I traded one of my Zino Mouton Cadet No. 6 with the Montecristo Tubo from Fahroe. It came in a nice cream colored tube with red cap. The 3rd Cigar Meet was the best occassion to smoke this cigar. The cigar was wrapped in a nice maduro dark natural wrapper and it is smooth and oily.
Lighting the cigar was easy, a RM1 lighter would do the job. It burns evenly. The first few draws were OK. A little effort needed as the smoke was not volumnous. As usual, the monte cook up a medium taste in the beginning. The ash was dark gray and almost solid.
After about 50%, the monte's full bodied taste start to kick in. However, there was an uneven burn and drawing the cigar took more effort. I tried easing up the cigar, firmly rolling its length in between my fingers.
That didn't quite work. I continued smoking with some heavy drawing.
At 2/3, it was very hard to get a decent draw. Slight tar deposit was also noticed. I had to stop here. However, the full monte taste was excellent. I was already tipsy and I had no qualms parting with the cigar.
Till the next monte, here's my rating;
Appearance: 18/20
Lighting and Burning: 8/15
Construction: 24/30
Taste: 34/35
Final Score: 84/100
Remarks: Perhaps it was a badly rolled monte. Well, we get lemons once in a while.
Actually, the Monte sports a dark natural wrapper. Next time i'll bring a maduro wrapped cigar - its nearly black in colour.
Yeah, i noticed you were having a bit of trouble with the draw. But you had a smile on your face. That counts for a lot, eh?
Posted by: Aizuddin Danian | Friday, October 10, 2003 at 19:41
i can't say i've ever had a bad Montecristo.
i usually try to smoke two before judging a new cigar in case i got a bad one.
right now i'm enjoying a Arturo Fuente Double Chateau Fuente.
i've had sour Fuentes before, but it's rare.
Posted by: steve | Saturday, October 11, 2003 at 11:20
You are right Aiz... my mistake. My mind was cluttered with coffee, chocolate and maduro cigar while writing the review :)
As for the smile, a monte will always be a monte... even a bad one :))
Steve: Yupp.. probably mine was one in a million... my first monte sent me to heaven and back :) This was my third.
Posted by: KaZ | Saturday, October 11, 2003 at 12:31
Hey Kaz.. do you all, err share cigars during the cigar meet? Takkanla masing masing smoke sendiri punya... no fun , and less variety?
Posted by: fooji | Sunday, October 12, 2003 at 09:52
Fooji: we trade cigars, we dont share cigars as in passing them around like a Navajo smoking ritual or something like that.. :)
No fun? well you need to join the clique my friend. Even if you're not a cigar smoker, you'll have fun alrite ;)
Its not much of a variety thingy, each cigar has its own character and you would savour the cigar (if its a good one of course) until the end.
Posted by: KaZ | Sunday, October 12, 2003 at 20:28