Montecristo "A" 1997-98?

Given to me as a gift over 2 years ago it has been sitting in the humi waiting to be lit. This is one of those cigars that you say "you'll wait for the tight time" before smoking but that time never come up. I finally decided just to light it up because now was as good a time as any. The "A" is a looonnnnngggg smoke at 9.25"x47. the leather brown wrapper was veined and covered with a nice dusting of plume when I took it out.

I cut the cap and toasted the end in anticipation of a nice 90+ minutes of smoking. This was not to be. The draw was tight for the first 3 inches, you could take a normal puff but would only get about a quarter of the smoke you would expect. It was like being teased with the knowledge that something good was there but you could only get it in sips instead of gulping it down. It took over 30 minutes to burn down those 3" and then WHAM! Whatever was holding things up was gone. Volumes of nutty, flavorful, spiced smoke came out of this cigar. This is what I was expecting!

My 'stash is a little shorter and my fingertips slightly singed as I nubbed the "A" down as far as I could. If the first 3" were as good as the last 6" this might have been one of the top 2 or 3 cigars I've ever had. Even so, it was well worth the time and effort. I might have to find another to stash away for a few years :thumbs:

Thanks for the story on a Monte "A" AVB :thumbs:

I pulled one of those out of a pass and I'm waiting for a time when I can commit to a two to three hour smoke

I'd like to try one of the Sancho Panza "A" size cigars some day as well.

A very fine brother fufilled my wishlist item of an ISOM from 1980 to have next year on my 25th b-day. He fufilled it with a 1980 Monte A :0

That's going to be a hell of a birthday :love:

Thanks for the review.

Cheers,
Dixie

I have about six of these left from a box split w/ Ashley. I've smoked one and to tell you the truth, I'm burying them deep and going long.

In three years I'll revisit them. Right now they just seem a bit young and green.