Montecristo Especiales No.2 Prelight
Alonso Menéndez founded Montecristo in Havana, Cuba, in 1935. The popular Alexandre Dumas novel, The Count of Monte Cristo, inspired the name. It was a common practice to read aloud to the cigar rollers at the factory to keep them entertained, and the novel was a favorite of the torcedores. Today, Montecristo is the top-selling Cuban marca by volume, and the ubiquitous Montecristo No. 4 is Habanos S.A.’s best-selling cigar.
The Especiales No. 2 debuted in 1969 as part of a trio of Panatelas, the Especial, Especiales No. 2, and Joyitas. The three blends were rolled in the Lauguito 1, 2, and 3 vitolas, respectively. The Laguito vitolas were created for the Cohiba lineup, but were later shared with other Cuban marcas like Montecristo, Por Larrañaga, Davidoff, and Hoyo de Monterrey. The Laguito No. 2, or Panatela, measures 6 x 38 and includes a pigtail cap. As a Cuban puro, the Especiales No. 2 sources its wrapper, binder, and filler from the Vuelta Abajo region of Cuba.
The wrapper is an oily, dark chocolate brown with some pronounced veins. It’s finished with a triple cap and a shallow pigtail. The aromas on the foot and wrapper are of dark wood and cinnamon. The draw is snug, but tolerable, with notes of grass and barnyard.
Montecristo Especiales No.2 First Third
The Especiales No. 2 starts off with a medium smoke output. The notes on the palate are mineral-rich earth, toast, and hay. The retrohale has tones of cocoa powder, medium-roasted coffee, cinnamon, and a tingle of white pepper. The strength of flavor is medium. The finish is light with notes of mocha and cinnamon. The overall profile is a fantastic mix of coffee, chocolate, and cinnamon. The ash is tight, with a lot of visible tooth, and the burn line is sharp. The draw is just a touch too snug.
Montecristo Especiales No.2 Second Third
I’m picking up on cocoa powder, mineral-rich earth, and hay on the palate. The retrohale is showing medium roast coffee, dark chocolate, dried flowers, and cinnamon. The strength of flavor has increased to medium-plus. The smoke output remains medium. The finish remains medium with notes of mocha and florals. The overall profile is rich and elegant. The draw is still a touch tight, but the construction is flawless otherwise.
Montecristo Especiales No.2 Final Third
The palate notes are mineral-rich earth, baker’s chocolate, hay, and toasted cedar. The retrohale has tones of medium-roasted coffee, dark chocolate, oak, and dried flowers. The strength of flavor remains at medium-plus. The smoke output remains medium. The finish remains medium with notes of coffee and oak. The profile is leaning more toward woody flavors, and the chocolate notes are becoming darker. The ash, burn, and construction are nearly flawless. Past the band, the flavors continued to dry, but only bittered at the very end. I put this one down with just under an inch left.
Montecristo Especiales No.2 Conclusions
The Montecristo Especiales No. 2 comes from one of Cuba’s most historical brands, in one of Cuba’s most illustrious vitolas. The profile was rich and elegant. I loved the medium-roasted coffee, especially in that second third, with dark chocolate and cinnamon notes. The vitola did a great job of concentrating those classic Montecristo flavors – to my palate, Montecristo’s flavor profile excels in these smaller formats. The draw was tight, but I don’t know whether that’s a feature or a bug. I could easily see this cigar getting hot and bitter, but the snug draw forces you to sip and take your time. The Montecristo Especiales No. 2 is available for $26-$32. While not a bargain by any means, it’s not particularly pricey by Cuban standards either. If you’d like to try a rich, punchy take on the Montecristo profile, or want to taste a piece of history, give the Especiales No. 2 a shot.
The cigars smoked for this review were from a July 2023 box with a PTE factory code.
