Montecristo Epic Toro

The Montecristo Epic is a newer release from Altadis USA that was released in June 2012. While most Montecristos are usually milder in their profiles, the Epic was created with the hopes of offering more of a full-bodied experience. Besides coming in beautiful canary yellow boxes, the Epic also comes with a flashy name that deserves some praise for the Altadis USA marketing department. Is this pricy new release worth what I paid for it? It is time to find out.

The Montecristo Epic Toro measures 6 x 52. Other sizes in the line include the 5 x 52 Robusto and the 7 x 56 Churchill. Another size is supposedly on the way later this year. The Epic's filler features a blend of Dominican and Nicaraguan tobaccos that have been aged for seven years. The binder is also Nicaraguan, and an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper tops things off. As mentioned in the intro, this is a stronger stick from Montecristo that is labeled as being full-bodied in strength.

The most noticeable aspect of the Montecristo Epic Toro is its beautiful wrapper that is somewhat oily and has a very slight reddish tint to its mostly chocolate brown color. The construction of the Epic Toro seems to be executed to perfection. There are a few small veins that are visible, but that is it. The cigar is firm to the touch with zero soft spots. The top decorative band is brown and gold in color and showcased the Montecristo name and logo. The band beneath it is larger and displays the Epic moniker along with Premium Selection in yellow, brown, and gold. Both bands match the wrapper perfectly. Before putting it into action, the cigar has a spicy cold taste and scent.

After lighting, the Montecristo Epic Toro continues to impress with its burn. The draw is easy. Perfect long gray ash is formed. The burn is even for the entire duration of the smoke, and zero touch-ups or relights are needed. Smoking time surpasses the one hour mark. There is plenty of smoke that fills the room as I puff on this impressive stogie.