Review of Montecristo Robusto Larga Cigars

Montecristo is one of the most popular cigar brand names in the world. There are a number of different Montecristo lines made by Altadis USA at Tabacalera de Garcia in the Dominican Republic (and a couple of others made in Nicaragua), which are not to be confused with Cuban Montecristo cigars. The Dominican Montecristo Robusto Larga (5.75 x 50) cigar being reviewed here is made with Dominican filler tobaccos and a Connecticut Shade wrapper. Normally, these cigars can be purchased online in boxes of 20 for around $200. However, the best time to buy them is when they are on sale. At the time of this review, the sale price for a box of 20 Robusto Larga's at Holt's was only $89.95, including free shipping. Six packs were also available for $39.95.

The Montecristo Robusto Larga cigars that were sampled were mild-to-medium bodied, and would be appropriate for all levels of cigar smokers, especially beginners. However, even seasoned cigar connoisseurs enjoy an occasional milder cigar. It all depends on what you have a taste for at the time, what you are drinking to accompany the cigar, whether it's early or later in the day, and various other factors.

The Montecristo Robusto Larga begins with a generous dose of pepper and spice, which tames down during the first 10 minutes. Then the cigar becomes smoother, having a somewhat grassy taste with notes of citrus, along with some remaining pepper and spice flavors that are now in the background. These cigars are very well made and have a great draw, hold a long ash, and for the most part, have a slow and even burn. It took me around 75 minutes to smoke down to two inches remaining, with no more than a couple of minor touch-ups along the way. I rate these cigars with a very good 4 points on a 5-point scale. Montecristo cigars have more flavor than typical mild-to-medium cigars, but they can be a bit pricey. However, they can also be a great value if purchased when on sale.

Disclosure: Review samples were provided via Holt's.