Montecristo No.2 (Full Box of 10)

• Length: 156mm
• Gauge: 52
• Flavour: Med-Full
• Cuban
• Dress Box of 10
• Humidor Advised

Montecristo No. 2 – Full Box of 10 There are famous Cuban cigars, and then there's the Montecristo No. 2. That pointed head has become one of the most recognisable shapes in Havana tobacco, and for many cigar smokers the No. 2 remains the benchmark by which other Pirámides are judged.

Montecristo itself dates to 1935, taking its name from Alexandre Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo. The story goes that the novel was a favourite among the lectores who once read aloud to cigar rollers as they worked. It's difficult to imagine many modern workplaces getting through a shift with somebody standing in the corner reading an adventure novel, which suggests progress has not improved absolutely everything.

The No. 2 measures 156mm by a 52 ring gauge, giving it the classic Cuban Pirámides dimensions. The tapered head isn't merely decorative either. It allows the smoker some choice over the size of the opening when cutting and concentrates the smoke as it reaches the palate.

The blend is entirely Cuban, using wrapper, binder and long-filler tobaccos from the Vuelta Abajo region of Pinar del Río. Montecristo sits firmly in the medium-to-full camp, and the No. 2 gives the blend enough length to develop gradually. Expect the familiar Montecristo combination of earth, roasted coffee, cedar and cocoa, joined by spice and a sweeter woody character as the cigar progresses. The opening can be comparatively restrained before the body and richness build through the middle and final thirds. Allow roughly an hour, although there's little point putting a stopwatch on a cigar of this sort.

This presentation contains 10 Montecristo No. 2 cigars in their original box. It's also a cigar with serious ageing potential; a well-kept box can develop considerably as the years pass.