(Fake?) Montecristo. 2014. Box long gone (CM)

[Rhinoww]

I posted in Daily Smoke before I saw I saw the competition. So I’ll add a bit of color on the memory. 
 

Mystery day for me. 
 

I split a box of “cigars” w a buddy in the DR in 2014. We thought they might be real. smoked quite a few on the Beach at the Hard Rock Punta Cana. Was there with a large group that included my sisters family as well as some of my dear friends. 
 

At the time I knew little about cigars other than Cubans were the forbidden fruit. I had smoked a few No 2, but not regularly enough to know the flavor profile. 
 

I split a box of 25 of the below w a buddy (who actually was the one who got me to FOH last year). I bought a box of RJ pyramids which we also split. We spent the week sitting on the beach under some sort of palm leaf umbrella staring at the sea and smoking cigars. 
 

I kept one stick of each sticks in the humidor as a reminder of that trip. Now that I’ve smoked quite a few CC I thought I’d give it a go. Also had a long zoom call set up w some buddies. My buddy was also going to join that call who split the box w me. Why not?

well I posted photos of the RJ box shortly after I joined to check authenticity. No surprise. They were fake Cubans yet good cigars. 
 

This Monte  looked promising. Other than the 2 and 4, I don’t smoke many Montes. 
this one had a nice looking Mottled wrapper. Hmmm, maybe this one had some good oily tobacco. Would it be a flavor bomb and take me back to the island?

after the v cut very easy draw. Made sense. It was at 60 rh for a long time. Nearly flavorless though. 
 

Cigar turned out to be uninspired. Decent. Mellow. But zero complexity. Zero flavor development. Not bad. Just not very good. Nothing special. Quite a bummer. 
 

had some wrapper issues mid way. Maybe not as good of a roll as I had thought?
 

zoom call lasted 2.5 hours. Was great to catch up w some mates. 
 

I still use a picture from on of those lounge chairs on the beach looking over my bare feet at the ocean as the screen saver on my phone. Picture still brings me back. That cigar, not so much. 
 

for those who saw the Daily smoke post, Sorry for the double read on the review. Hope the cigar memory was interesting add though. 
 

[NSXCIGAR]

That might be the fakest Monte I've ever seen, and I've seen some fakes in my day. 

[99call]

I think whats good to add, is the terrible burn would be just the same with a genuine Monte Double Edmundo

[Chibearsv]

I bought a box of RyJ torpedos on that same beach 10 or so years ago and had a similar experience. I know they weren't real Cubans but they were pretty damn good and looked a lot better than that Monte. 

[Rhinoww]

The RyJ I bought there were a much better cigar than the Monte. Good memory for me though.