Montecristo

While Cohiba is considered Cuba's most prestigious cigar brand, the Montecristo is often identified as the most popular. And for good reason, as recent estimates have clocked the brand as accounting for roughly 25 percent of Cuba's global cigar sales. Given that Cuba's portfolio includes over two dozen separate brands, this is no small feat.

Established in 1935, Montecristo is neither the oldest nor newest Cuban cigar brand. Some brands - like the ever-durable H. Upmann - date back to the mid-19th century. But Montecristo was lauded for the quality of its vitolas from the beginning, and they have only gained in esteem and commercial success over the decades.

For the first four decades, Montecristo was limited to five vitolas in their Línea Clásica series, which are numbered 1 to 5. In the late 1960's to early 1970's, Montecristo - now a nationalized business - began experimenting with new sizes, including the Montecristo A, which measures over 9 inches in length. But it was the Montecristo No.2 and No.4 which dominated sales, and became flagship vitolas within the brand.

The 2000's saw the addition of two new series, with the first Edmundo debuting in 2004 and the Open series introduced in 2009. In 2013, the Montecristo No.2 heightened its reputation further when it was voted the best cigar of the year in Cigar Aficionado magazine, while the Montecristo No.4 continued its reign as the top-selling Cuban cigar on the planet.

Over the years, other Montecristo series (like the Especial and Línea 1935) have fallen by the wayside, either due to lack of popular demand or as casualties of Cuba's recent supply issues. But Montecristo as a brand is still going strong, and at City Cigar we strive to keep as many Monte vitolas in stock as possible.

Please see our current selection of Montecristo cigars below and don't hesitate to contact us with any questions.