Montecristo · LongestAsh
Founded in Havana in 1935 at the Menéndez y García factory, Montecristo took its name from Alexandre Dumas’s novel, read aloud to torcedores by factory lectores. The house became the quintessential Cu
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Montecristo began in Havana in 1935, when Alonso Menéndez acquired a cigar factory and launched a new brand. The name comes from Alexandre Dumas's novel The Count of Monte Cristo, a story said to have been a favorite when lectors read aloud to cigar rollers. Menéndez partnered with José Manuel "Pepe" García, and their company bought the H. Upmann factory in 1937. Cuba nationalized the business in 1960.
Today there are two Montecristos. Habanos S.A. makes the Cuban cigars, while the Montecristo sold in the United States is made in the Dominican Republic by Altadis U.S.A. This page covers the non-Cuban cigars you will find in American shops.
The U.S. lineup is built on polished Dominican craftsmanship. The Montecristo Classic pairs a Connecticut shade wrapper with Dominican tobacco for a mild to medium, creamy smoke. The White Series, introduced in 2003, adds a little more spice while staying smooth, and lines such as Platinum, Espada, and the 1935 Anniversary move into richer territory. The house style is elegant and approachable, and for many people a Montecristo is one of the first premium cigar names they learn.