Montecristo Línea 1935 Leyenda

Description

Montecristo Línea 1935 Leyenda Review
Do you sit on a balcony in Havana when the city finally shuts up? It’s a rare thing. There’s typically the noise of a 1950s Chevy Bel Air backfiring and someone yelling about bread three streets away. But it was late, 2 in the morning maybe, and I was sitting on the arm of a wrought-iron balustrade at what looked like a hotel that once existed in better days.

Product Specifications

The humidity was thick enough to chew, and the air smelt of salt and old stone. I’d spent the afternoon dodging tourists in Old Havana, searching for something that wasn’t just your standard tourist-trap fare. I wound up in the rear of a little store where there was no sign on the glass-fronted humidor other than that this sort of guy knew that kind of guy. He reached for a black lacquered box.

It wasn’t the usual Montecristo yellow I’ve seen a thousand times. This was dark and heavy, something you’d expect to find in a safe, not on a shelf. He said it was a “scarcity” for a Tuesday. I didn’t argue.

I purchased two, stuffed them into my leather case and went back to my room. And now, bent over this same balcony, gazing out toward the Malecón, its cap clipped off for the first time. It felt significant. Not the cost, but the weight of it in my hand.

It was history, re-imagined for a guy who’s burned enough tobacco to know when a brand is actually trying to do something different. The Transition: That smoke? The Montecristo Línea 1935 Leyenda… I’ve smoked plenty of Montecristos.

No. 2 is a daily stand-by and No. 4 my coffee partner some mornings. The Leyenda is a different animal all together! It’s the flagship of the Línea 1935, a line released to honor the year the brand was founded. It’s big, it’s bold and it doesn’t apologize for insisting on taking up two hours of your life.

If the No. 2 is a stately sedan, then the Leyenda is a leather-lined, heavy-duty truck. It’s got presence. Product Specifications
Feature
Details
Product Type
Cigar (Hand-rolled, Long Filler)
Brand
Montecristo (Habanos S.A.)
Building: The feel of the Maravillas
The first thing that struck me upon removing the Leyenda from its sleeve was the wrapper.

It’s a claro-marrón — a light, red-brown that has exactly the vibe of polished cedar. It’s slick, almost oily to the touch, and its veins are so fine they are nearly invisible. I have seen a few Cuban sticks that look like they were rolled by someone in a rush, but this one? This was done with some measure of respect.

It’s firm, not soft anywhere, but it has just a little give when you squeeze it — like a well-aged steak. The 55 ring gauge is no joke. It’s a mouthful. You gotta have a wide cutter for this one, or you’re just going to muck up that beautiful cap.

I took a straight cut and the pre-light draw was spot on for my taste: just a bit of resistance, but nothing but air. On the palate, I got a punch of wet earth, a little black pepper and a strangely specific wave of sweetness that made me think about raw sugarcane. It’s a “totalmente a mano” job, and you can see it. The weight is balanced.

It is not top-heavy or tend in one direction. It’s just a solid, chunky piece of Cuban craft. Flavor Profile: A Two-Hour Journey
The First Third: The Alarm Bell
I toasted the foot slowly.

With a ring gauge this wide, you can’t rush the light or you’ll get some wavy-ass burn that’s gonna bug the hell out of you for an hour. The initial puffs were suprisingly creamy. I was ready for a punch to the nose, but what I got instead — I’ll be damned! — was a sweet mouthful of creamy velvet smoke. And there is a lot of wood right upfront —white oak here — with just a little bit of that “sour cherry” thing people are always on about in the 1935 line.

It’s not a fruit sweetness; it’s more of an acidy, bright tang that slams through the richness. You start to see the leather about an inch or so in. It’s heavy, like an old baseball glove.” There’s a slight roasted almond finish on the retrohale and some pepper, though it’s hanging out in the back of the throat not very apparent in terms of nose sting. The smoke volume is massive.

I’m on this balcony, and the clouds I’m blowing are hugging this muggy air as if it was fog. It’s a medium-bodied opening, but you can sense the power coiling in the background. It has that “media/fuerte” (medium-to-full) promise written all over it. The Second Third: The Belly of the Beast
I passed into the mid-stick and the flavors began to deepen.

The white oak became a more toasted wood flavor. This is where the Leyenda really breaks away from typical Montecristo. I began to taste toasted pecans and a distinct maple sweetness. It’s not syrupy, but it has that earthy, sugar-bush vibe.

The pepper gained a little presence, too — white pepper this time, a bit sharper and even more focused. The burn was surprisingly straight. Normally with these large vitolas, I’m always having to touch them up with my torch, however the Leyenda did a great job of managing itself. The ash was nickels in width, light gray and strong enough that I got nervous when it held for nearly two inches and tapped it.

I began to detect some roasted coffee and cacao midway in. It’s complex. Each time it seemed like I had the flavor profile nailed, something moved.

One puff is all leather and minerals, the next caramel and vanilla. It’s a working cigar, but it never gets out of hand. Everything is balanced. The Closing Act: The Man of Steeeellleeee!

The nicotine let me know it was there by the end of the final third.

My brain felt light and the air on that balcony had gone from being meditative puff with the taste of contemplation to a more tobacco-centric mood. The intensity ratcheted firmly into the “full” category. The creaminess at the beginning went away and all you tasted was this heavy, spicy aftertaste. Think dark chocolate, heavy spice and more of that damp earth I picked up on the cold draw.

The heat remained manageable, even as I smoked the cigar to the nub. Large sticks can sometimes get bitter toward the end, but this one stayed smooth. The “toasted” notes took over — toasted bread, toasted nuts, everything toasted. It’s a long-lasting finish.

Ten minutes after I finally set it down in the ashtray, I could still taste leather and pepper. It’s a “long filler” journey that doesn’t stop until you do. Pairing: What to Drink?

I happened to be in Havana at the time, so I chose the purest form: A glass of Havana Club 7 Year. Sweetness of the rum was hitting right into that oak and leather in the Leyenda. If you’re not a rum person, something like a heavy, peaty Scotch would probably overwhelm it — it would be the two of them wrestling for dominance all night. I’d use a sweeter bourbon, or even an extra-powerful, black Cuban espresso.

What you want is something that can pair with the full-flavored 55 ring gauge without overwhelming it and masking every last hint of those cherry and vanilla undertones. A late-night port would also be a good move. In other words, if the drink has a little weight and a hint of sugar, you’re fine. The Verdict: Is It a Legend?

I’ll tell you, the Montecristo Línea 1935 Leyenda is a whole lotta cigar. It’s not something you smoke when mowing your lawn or watching a football game. This is the “sit down and shut up” smoke. And it requires your full attention for the 1 hour and 45 minutes it takes to burn through.

Both because the construction is top-tier, and flavor evolution time that’s actually there — as opposed to marketing talk.

Is it better than a No. 2? It’s different. It’s more nuanced, a little richer, and certainly fuller. It’s for the dude who wants the Montecristo DNA, but further up to eleven.

They’re often expensive and not always easy to find, but if you see a box tucked away in some netherworld back-alley shop in Havana — or your local high-end humidor — grab one. Just make sure you have a cozy seat and nothing else to do for the rest of the night. Verdict:
A traditional, stick-to-its-guns Cuban with no need for fancy adjectives.

If you like ’em big and if you like ’em complex, this is your stick.