Video review HERE.
(Description taken from Cigar-Coop.com website)
Altadis U.S.A is once again teaming up with the Plasencia family for an all-Nicaraguan Montecristo cigar. This week the company announced the Montecristo Epic Craft Cured. As the name indicates, the Craft Cured is being aligned under the Epic line under the Montecristo brand.
As mentioned, the Montecristo Epic Craft Cured consists of all-Nicaraguan tobaccos. The blend is highlighted by a Nicaraguan Rosado Oscuro wrapper from a 2006 vintage. The remainder of the blend contains tobaccos from the four main growing regions of Nicaragua including an Ometepe binder and fillers from Estelí, Jalapa, and Condega. The cigar is offered in three sizes – each with a 52 ring gauge. The cigars will feature ten-count box packaging.
Perhaps the most interesting thing about the blend is the fermentation method. Altadis U.S.A. says the tobacco components were fermented in smaller sizes pilones than normal. According to Altadis U.S.A, this process unifies all the components, allowing the flavors of the cigar’s wrapper, binder and filler tobaccos to marry into a more harmonious profile resulting in a more flavorful cigar.
Pricing is set between $14.65 and $16.50. It is expected to be in full distribution by December 15, 2017.
Blend Profile
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Rosado Oscuro Vintage 2006
Binder: Nicaraguan (Ometepe)
Filler: Nicaraguan (Estelí, Jalapa, Condega)
Country of Origin: Nicaragua (Plasencia SA)
Vitolas Available
5 x 52
6 x 52 REVIEWED TODAY
6 1/8 x 52
The cigar is stunning to look at. Absolutely beautiful. The wrapper is almost completely smooth and without blemishes. The cigar has a very dense feel in the hand.
The test draw after cutting the cap was good. The initial flavors were dry cedar, tart green apple, brown sugar, and more than a sprinkling of cinnamon. There was also a nice black coffee base. There was a coarse black pepper rated at a 7 1/2. There was also nice lingering black pepper immediately. The finish at this early stage was dry cedar.
2 inches in (35 minutes) the tangy green apple flavor has toned down and there are a lot more dry cedar notes now. There is another dark flavor which I describe as unsweetened dark chocolate. The amount of dark chocolate is minimal but it helps take the sharp edge off the tart apple. You also still have brown sugar but not too much cinnamon any longer. The black coffee has a nice presence. The finish is now a sweet cream with some influence from the green apple notes. The lingering black pepper is still good although it may have toned down a bit. The cigar is medium bodied. The first third score is 87.
At the midpoint (55 minutes) the cedar is still the predominant flavor but the green apple has been greatly toned down and the brown sugar is still there. Now there is heavy nutmeg in the place of the dark chocolate. It started to arrive in the last segment but it was so low I did not think it was worth mentioning but now it's quite obvious. With the quick rise of nutmeg was also a great reduction in sweetness. There is now also a heavy black coffee base. The finish also has influence of nutmeg to go along with cream notes and remnants of green apple flavor. The lingering black pepper is still pretty good. Since the nutmeg is so prominent and the sweetness decreased significantly the midpoint score is 85.
The cigar lasted 1 hour 35 minutes. The good news is the sweetness came back. The nutmeg is still fairly heavy but now much of the initial sweetness is back. You ended with cedar, tart green apple, brown sugar, nutmeg, and black coffee. The cigar is medium to full bodied. The finish is about the same. With the resurgence of the sweeter notes the final third score is back up to an 87. This has been a good cigar with a slight dip in the middle stages but it rebounded nicely. Another good offering from Montecristo. These cigar started shipping to retailers i mid-December so they should be on shelves now. You can also purchase these cigars HERE.
Overall Score: 86
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