While I was digging through one of my humidors, rotating stock, and finding something to smoke, I saw this Cuban beauty lying in wait, calling her siren song, “Smoke me! Smoke me!” Man, that could be interpreted many different ways… Oh well, what we do for literary engagement.
I picked up the stick and immediately wondered whether I should save it, since I only have a few each year. But then I lifted it to my nose and gave the wrapper and foot a sniff. And in that instant, I was transported back to around 1967, to my grandfather’s backyard in East Palo Alto, CA. My grandpa was sitting down smoking his pipe, and my uncle was smoking a cigar. It was a Montecristo No. 2. Obviously, I didn’t know what the hell a Montecristo No. 2 was back then. But I remembered the band. It was unmistakably a Montecristo, as was the torpedo shape that I now know is a No. 2.
It’s amazing to me how stark that memory is. At sixty-four, I can barely remember what I ate for breakfast, let alone remember what happened almost sixty years ago. But that memory is real. I remember running around the backyard with one of my many cousins and hearing my grandpa tell me to be careful. My uncle was sitting next to him, smiling, pulling a cigar out of his pocket case. This cigar.
I asked my uncle if I could look at it, and he showed it to me. Then he handed me the case that still held a couple and said, “Smell the cigars.” I think he was expecting me to jump away and say, “Eww!” But I took a deep whiff and smiled. He and my grandpa laughed. From then on, even when I wasn’t smoking cigars, I have loved their unlit scent. There’s always something magical about it.
And the Montecristo No. 2 has a distinctive scent. Maybe it’s that Cuban twang, but I don’t smell it in other Cubans I’ve smoked. Or it could be that, based on that experience, my mind has compartmentalized that specific scent to be reserved for this cigar. No matter, I love it!
I’m not sure I’ve mentioned this in the past, but the Montecristo No. 2 and No. 4 are my all-time favorite cigars. I don’t talk about them much simply because I have them so infrequently. But when I travel internationally, they’re all I smoke when I can find them.
What makes them my favorites is not because of their construction, flavor profile, or the other stuff I consider in my reviews. And before anyone even blurts out the nonsense, it’s not because they’re Cuban cigars. For me, it’s simply the memories they dredge up from the depths of my brain. Smoking one of these cigars transports me back in time or to far-off places I’ve visited, to people I’ve met, and women I’ve courted. Without a doubt, they’re delicious. But the profile in these takes a back seat to the effect the cigars have on me.
And to be honest, I don’t give a shit about their flavor profiles. All I know is that the cigars are delicious, and I don’t want to diminish their effect on me by doing a deep-dive analysis on them or engaging in the Cuban vs. Non-Cuban debate. Besides, plenty of other people have done that. I’d just be adding to the noise.
Other cigars have had that transformative effect on me, but just not as acutely as the Cuban Montecristos. They transport me to different places than the Montes. But they’re still great memories. Here are some off the top of my head (and not in any order):
- Don Emmanuel Anunnaki Ki
- LCA La Sirena Super Sea Monkeys –
- Zino Platinum Crown Barrel Tubo
- Tatuaje 7th Habano
- La Aurora Preferidos 1903 Edition Diamond Tubo – I smoke a lot of the Toro, but that Perfecto is on a completely different level.
- Curivari Reserva Limitada Cafe Noir 62
- Foundation Olmec Natural (Toro)
While listing these cigars, I thought about how I rate them. And though I rate cigars partially based on their traits, such as construction and flavor profile, my experience rating is heavily influenced by the journey they take me on. For me, issues with a cigar, so long as they’re not completely detrimental to the experience, can be more than made up for if the journey it takes me on is incredible.
As I smoke this down to the nub, I’m shaking my head with a smile. It has been a great journey!
So, what’s my experience rating on this? 100. Everything was great from start to finish. Construction was excellent, the burn only required a single touch-up (but that was probably due to a light breeze blowing in my backyard), and of course, the journey it took me on was incredible.
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