cigar which was a crappy machine made cigar I bought in a diner back in about 1986.

 

This is however a cigar I have fond memories of. The story starts in 1996 in Savannah Ga and Hilton Head SC. I used to go to Savannah every year with my brother and a group of friends to celebrate St Patrick’s Day for a few days and then go to Hilton Head to golf for a week. If you’ve never been to Savannah for St Patrick’s day it’s like a mini Mardi Gras. The city floods with about   3/4 of a million people and the party goes on for several days. We usually bring cigars with us. I was looking for some decent inexpensive cigars that I could buy a few boxes to bring with us and I looked through some older issues of Cigar Afficionado. I saw the Montesino Diplomatico reviewed in an issue from the previous year. It was rated an 89 and was very inexpensive. The article I believe mentioned that it was made by Fuente so I picked up a couple boxes for the trip. 

Turns out they were worth the money. 

They are usually well constructed, burn well and have a taste of sweet cedar and cream. It’s a very mild cigar. 

Since that time they have always had a spot in my humidor mainly for the nostalgia and for the fact that they go great with my morning coffee. Every time I smoke one I think about all those great times we had in Savannah and Hilton Head. 

Sorry but these pictures are upright on my phone but always end up sideways when I post them here. 

[Danimalia]

Love it. Never had the Montesino, but it seems like a perfect sort of cigar that gets someone started. What kind of wrappers do they have? CT? Cameroon?

I'm going to pick up an Oliva Serie G for my throwback review. I'd had quite a few cigars before the Serie G, but don't remember any names, and of course, a lot of cheap machine made cigarillos and the like. Serie G was my first box purchase, and like you, it was because it was on a Top 25 list, and was quite affordable. It was also one of the first cigars I remember being abnle to pick out specific flavors from, as opposed to just "cigar flavor." 

Went to Hilton Head a few years back with family. I was going through some personal problems, but I thought it was very nice. I was actually impressed with SC as a whole. I had a lot of pre-conceived notions being a West Coast guy. I loved Charleston, too. Lots of great people. Good food. Sensational beaches.

[fitzy]

@Danimalia I believe it's a Connecticut shade wrapper and I think the binder/filler are all Dominican. The boxes are about $85 right now but I forget how much they were back in 96. The wrappers usually aren't the best looking but they always smoke well and at roughly $3.50 per cigar I'm not complaining. 

Yeah SC coast is quite beautiful. Charleston and Savannah are both gorgeous cities. 

I'm quite fond of pretty much all of Oliva's products. 

Usually when a friend of mine wants to try a cigar for the first time this is usually the one I give them.