The darker side of Montecristo. The Media Noche is the first Montecristo in production that utilizes a maduro wrapper. This cigar is hand made and provides a very smooth and deliberate draw while creating a pleasant flavor. Starting out int he early 20th century through today, the brand has exploded into a variety of line extensions. The name itself sets a standard for quality.
STATS:
Profile: Full
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Shape: Robusto
Length: 5 inches
Gauge: 55
Country: Dominican Republic
Filler: Nicaragua, Peru, and Dominican Republic
Pricing: (Box of 20) - $190.00
(per stick) - $9.50
First Impression:
Montecristo is one of the most well know brand sin the world of cigar. The Media Noche is one of their newer offerings. With a dark and oily wrapper this cigar fills your nose with a barnyard sent which is very pleasant. I expect the highest quality every time I smoke any Montecristo.
Pre-Smoke Ritual:
I took a long slow sniff of this dark wrapper. The aroma of subtle barnyard takes over your nostrils. This cigar is very nice in the hands. The wrapper was dark and oily. I made my cut and followed with a slow even toast.
Lighting, Draw, and Burn:
Lighting was slightly time consuming but easy and worth it. The draw is on the tighter side of the perfect spectrum. The burn is slower than most cigars, but stays very even throughout.
Flavor:
From the initial light through the first third I got a solid leather flavor with a toasty taste right away. I could not place the toasty flavor, but it was not in the nut family. There was also strong hints of cedar which I am a huge fan of. As I entered the second third of the cigar not much had changed. The hints of cedar were more pronounced. Towards the end fo the second third I was also getting some sweetness. The final third of the cigar was amazing. All flavors stayed in their respective position, but intensified. Towards the end of the smoke the sweetness even kicked up a few notches which left a pleasant aftertaste even after the cigar was done.
My Preference:
Two weeks in the humidor was the time frame for this cigar. The cutter of choice was a Colibri 1928 v-cutter. The source of fire was a brass Zippo with a duel flame butane insert.
Final Thoughts:
When I go back and look at my top 5 cigars I like to smoke this will definitely enter that list. I have enjoyed many cigars from the brand, but this one is something different. Maybe it is due to it being their first maduro. Maybe it is the combination of flavors. I really can not explain it. What I can say is that this is a classic cigar with classic flavors done to perfection.