Montecristo Churchill Cinquentas

Montecristo is a brand many consider the finest in the world. It’s also one of the world’s most recognizable cigar trademarks. (Ask a few stogie lovers to name three brands of cigars off the top of their head and three names are most apt to pop up: Montecristo, Macanudo and Cohiba.) The Montecristo Churchill Cinquentas, also known as Flor Fina, is a different blend than the classic Montecristo. It was developed to offer a more “Cuban-esque” experience—translate: “more robust.” It is handcrafted in Honduras with a dark, Ecuadorian Sumatra leaf and long-fillers from Honduras, Nicaragua, and Peru. It’s a dense, perfectly constructed stick with no soft spots. The Connecticut-Shade wrapper is golden in color with a slightly mottled and blotchy appearance. A pre-light draw is reminiscent of freshly-baked bread. The post-light draw is perfect, providing just the right amount of resistance. Expect large, thick clouds of smoke, a light flavor with a subtle cedar note and a very short finish. After an inch or so the burn is impeccable and a sweet, woody aroma fills the air. The ash is tight and compact and requires a firm tap to dislodge it from the foot. At the half-way mark look for the flavor and strength to be nearly identical to the first inch; again, nuances of cedar predominate. Medium-bodied, the Montecristo is a perfect everyday smoke. Try this cigar straight up with Cruzan Pineapple Rum for a surprisingly pleasant combination.

Honduras has been a tobacco growing and cigar manufacturing area for hundreds of years, but it was the Communist revolution in Cuba that really put Honduras on the map. In the 1960s, many Cuban cigar makers fled their homeland and arrived in Honduras to re-establish their way of life. The immigrants took advantage of the climate, soil, and geography, which were well-suited to tobacco growing, and began producing high quality cigars. The center of the Honduran cigar industry is the city of Danli and the nearby Jamastran Valley. The majority of the world’s pure Corojo tobacco is grown here, now that Cuba has stopped production of this iconic, spicy, and rich variety in favor of Corojo hybrids. Other important areas of Honduran cigar production include the Talanga Valley, Copan, and Trojes.