A business reaching 90 years is certainly cause for celebration, and while Montecristo is no longer a standalone business, that doesn’t mean there’s not going to be an anniversary cigar, or two.
Montecristo was created in Cuba in 1935 by Alonso Menéndez. Following the Cuban Revolution in 1959, he and his business partner, Pepe García, fled the island and reestablished the brand, first in the Canary Islands and then in the Dominican Republic in the mid-1970s. The brand eventually became part of Altadis U.S.A.’s portfolio, and this year, the company celebrated the brand’s nine decades of existence with a new cigar line, a new humidor, a new accessory collection, and a new watch.
The cigars are made by Plasencia Cigars S.A. in Estelí, Nicaragua, with an all-Nicaraguan blend that features a wrapper from Jalapa, while the rest of the blend draws on tobacco from Estelí, Condega and Ometepe.
Note: The following shows the various Montecristo 90th Anniversary vitolas. Some of these cigars may have been released after this post was originally published. The list was last updated on Nov. 26, 2025.
88
Overall Score
All three Montecristo 90th Anniversary No. 2s I smoked got off to a consistently good start, one that made it very easy to dive right into the profile. In fact, given the consistency and what was offered, it might have been the best inch of the cigar. After that first third, there was a bit of variance, though the notes the cigars play all eventually showed up. But the sequencing made a difference, as did the intensity with which those notes are played. None of the three cigars really struggled; some just nailed the performance a bit better than the others. The final thirds were also enjoyable, though I could have done without the heat at the end. It’s not enough to skew my thoughts on the overall experience, but the rest of the cigar deserved a better closing. Again, my appreciation and congratulations to the Plasencia team on producing cigars that burn as they are intended to, something that has been a challenge across the industry in recent years. While I’m not crazy about the price, I’d certainly welcome a revisit to the Montecristo 90th Anniversary No. 2 at some point as the overall experience is certainly enjoyable.
Beyond just the cigars, Altadis U.S.A. also released a limited edition humidor that comes with a handmade watch from Paris-based B.R.M Chronographes that features a bronze case and skeleton dial. The humidor can hold 18 cigars and comes with a watch winder as well as playing cards, poker chips, dice, and something called “The Last Chip” game card, which was created for the set. Only 35 sets are being produced and are priced at $15,000.
This marked the second time that Altadis U.S.A. has partnered with B.R.M. for a Montecristo-branded watch, the first being the Montecristo B.R.M Humidor in May 2021.
- Cigar Reviewed: Montecristo 90th Anniversary No. 2
- Country of Origin: Nicaragua
- Factory: Plasencia Cigars S.A.
- Wrapper: Nicaragua (Jalapa)
- Binder: Nicaragua
- Filler: Nicaragua
- Length: 6 1/8 Inches
- Ring Gauge: 52
- Shape: Round
- MSRP: $40 (Box of 12, $480)
- Release Date: Aug. 30, 2025
- Number of Cigars Released: Undisclosed
- Number of Cigars Smoked For Review: 3
There’s visual unity between the bands and the wrapper, with the combination of brown, gold and red on the paper coordinating with the colors of the wrapper leaf. Those leaves are a well-tanned shade of brown with a bit of mottling in spots, but a generally even color that has a bit of red and just a touch of goldenness to it. The veins are thin and pretty small, certainly not big enough to be distracting, and if anything, the only thing I notice is the occasional small bump. The seam lines are flat, and the three cigars all appear to be rolled well. The wrapper feels soft and supple with a bit of oiliness, more so on the first and third cigars than the second. There’s some variance with the densities as well, as the first and third cigars are firm with some give, while the second doesn’t have as much give. The first cigar’s foot has a cool, slightly sweet and creamy aroma that gently fills my nostrils with a sensation that reminds me of melted vanilla ice cream, with the third cigar adding a waffle cone scent. The draw is smooth and gives me the sensation of peanut butter at first before getting a bit creamier in the first cigar. The peanut butter shows up in a much milder expression in the second cigar, while the third cigar turns it into the flavor of a convenience store peanut butter cookie.
The Montecristo 90th Anniversary No. 2 starts off with a thick, chewy smoke, both a bit doughy and like a soft pretzel or even a plain bagel. Pepper is found in the retrohales more than the puffs, giving my nostrils a pretty hearty tingle. The combination makes for a very enjoyable experience, with the retrohale accenting and adding to the flavor while keeping the experiences in balance. Around the one-inch mark in the second cigar, I get the taste of plain potato chips, giving that distinct combination of dry yet a bit oily. While this flavor can be enjoyable, it also seems prone to derailing the good start the cigar had, getting a bit sharp, almost as if the plain potato chips turned to salt and vinegar for a couple of puffs. It doesn’t last long, and the flavor gets back to the creaminess and peanut butter cookie combination, with a little bit of pepper on the finish. Flavor is medium, body is medium and strength is mild. Construction is very good, and I don’t have any issues thus far.
