Montecristo No. 5 (Dry/Wet) - ASU NOV 17 (L&SRW1)

[saltbox]

Rested about 2.5 months at 62RH, just over 3 years of box age on these.

First third: Opens with nice creamy coffee and warm baking spices. There's a touch of cocoa on the finish but not much. Cinnamon and nutmeg.

Middle third: Toasted tobacco and cream. Nice floral and vanilla notes on the retrohale, and a touch of citrus zest occasionally.

Last third: More toasted tobacco and the faintest touch of cocoa. The baking spices and citrus have faded away.

Overall: This was my first No. 5 and the oldest Montecristo I've had. Cocoa wasn't very prominent in this one and I definitely missed it. I do recall reading some advice that for bigger cocoa notes, Montes should be smoked before the 2-3 year point. 90/100

 

I did notice that towards the nub of this one, the cigar felt almost too dry, so I decided to give another No. 5 from the same box a shot the next day with a water dip. In comparison, there was a bit more creaminess but unfortunately still no strong cocoa notes. Still a 90/100. At least the box is consistent!