Montecristo White #2 Review

[punch]

This is a cigar that will take some getting used to. It has what it takes on paper, and it is a real looker. However, the actual performance of this cigar is not what I expected. I purchased a five pack of Montecristo White Robustos earlier in the year and gave four away after smoking the first one. I was simply not impressed. So, I had a bit of a prejudice when I sat down to smoke this cigar. These are my observations:

The Montecristo White #2 is a torpedo with dimensions of 6 1/8 X 52. Wrapper is from Ecuador and the binder is from Nicaragua. Filler is a mix of tobacco from Brazil and the Dominican Republic. This bill of tobaccos should result in a fairly strong to medium cigar. But this cigar is actually quite mild. Flavor is very subtle, and there is no hint of harshness. There is also no nicotine buzz associated with this cigar, at least not if you quit at the band.

This cigar’s strong point is its construction. This is a first class made cigar all the way. The wrapper is a smooth Colorado Claro leaf with just enough veins to let you know that it is real tobacco. The wrapper was also quite shiny and not at all dry. The cap was well made and there was no unraveling of the cigar after cutting. Lighting was a breeze, and burn was good but a bit angular. No touchup was required. Ash hung on until passed the half way point. I have no complaints as to construction. This is what makes the Montecristo line famous!

In all, I rated this cigar a B+. Not a bad cigar if you like well made mild cigars. Problem is, there are a few others out there just as good but less expensive.

[SmokusMaximus]

Punch,

I agree with your review completely. I have some Monte Whites in the humi and while they have excellent construction and burn, the price is just too high for a stick that I think is too mild for my taste.

I do like to have a mild cigar now and then but the Casa Torano can be had for less price IMO.

[rumballs]

I've had only one Montecristo White - my conclusion was also about the same. Did you taste butter? I did and it was very odd....

[punch]

Originally Posted by mmblz

I've had only one Montecristo White - my conclusion was also about the same. Did you taste butter? I did and it was very odd....

I did not taste butter, but my tastes are not that refined. I remember the robusto having some odd flavors that were not what I expected. I know what you mean by a "butter" flavor as I have tasted something similar in some rather fresh Miami rolled cigars sold locally, particularly those with Claro wrappers. The #2 just tasted weak. Because of the light wrapper and my experience with the robusto, I chose a rather mild drink to go with the cigar (Cutty Sark and water). Even this seemed to overpower the flavors of the cigar. A good bourbon would have destroyed it.

[rumballs]

Originally Posted by punch

I did not taste butter, but my tastes are not that refined. I remember the robusto having some odd flavors that were not what I expected. I know what you mean by a "butter" flavor as I have tasted something similar in some rather fresh Miami rolled cigars sold locally, particularly those with Claro wrappers. The #2 just tasted weak. Because of the light wrapper and my experience with the robusto, I chose a rather mild drink to go with the cigar (Cutty Sark and water). Even this seemed to overpower the flavors of the cigar. A good bourbon would have destroyed it.

Oh I wouldn't call my tastes refined. I don't usually come out with such an oddball flavor description except this one was just immediately what came to mind. Had never tasted it in a cigar before this one.

[magno]

I found the one White Monte I smoked to be pretty buttery, but it was a bit on the mild side. If you like the Monte White, try the Savinelli ELR. It has quite a bit more flavour, but is still a very smooth and easy smoke.

Originally Posted by punch

This is a cigar that will take some getting used to. It has what it takes on paper, and it is a real looker. However, the actual performance of this cigar is not what I expected. I purchased a five pack of Montecristo White Robustos earlier in the year and gave four away after smoking the first one. I was simply not impressed. So, I had a bit of a prejudice when I sat down to smoke this cigar. These are my observations:

The Montecristo White #2 is a torpedo with dimensions of 6 1/8 X 52. Wrapper is from Ecuador and the binder is from Nicaragua. Filler is a mix of tobacco from Brazil and the Dominican Republic. This bill of tobaccos should result in a fairly strong to medium cigar. But this cigar is actually quite mild. Flavor is very subtle, and there is no hint of harshness. There is also no nicotine buzz associated with this cigar, at least not if you quit at the band.

This cigar’s strong point is its construction. This is a first class made cigar all the way. The wrapper is a smooth Colorado Claro leaf with just enough veins to let you know that it is real tobacco. The wrapper was also quite shiny and not at all dry. The cap was well made and there was no unraveling of the cigar after cutting. Lighting was a breeze, and burn was good but a bit angular. No touchup was required. Ash hung on until passed the half way point. I have no complaints as to construction. This is what makes the Montecristo line famous!

In all, I rated this cigar a B+. Not a bad cigar if you like well made mild cigars. Problem is, there are a few others out there just as good but less expensive.

[ToranoFan]

Wow, gotta say this is the first bad wrap ive ever heard this cigar get. All I know is i bought a box of Monte White's 3 months ago, i still have half a box left. I smoke one every couple weeks, a damn fine cigar. The taste profile was a nice creaminess, much like those old creaming soda drinks we used to have as kids. Its very smooth and refined.

I never experienced any butter taste, but defently give this stick another go, i love it and most people ive met who are heavier into cubans than nc's swear by this stick.

Only downside is it can be a little expenisive for a NC, the Monte White Toro box was $200. But if you love that creaminess taste and an even better after taste, give them another go. Be sure to let them rest after the trip, these are very dull unless you give them 3 weeks in the humidor to stabilize first.

