The year 1935 marks a big milestone for Panerai as they landed their first contract to supply the Italian Navy with professional diving instruments, but it also does for the world of cigars, as the iconic Montecristo Cuban cigar brand was founded that year. The Montecristo Línea 1935 celebrates the founding of Montecristo and it was released last year as a ‘totally by hand long filler’ line of cigars. The Línea 1935 cigars are available in three different vitolas and packaged in a very distinct presentation box unlike other Habanos. The beautiful box is dark brown matte Carmelite lacquer finished and uniquely shaped with beveled edges and the traditional fleur-de-lis that has distinguished the Montecristo brand since its founding. To be quite frank, despite the amazing quality and flavor profile of the Montecristo Línea 1935 cigars, the box alone is a good enough reason to buy the product and holding on to it —specially when the color of the lettering on the box, almost matches the ‘ecru’ superluminova on that Panerai Radiomir 1940 PAM 662.

After the release of the Línea 1935 cigars, these three new vitolas incorporated into Montecristo’s regular portfolio are now the most premium within. The three vitolas of which we’ve tried two of them are unprecedented in the Habanos portfolio. First comes Maltés —53 x 153 mm—, Dumas —49 x 130 mm—, and then Leyenda —55 x 165 mm— which takes the form of the special limited edition Montecristo 80 Aniversario, launched in 2015 to commemorate the brand’s 80th Anniversary.

Línea 1935 Dumas is almost like a short robusto –slightly narrower— that packs a lot of intensity. Named after Alexandre Dumas the author of the world renowned novel ‘The Count of Montecristo’ —after which Montecristo cigars are named after—, this cigar is the perfect stick if you are looking for the most intense and full strength flavor in the Montecristo brand.

Montecristo has set the bar quite high for almost 80 years since its launch in 1935. Its name was taken from Alexandre Dumas' novel 'The Count of Montecristo'. The story accounts that when the factory first opened, the manager used to read the novel to the 'torcedores'—rollers— and they liked the novel so much, that they wanted to immortalize the main character of the novel by naming their fine cigars 'Montecristo'. Montecristo is the best known and perhaps, the most appreciated Habanos brand considered by many to be the benchmark for Habanos flavor.

Montecristo Línea 1935 Dumas is a ‘prominente corto’ vitola with a 49 ring gauge and 5.1 " in length. Similar in flavor profile to a Montecristo No. 3 but slightly stronger, you will find hints of leather, coffee, pepper and caramel. Flavor profile stays even for the first two thirds of the cigar and becomes almost unsmokable on the last third. Good 40 minutes of burning time in a perfectly rolled cigar with wrapper, filler and binder leaves from the finest fields of the region of ‘Vuelta Abajo’ .

It’s Carmelite colored wrapper gives this cigar a beautiful appearance and one of the finest Habanos one can smoke only if you are a seasoned cigar smoker. While not as strong as a Cohiba Maduro 5 Mágicos , this cigar is totally not for the faint of heart. A great smoking experience packed with pleasurable flavor notes and intensity for the long week ahead of you.

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