Montecristo 1935 Anniversary Nicaragua No. 2 – Blind Cigar Review

Cigar Info

The Montecristo has been around for 86 years, starting in 1935. Last year, Altadis released a cigar to celebrate that milestone, Montecristo 1935 Anniversary Nicaragua. The company described it as their interpretation of the original blend from 1935. This new cigar was blended by Grupo de Maestros, Rafael Nodal, and AJ Fernandez. Together, they selected the aged tobacco and blended the final product.

Montecristo 1935 Anniversary Nicaragua comes in four sizes, all soft-pressed: Churchill: 7 x 52 $17.50, No 2. 6 1/8 x 52 $16.43, Toro 6 x 54 $15.95, and Demi 5 1/2 x 46 $10.40. The blend is a Nicaraguan puro made with tobacco from AJ Fernandez‘s farms. It is rolled at Fernandez’s San Lotano factory in Ocotál, Nicaragua. All come in boxes of 10 except the Demi size, which comes in boxes of 20. The new band is made using reflective gold and black colors to call attention to the cigar’s limited production. The box uses two-toned wood that showcases both origin and brand aesthetics along with gold finished elements and hardware. This is not to be confused with the Habanos cigar with a similar name, Montecristo Línea 1935, which we reviewed here.

Vital Stats:

Vitola: Torpedo
Length: 6 1/8
Ring Gauge: 52
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Factory: San Latano AJ Fernandez
Blender: Grupo de Maestros, Rafael Nodal, AJ Fernandez
Number of reviewers: 4 – Isaac M. (The Nothing) Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi) Jason H. (Jokey Smurf) Adam B. (Bushboi)
Price: $16.00
Age: 8 Months
Release Date: November 2020
Contributed by: Blind Man’s Puff

Initial Impressions – Montecristo 1935 Anniversary Nicaragua No. 2

Appearance: 94

“This is a large rustic-looking cigar. It sports a reddish-brown colored wrapper. This soft box-pressed cigar has tight, but visible, seams. There are a lot of small flat veins. The wrapper looks like it has shrunk a little cause there is about a sixteenth of an inch of the filler visible. The point of this cigar is finished with a double cap. Very nicely presented.” –Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)

Aroma: 90

“I’m getting a pleasant, aged, musty sweet aroma at the wrapper with sweet compost at the foot. I can’t wait to light this up!” –Jason H. (Jokey Smurf)

First Third

Flavor: 91
Strength: Medium-Strong
Body/Complexity: Medium

“After I light the cigar and take my first few puffs I get the overwhelming need to go grab some Jolly Ranchers. That is the essence of the smoke early on. Digging deeper I find that that hard candy is dusted with red pepper flake. When I take a retrohale, after a few minutes, I get woken up by an intense red pepper flake. This makes me slow way down because it is just too much. Thankfully, the cigar decides to settle down. The hard candy is replaced by deep cacao in both the palate and the retro. The pepper is still there, it is just balanced out by a woody note as you chew the smoke. Long of this has made the finish of the cigar very long.” –Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)

“This one started out with a sweet taste that has almost a gingerbread finish. Not quite licorice, but definitely a touch from the spice cabinet. The construction is fantastic and the burn is even. Smoke output is fantastic and the aroma is in deliciously sweet. ” –Adam B. (Bushboi)

Second Third

Flavor: 91
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium-Full

“The pepper has faded a bit and the charcoal remained in the middle portion of this cigar. As the pepper left the espresso has risen significantly which is awesome! Through the nose the smoke remains sharp, reminding me of the strength of this full-bodied stick. ” –Jason H. (Jokey Smurf)

“Similar flavors continued into the second third, except they seem to battle for dominance. One puff it was coffee flavors. The next puff brought cocoa nibs. Oak moved off the palate and concentrated on the retrohale. ” –Isaac M. (The Nothing)

Final Third

Flavor: 93
Strength: Medium-Strong
Body/Complexity: Medium-Full

“The final this is a combination of the previous two. It starts off sweet and delicate, with that butterscotch note, but the pepper slowly creeps back in till it becomes too much in the last half in. In the retrohale, I can find chocolate, mint, and pepper. I feel like I am eating some Mexican candy. This brings me back to my childhood. The finish stay very long makes me not want to set it down. ” –Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)

“This cigar is a real treat. The flavors have all worked fantastically together. Mostly sweet with a touch of spice. Tastes like I am smoking a sugary gingerbread cookie. Retrohale packs a punch and the strength built towards the end. ” –Adam B. (Bushboi)

Overall Impressions – Montecristo 1935 Anniversary Nicaragua No. 2

Draw: 97

“A single v-cut on the cigar provided just about the best draw that I could expect.” –Isaac M. (The Nothing)

Burn: 93

“Considering the wide-open draw I was worried the cigar would burn very quickly…thankfully this was not the case and the cigar lasted beyond an hour. The burn line was basically razor-sharp and needed no special attention. ” –Jason H. (Jokey Smurf)

Construction: 94

“The construction was spot on. It felt great in the hand. If I had to nitpick I would say the only thing that was wrong with it was that the ash was flaky. This is mainly because the cigar was box-pressed. This caused the ash to only hold on for less than a half-inch. ” –Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)

Overall Strength: Medium-Strong
Overall Body/Complexity: Medium-Full
Experience Overall: 93

“This cigar was hands down, a solid performer. I rather enjoyed the flavors and I’m happy with the strength, though it wasn’t as bold as I had been expecting. It is a much more delicate blend and I’d certainly light up again without question.” –Isaac M. (The Nothing)

“This was a great cigar that takes the smoker on a journey. Fiery at the start, then it morphs into a sweet and delicate treat, then finally it hammers you in the last inch of the cigar. This cigar is not for the faint of heart. It is a powerhouse and I recommend smoking it after a full meal. If you don’t you will be sorry. I will be grabbing a few for my humidor and if you are a fan of a full-body, full flavor, cigar so should you.” –Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)

“This was a strong cigar from the very first puff and they had me a bit concerned. Thankfully, the strength gradually lessened and allowed me to enjoy the power and not overwhelm my palate. At the finish, this cigar was firmly in my wheelhouse and had me ready to light another. For an experienced smoker, I’d recommend this…for a rookie, I’d be cautious. Personally, I loved it!” –Jason H. (Jokey Smurf)

“Overall this is a delicious cigar. From the slightly spicy and sweet beginning to the sweet and savory end, the flavors were amazing. Will smoke again.” –Adam B. (Bushboi)

Smoking Time (in minutes): 85

To view the complete scores and notes, click here.

Montecristo 1935 Anniversary Nicaragua No. 2 – Blind Cigar Review