The second third of the Montecristo 90th Anniversary No. 2 turns a bit more pepper-forward, with that bready note from earlier now toastier, though a bit over-toasted at times. A peanut flavor makes an appearance at times, sometimes just the nut, sometimes more the shell, and other times a little of each. In the second cigar, there is a spot where that nuttiness really works and adds some depth to the profile, something I haven’t found much of since the opening puffs. Around the midpoint, retrohales leave a more lingering tingle in my nose, while I get a sweet-and-spicy sensation from the aroma. From there, the flavor picks up touches of damp cedar and the beginnings of some earthiness. This section wraps up with a bit more flavor intensity and body, both now medium-plus, while the strength is still mild. Construction is still quite good with no issues.
As the Montecristo 90th Anniversary No. 2 gets into its final third, the flavor continues to get toastier, a bit more charred, and a bit earthier. Sometimes that comes across as graham cracker with a smoky aroma in the background, other times, it’s a richer sensation that has me thinking of coffee grounds accented by a peppery retrohale, particularly in the second cigar. The third cigar is the lightest flavor of the three, leaning much more towards the graham cracker, albeit a very dry one. Heat begins to grab control of the profile in the final inch, really turning the profile sharp on my taste buds. Flavor is medium-plus in intensity until that final change, when it gets medium-full. The body of the smoke stays medium-plus, while the strength is still pretty mild. Around where the bands would have been, the first cigar’s burn line hits a roadblock with one side of the cigar just completely stopping, leaving a pretty sizable chunk of unburnt tobacco when I knock the ash off. It’s the only notable issue with combustion that I have with any of the three cigars.
Final Notes
- I’m genuinely curious how the humidors have been selling, both from a pricing perspective as well as to see how many superfans there are of the non-Cuban Montecristo brand there are.
- The Montecristo 90th Anniversary line made its debut at a fitting location, Casa de Montecristo, specifically the one in Villa Park near Chicago, on Aug. 30.
- The national release happened on Sept. 15, but there were two more launch events prior to that date and seven more afterward, most of which were at Casa de Montecristo retail locations.
- The No. 2 vitola is shared with the Cuban-made Montecristo No.2, considered one of the most iconic and well-known cigars in the world, with the size, known as pirámides in the Cuban system, also fairly distinctive.
- While the No.2 is fairly synonymous with Cuba, the thicker, 56-ring-gauge Nacional size seems geared towards the American market’s preference for thicker cigars. However, that preference is seemingly making its way around the world, as Habanos S.A. has released more and more cigars with larger ring gauges.
- I haven’t yet had the chance to smoke the Nacional vitola, but I’d be interested to see how both the parejo head and larger ring gauge affect the experience.
- In an era where it seems like every cigar needs to be relit at least once, if not multiple times, it was refreshing not to experience combustion issues with the Montecristo 90th Anniversary No. 2.
- None of the three cigars offered much nicotine strength, just barely reaching a level where I could feel any effect.
- JR Cigars, which is owned by the same company as Altadis U.S.A., advertises on halfwheel.
- The cigars for this review were purchased by halfwheel.
- The company lists these as a 6 1/8 x 52 belicoso. The numbers above are the measurements we found for the three cigars used for this review.
- Final smoking time was two hours and 15 minutes on average.
- Site sponsors Atlantic Cigar Co., Cigars Direct, Corona Cigar Co., Fox Cigar, and JR Cigars carry the Montecristo 90th Anniversary No. 2.
88
Overall Score
All three Montecristo 90th Anniversary No. 2s I smoked got off to a consistently good start, one that made it very easy to dive right into the profile. In fact, given the consistency and what was offered, it might have been the best inch of the cigar. After that first third, there was a bit of variance, though the notes the cigars play all eventually showed up. But the sequencing made a difference, as did the intensity with which those notes are played. None of the three cigars really struggled; some just nailed the performance a bit better than the others. The final thirds were also enjoyable, though I could have done without the heat at the end. It’s not enough to skew my thoughts on the overall experience, but the rest of the cigar deserved a better closing. Again, my appreciation and congratulations to the Plasencia team on producing cigars that burn as they are intended to, something that has been a challenge across the industry in recent years. While I’m not crazy about the price, I’d certainly welcome a revisit to the Montecristo 90th Anniversary No. 2 at some point as the overall experience is certainly enjoyable.
I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury and the G-League’s Valley Suns. I was previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League, and Goodyear Ballpark, spring training home of the Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Guardians. I also work in a number of roles for Major League Baseball, plus I’m a voiceover artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.
