Montecristo produce the best-selling Cuban cigars in the world, and have been doing so since 1935. Their famous brown bands and bright yellow boxes grace the humidors of any serious collector and aficionado. Until 1969 only 5 standard production cigars were available, but today, there are many formats in which to enjoy their wonderful cigars, and three distinct lines: the classic range, producing medium-full strength cigars, the 1935 line of full-strength smokes bearing a distinctive second band at the foot, and the Open series, released in 2009 and bringing medium-strength cigars to daytime and outdoor smokers who wish to enjoy Montecristo flavour, but with a little less power. At a slender 38 ring gauge by 4 3/8 inches, the quickest smoke in the line is the Montecristo Open Junior.
The Open Series was originally intended to be the ‘Sport’ series, but was eventually given its name to appeal to lovers of golf. Blended to be a lighter version of the usual Montecristo, this range does not sacrifice flavour with its diminished strength, and the 20 minute smoking time of the Open Junior makes it the perfect cigar to light in the clubhouse before your tee-time.
Each cigar in the Open Series sports a second band in green-and-gold foil
Construction: 7/10
- The wrapper of the cigar was a lovely colorado shade, with a heavy grain and a couple of prominent veins. A little pressure revealed the fill was even all the way down – no hard spots of gaps – but the sight of the wrapper was a little worrying to the eye.
Draw: 10/10
- When lit, the worries about the wrapper dissipated. The smoke flowed beautifully through the small body of the cigar.
Combustion: 9/10
- No deviation from a nice, straight burn line. One top-up was required after the cigar was put down for a minute.
The ash fell from the cigar fairly regularly
Ash: 3/5
- A little flaky, and a little too grey to be considered what we look for in a cigar. Dropped lightly from the end around every 0.5cm.
Smoke: 4/5
- A surprising amount for such a small cigar, fragrant and rich.
Flavour: 21/25
- Wood, spice, coffee, leather…a lot was packed into the short time I spent with this smoke, and the development across each third was impressive, given how quickly each one passed. Alongside a black coffee on a warm afternoon, a delightful smoke.
Overall: 29/35
- This was a cigar which did not impress at first sight. The rough, ridged wrapper was more worrying than appetising and meant I began the smoke with doubts about whether I would enjoy it. Thankfully, the performance of the stick as it smoked – with the occasional exception of the ash – and the presence of a remarkable range of flavours saved the experience. This is a cigar that fits perfectly into small time slots, and would also be a good choice for those beginning their cigar journey. I shall return to this stick soon, hopefully to find one whose cosmetic appeal matches its performance of the palette, and have no doubts I will enjoy it.
This was a quick cigar, but a flavoursome journey
Final Score: 83/100
The aroma of this stick when first lit was far greater than the appeal when first taken from the box. Immediately pronounced notes of deep oak hit the tongue, underpinned by aromas of leather in the smoke filling the air and a slight nutmeg spice in the aftertaste. This spice became warmer and more intense as I moved into the middle third, with some dark-roast coffee replacing the original wood. As the cigar burned into its final third the spice grew once more, reaching a crescendo of black pepper at the tip of my tongue, backed up by the slightest increase in body and the return of the initial oak-y taste. All-in-all, a noteworthy collection of flavours blended into just 20 short minutes.