Origin : Cuba
Format : Robusto
Size : 5 x 50
Ring : 50
Hand-Made
Price : $10+ each

Montecristo Open finally hit the shelves of my local B&M and, of course, I had to give them a try. Unfortunately the Regatas weren’t available yet so I took a couple of Masters (classic 5×50 robustos). At well over $10 each in the B&M, it was a costly purchase and, although I wasn’t expecting a flavor bomb, I was hoping for a pleasant smoking experience.

Appearance : Rating:
The looks are real good, I have to admit that. Apart from a few water spots on the wrapper, this is a gorgeous cigar. It exhales a very strong tobacco smell, one of the most intense I have ever experienced on a Cuban cigar.

Construction : Rating:
This is where it starts. I understand that the cigar is young and I smoked it straight out of the box, but the Open line is supposed to attract young smokers, who do not have any knowledge in storing cigars and purchase them to smoke an hour later sitting in a café. Although the ash held very well, the burn line was quite bad. I don’t even remember how many times I had to correct it. Fortunately, the draw was flawless.

Flavor : Rating:
Despite a very spicy pre-draw, there is no spice kick in the beginning. The smoke is medium-bodied and quite round. The Open Master immediately deploys solid woody flavors which will be dominating until the last pulls. As secondary notes, one can detect herbaceous flavors in the first third along with some coffee and bitter spice in the last two thirds. There is no real evolution in this cigar, it is woody and medium-bodied throughout the smoke.

Value : Rating:
Considerably more expensive than the Petit Edmundo, this cigar provides a particularly low price/quality ratio based on this first experience.

Overall Rating : Rating:
If not for the construction and the inflated price, I could say that the Montecristo Open Master was a decent smoke for beginners. Good-looking, medium-bodied and accessible flavor-wise, it has everything to be a success. However, if you have some experience with Cuban cigars, I do not see this line as a good addition to your humidor.