Montecristo No 1 FOE NOV 05

[Mike33]

Great review Rob!

One of my favorite cigars. Just a classic in every sense of the word. I am about half-way through a box of '03s that I have from you and every single one has been 91-93s. I might have to have one tonight

[Professor Twain]

Thanks for the review, Rob. I only have a handful of November 03 Monte 1s from a full box, all have been great. Nice to know that you have some good ones on hand, I will keep my eye on these for my Czarador.

[Guest cohiba]

Beautiful Review Rob!!!

Thank you for responding to my request! My memory of the Monte 1's of my past where close to you description. I almost have to "suffer" through the first 1/3 to finally be rewarded in spades, with classic Montecristo! But wow.....what a great finish! Hold's well in the hand, great cigar. Kind of strange you just dont hear much about them.

I think i will FIND room in the Humi for a box. Time to play tetris again.

Thanks Rob

[shrink]

Thanks, Prez. Sounds like you really enjoyed this one. The last really good Monte #1 I had was from a box of early '02s, now long gone. A few samples from '04 were disappointing, and I've avoided 'em since.

Perhaps you will review an '06 if any come your way. If they resemble their bigger brother #2s, they could be quite the lonsdale!

[marco polo]

Thanks for the review Rob! :-)

[Colt45]

Thanks for the review. This and the Especial No.1&2 are cigars I'd like, but have yet,

to try.

[El Presidente]

Montecristo No 1 FOE NOV 05

I had a request to review a Montecristo No 1 and duly went through our available boxes yeasterday afternoon. Surprisingly all the boxes were coded NOV 05.

It has been a little while since I have had a Montecristo Number 1 but I have fond memories of a classic Lonsdale, medium body which shouts "Montecristo" with clean coffee and cream flavours.

Great looking example. Beautiful wrapper with nice oils, supple to the touch. Construction is perfect smell ar cold all light sweet spices intermixed with toasted tobacco. Clipped the cap and the draw was dreamlike as was the cream and tobacco on the lips.

Fired up the foot and immediately this was far stronger than I had anticpiated. A nice kick of pepper spices through the nose and a full body on the palate with roasted nuts and over extracted espresso coffee. I wondered how long it would take to find a more classic Montecristo No 1 mid body line but it hesitated to change in the first inch and a half wanting instead to run a harder line and explore the world of black pepper and black coffee. I could feel that it was struggling to hold this hard arse persona as slowly and subtly its breeding came to the fore through glimpses of cream and milk coffee which slowly but surely overwhelmed the frontline forces.

Into the halfway point and what I am really enjoying is the fact that while we have a classic Monte No 1 now in terms of cream and milk coffee, we have it in a medium full format. The coffee is robust and there are still elements of roasted almonds in the mix. The result makes a great background to which the cream lilts and dances to varying levels of intensity. A quick blast through the nose finds the white pepper still there in force but not as pronounced as at the opening.

The last third now and I am not looking forward to finishing this cigar. The core profile remains but now there are nuances of orange peel coming through. Great interplay with the fuller bidy and coffee/cream/roasted almonds. The cigar is becoming even fuller and the cream is struggling to retain a foothold. It gives up with two inches to go and now we have a full bodied black coffee/nuts/citrus finish with the first hints of tanin and edgy bitterness.

An excellent, entertaining, complex cigar.

90/100 5/6 smokerings.