Montecristo Nicaragua Cigar Review

Montecristo Nicaragua Toro (6×54)

W – Nicaraguan
B – Nicaraguan
F – Nicaraguan

Origin – Tabacalera AJ Fernandez Cigars de Nicaragua S.A., Estelí

The brainchild of cigar stars A.J. Fernandez and Rafael Nodal of Aging Room, the Montecristo Nicaragua is made using 100% Nicaraguan tobaccos from the country’s top growing regions. Now, this is not the first all-Nicaraguan Montecristo cigar – that honor goes to the 92-rated Espada that first hit shelves way back in 2014. But, this is the first time that a core line Montecristo cigar has been made by a third party – none other than “current hottest cigar-maker on the planet,” A.J. Fernandez. So, there’s that.

Cold draws showed much promise with notes of smooth cedar and hints of milk chocolate.

After firing up I was greeted with a particularly robust intro – notes of dark wood in the vein of oak backed by some potent nutmeg spice and hints of vanilla. The word “picturesque” came to mind as I acknowledged the cigar’s razor-straight burn line crowned with a solid white ash. As I puffed on, the pepper ramped up considerably, increasing to near-tap-out level before allowing an earthy creaminess to take center stage. It may be a bit harsh to say, but this cigar showed more flavor action in the first two inches than some full Churchills I’ve sampled.

Cream and earth with a hefty pinch of baking spice on the finish led the way into the second third. A few draws later I began to detect the cedar I had tasted on the cold draw as well as a new accent of malty sweetness, making for a formidably complex and rounded profile.

In the home stretch the Montecristo Nicaragua continued to evolve, offering tones of big black pepper, fresh-baked bread, and something that reminded me of cola. The burn remained straight and well-behaved. Eventually things got pretty funky and I left the nub to smolder out peacefully.

Hot damn. The Montecristo Nicaragua is rich as all get-out with plenty of flavor transition and no “boring parts” to report. It’s an honor and a privilege to be able to smoke some of the best cigars in the world for a living, and this cigar definitely falls into that category. You can just taste the quality, as well as the thought that went into making such a uniquely tasty tobacco blend. As I mentioned in my last review, there is certainly no shortage of Nicaraguan-themed smokes these days, but this box-worthy offering manages to stand out from the pack in a big way – eclipsing both the Espada and Monte by A.J. in terms of engaging taste in my opinion. Folks, we have a winner. Grab yours here at a winning low price.


Search For:

Recent News


Cigar of the Week 3/14/24 – Macanudo Emissary Espana

Macanudo Emissary Espana Cigars Largely untapped by the global cigar market, the rocky soils of S...

Year Of The Dragon Gift Set By Quality Importers

Year Of The Dragon Cigar Accessories Gift Set In celebration of the Chinese zodiac’s design...

Cigar of the Week – Don Pepín García Vegas Cubanas

Don Pepín García Vegas Cubanas Cigars One of the original Don Pepín García cigar lines introd...