Matt

[SmokusMaximus]

Don't get me wrong, I think it is an excellent cigar. The only real bad thing about it is, it's high price.

If I liked mild cigars more than medium to full bodied ones, this stick would be up at the top and always in my humi. However, it's price does make me blink about how much I want a mild cigar.

[punch]

Matt,

I would not say that we have given this cigar a bad rap. I gave it a B+ which is 3.48 points on my scale. 0.02 more points and it would have been an A-! On the objective criteria, I gave this cigar 3.83 (A) points on appearance and 3.64 (A-) points on burn. The subjective criteria of taste got it a 3.13 (B). Since I have smoked so few of these, I did not rate value. These are rather high ratings and by no means indicate that the cigar is bad. I happen to be a fan of a bit more strongly flavored cigars (Afrique, H-2000, Hemingway, Perdomo, Punch). I consider the Punch Gran Cru line to be about the ultimate "mild" cigar, and these still hit my taste buds a bit better and harder than the Montecristo White. I'm sure that with you and your friends better appreciation for the flavor of the White, you would have given more points in the taste category which would put this cigar solidly in the A range even with my rating scale. My last statement is probably the harshest thing that I said, and I stand by it. There are a few good mild cigars out there (like the Punch Gran Cru) that are equally well made and cost much less. That is not REALLY a ding since, if you like them, they are worth the price. Heck, what people pay for an Opus X is proof of that!

[ToranoFan]

I wasnt taking a cheapshot at you punch, i read everyones comments and most people had a small negative comment about it.

ie. butter taste, odd profile etc

It kinda made me wonder because I never had that butter taste and all the ones i have had consistency. In no means are you wrong, im a fullbodied strong cigar smoker myself, ie BBF. For a mild cigar though i love these, and smokusmaximus is right you can get casa torano's for a much cheaper price , sometimes almost 1/3 the price of the whites and they are great cigars. But imo the white offers that creaminess, somewhat exotic taste to it, the casa has a different more complex taste profile even though its mild.

[punch]

Originally Posted by ToranoFan

I wasnt taking a cheapshot at you punch, i read everyones comments and most people had a small negative comment about it.

ie. butter taste, odd profile etc

It kinda made me wonder because I never had that butter taste and all the ones i have had consistency. In no means are you wrong, im a fullbodied strong cigar smoker myself, ie BBF. For a mild cigar though i love these, and smokusmaximus is right you can get casa torano's for a much cheaper price , sometimes almost 1/3 the price of the whites and they are great cigars. But imo the white offers that creaminess, somewhat exotic taste to it, the casa has a different more complex taste profile even though its mild.

Don't worry at all, my friend. I did not at all take your comments as a cheap shot. Not in the least. I fully expect there to be differences in how one person experiences a cigar vs another. There is no "perfect" cigar, so I do not consider one or two negative comments to poorly reflect on a brand. There are things that we like and things that we don't like in nearly every cigar. It is very valuable for people to comment on review threads even if they have a totally different view on the cigar. I believe this is important because it gives a frame of reference when one reads a review posted by that individual. For example, if someone who regularly agrees with my reviews favorably reviews a cigar that I have not tried, I am more willing to try that brand since I know that our tastes are similar. On the other hand, by carefully considering a person's disagreement with a review of mine, I get a feel for how his tastes run. Often, I am willing to try a cigar that he does NOT like since I know his tastes run opposite of mine. This is not a bad thing, and I really hope that nobody would be shy about expressing their opinion in fear of offending someone, or making lite of thier review. Disagreement politely offered, like constructive criticism, is a gift and a medium for learning. Your comments were very polite and constructive and in no way lessened anything else posted on this thread. Please keep it up!

[croatan]

I just finished smoking one of these. For the most part, I liked it. For most of the cigar, the flavors were mild but pleasant; occasionally, though, and especially in the first third to half of of the cigar, I got an unpleasant "ashy" taste. It seemed to be constructed well and the burn was perfect, but for the money I'd say that, overall, I'm not too impressed.

[Mister Moo]

Nice review - very close to my experiences. Stopped by JR (Selma) the other day and they had Monte White Toros on weekly special for $4.00 each. At $4.00 it might be the worlds best made, nicest burning mild cigar. It also comes in one of the best humi/boxes of any cigar around.

I enjoy a Monte white once in a while, probly because of the association they have with my son's wedding. It has some pleasing nuances - more like a gentle one-finger tap on the shoulder than a full-palm smack between the shoulder blades. I like them a lot at $4.00 - I like them a little at $8.00. Never experienced the ashy taste mentioned - just a nice tobacco taste with barely-hints of cedar and caramel, mostly showing up in the last 1/3.

[stashu]

I've tried the white #2 and to be honest with you I didn't like it. And I love the "regular" Dominican Monte #2's because they are mild, especially in the morning.

But the white just did nothing for me.

I have to admit, I did buy a white Monte Churchill because it was the last one in the box and I was then able to purchase the fantastic white lacquer box for $1.50. I have since turned it into a nice little humidor that I only keep my Montecristos in.

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by stashu

...I have to admit, I did buy a white Monte Churchill because it was the last one in the box and I was then able to purchase the fantastic white lacquer box for $1.50...

I'm with you, Stash' -I keep one for a "Memory Box", stuffed with mementos from my kids wedding and another for an Anejo/Opus humidor. It is a remarkably good looking desktop humi, holds moisture long and steady and, in some respects, is the best part of the Monte White line.