Smoke Inn Blog
Part I – Legacy Cigar Brands
If there’s anything that runs deep in cigar culture, it’s tradition. Fine cigars are one of the few things left in this world that are still made following time-honored traditions. While there is plenty of innovation in cigar manufacturing, what you never see is change for change’s sake. Cigar making is not a place for impulse decisions or reckless experimentation. Everything is done with great care and purpose. This follows through to the people who make our cigars.
There are many amazing new cigar creators out there turning out impressive products. But the foundation of cigar manufacturing is found in the older, established legacy brands. Sometimes we can take these standard bearers for granted in our excitement about the new kid on the block. But the legacy brands are where it all began and they still more than hold their own and are worthy of our full attention. This multi-part article provides an overview of some important legacy brands and their place in the industry.
Montecristo Cigars
The modern history of Montecristo cigars begins in 1935 when Alfonso Menéndez acquires the Particulares Factory in Cuba, home to the Byron and Particulares brands. From this factory he created his own Cuban cigar dubbed Montecristo. As you may have gathered, the name comes from the Dumas novel The Count of Monte Cristo. Back in the day, someone would read a book aloud to entertain the factory workers throughout the day. The story goes that The Count of Monte Cristo was a favorite among the torcedors and boncheros. Mr. Menéndez loved the book as well, so he adopted the name for his new cigars. More focused on the cigars themselves than names from that point, he adopted the numbering system Montecristo cigars are known for to this day.
As is the story with all Cuban cigar making concerns, Cuba’s 1959 revolution and the subsequent 1962 U.S. embargo played a seminal role in their history. In the case of Montecristo, it effectively split the brand in two. There now exists a Cuban Montecristo brand, owned by the communist state of Cuba and Non-Cuban Montecristo, which came on line in the 1970s, which is the Montecristo cigars that most of us are now familiar with. Cuban Montecristo’s are technically illegal in the U.S. like all Cuban exports, so we’ll leave them aside for now. The Dominican Republic produces more fine cigars than any other part of the world today, due in large part to its ideal growing conditions and being home to a large proportion of Cuban émigrés who came directly from the Cuban cigar making tradition. Most non-Cuban Montecristo’s hail from the D.R. but not all. The A.J. Fernandez blends for example are of Nicaraguan origin and like most cigars today, non-Cuban Montecristo’s feature components from a variety of cigar tobacco regions.
Monte By Montecristo
We think the dual-binder Monte by Montecristo is a superb example of the breed. With Dominican and Nicaraguan Corojo binders embracing perfectly aged Dominican long fillers all enveloped by a delicious Ecuadorian Habano wrapper. If you enjoy a potent, but flavorful and complex stick, this one is for you. Expect rich flavors of leather and baking spice, with aged cocoa notes in the finish. We suggest the Monte by Montecristo Jacopo No. 2 in particular.
Romeo Y Julieta Cigars
Another storied legacy brand which is now under the Altadis USA umbrella is the legendary Romeo Y Julieta. This classic brand was founded in 1875 by Manin Garcia and Inocencio Alvarez. Much like the Montecristo, these cigars earned their name from a favorite book of the cigar factory workers and master blenders. Romeo Y Julieta pioneered the long-lasting (and just plain long) Churchill cigar following a visit from its namesake to the Cuban factory in the 1940s. To this day, Winston Churchill is considered their “most famous customer”. In fact, the 7” x 47 ring gauge flagship vitola Churchill is the longest standing item in their catalog. Romeo Y Julieta faced the same division as Montecristo too, with the Cuban Romeo Y Julieta owned by the Cuban government and the brand most of the world knows best now originating from the Dominican Republic and Honduras among others.
Romeo Y Julieta Reserve Churchill
Handmade at the highly acclaimed La Flor de Copan factory in Honduras, the Reserve marries the legendary smoothness of Romeo y Julieta, with the rich, hearty coffee bean flavors of the most prized, hand-selected Nicaraguan and Honduran tobaccos. It is perhaps the most full-bodied Romeo y Julieta ever and since it’s a Churchill, it’s as long as a Cadillac Fleetwood 75.
Macanudo Cigars
Macanudo Cigars is one more legacy brand with a unique backstory. Their name evolved from the makers of Cuban Punch cigars (macanudo was a size designation there originally). The Macanudo name later belonged to a Jamaican cigar maker which was acquired by the General Cigar company in 1969. This is where the Macanudo cigars we know today really began. General Cigar began testing blends made from the finest leaf sourced from around the world to formulate a Macanudo truly worthy of the name (which is Argentine slang for “magnificent and cool”). They enlisted legendary Master Blender, Alfons Mayer to create the new Macanudo.
One of the key innovations was the use of an aged wrapper, something that no other cigar manufacturer was doing at the time. The new Macanudo launched in 1971 featuring a creamy-smooth Connecticut shade wrapper, aged 3 years, embracing a carefully selected Dominican binder containing Dominican, Mexican and Jamaican tobaccos. Designed specifically for American tastes, the new Macanudo was a hit and established the name in modern cigar culture. The Jamaican Macanudo factory finally shut down in 2000 and all operations were moved to the Dominican Republic, which had long since become the center of the fine cigar making universe.
Macanudo Inspirado White
The Macanudo Inspirado White is an excellent place to start if you want to get a taste of the mellow, but complex and flavorful profiles that Macanudo is traditionally known for. Beginning with a four-year aged mixture of Mexican San Andres and select Nicaraguan filler, that is the bound by a robust Indonesian binder, and ultimately laid within a six-year aged golden brown Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper. The marvelous result is a mellow, spicy sweet yet creamy medium bodied smoke that layers your palate with warm earth, sweat cream, cocoa, toasted wood enveloped in the slightest touch of spices.
Don’t Sleep on the Legacy Cigar Brands
If there’s a moral to this story, that’s it. Almost everyone has had some exposure to the legendary legacy brands. But if you’re an adventurous sort like many of us are, it’s easy to get caught up in the shiny new thing and the unfamiliar. We encourage exploration, always of course and do tons of it ourselves. But don’t forget that the legacy cigar brands didn’t reach their lofty heights in the industry without paying their dues. Brands like Montecristo, Cohiba, H. Upmann and Romeo Y Julieta have a lot to offer even the most discriminating smoker’s palate. There’s a lot to cover here, so this is just the first part in a series on these legacy cigar brands. Stay tuned for more.
Smoke Inn is Your Cigar Place
Your local cigar place is more than just a spot to grab some cigars and go. If they’re doing it right, and we believe we are, then there is a sense of atmosphere there. Your cigar place should have a vibe that makes you happy to be there and want to spend some time. Don’t forget you can order the 2022 Smoke Inn Advent Calendar this week along with the option to buy a 2021 Advent Cigar calendar at a discount along with it (while supplies last). We can’t think of any better way to get in the Christmas spirit for a cigar smoker or any better give for an aficionado. One more very important note: Tickets for 2023’s The Great Smoke go on sale November 1st so set a reminder right now if you haven’t already. Smoke Inn has some very cool stuff to come as we wrap up 2022, so stay tuned we’ll see you at the shop.
As always, if you’re local or happen to be visiting South Florida, be sure to reward yourself with a visit to one of the country’s best cigar shops in person. We’d love to see you.
Our South Florida Locations:
- Smoke Inn Palm Beach Gardens
- Smoke Inn West Palm Beach
- Smoke Inn Delray Beach
- Smoke Inn Boynton Beach
- Smoke Inn Pompano Beach
- Smoke Inn Tequesta
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- Smoke Inn Vero Beach
