Montecristo No. 3 House Reserve Aged & Rare 90th Anniversary Special Release

• Length: 143mm
• Gauge: 42
• Flavour: Med-Full
• Cuban
• Aged for 10 Years

If the Montecristo No. 2 is the cigar everyone talks about, then the No. 3 is the one the old hands actually reach for. It’s a touch more discreet — shorter, handier, and just as noble — a Havana that doesn’t shout, but nods quietly to those who know what they’re holding.

This particular House Reserve Aged & Rare edition marks ninety years of Montecristo, and it’s been resting under lock and key for over a decade in Hunters & Frankau’s private reserve — an environment so carefully maintained you could age a Stradivarius in there.

Montecristo’s origins trace back to 1935 Havana, when Alonso Menéndez, inspired by The Count of Monte Cristo, christened his new brand after the story that torcedores loved to hear read aloud as they rolled. The novel spoke of patience, revenge, and reward — and you can taste all three in this cigar.

The No. 3 vitola (Corona Grande, 5 ½″ × 42) has always been a benchmark of Montecristo’s character — that balance between refinement and muscle. Ten years’ sleep has mellowed its edges, giving it a depth that can’t be faked or hurried. The cedar and spice that once sparkled now hum like a well-aged cello, softened by undertones of leather, cocoa, and toasted almond.

Each cigar comes from a strictly limited run of just 135 numbered boxes of ten, each box stamped “Revisado” and accompanied by a signed certificate. The cigars bear a tasteful “Aged & Rare” foot-band, marking their provenance and age. The presentation is pure Havana understatement — traditional cedar, gilt-edged markings, and a quiet confidence that collectors adore.

This isn’t something you light on a whim. This is a cigar for reflection, perhaps for the close of an evening when the world’s gone quiet. Smoke it slowly, let it bloom — or tuck it away for a future you’ll want to savour. The market’s already sniffing around this release; they won’t stay on the shelves for long.

Nine decades of history, ten years of rest, one unmistakable flavour: Montecristo at its most composed.

The No. 3 has always been a quiet connoisseur’s cigar — its smaller ring size gives a sharper, more focused expression of Montecristo’s blend, and this aged edition only enhances that clarity.

Hunters & Frankau’s House Reserve programme is now considered one of the world’s finest examples of professional cigar maturation outside Cuba itself. Each box has been kept in constant humidity (around 70%) and temperature (~21 °C), producing the kind of refined complexity that collectors will pay dearly for. Keep them sealed, horizontal, and stable — they’re worth more than their weight in gold leaf.