Montecristo Open Junior

Description

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The Fast Sprint: A Close Look at the Montecristo Open Junior Profile Length 5 Ring Guage and length in inches 38 Filter No Flavour Medium Packaging Pack of 20 Cellophaned No Cost Single £12.47 Cost Pack £238 Origin Cuban Presentation This cigar has a very shiny wrapper with minimal veins running through them, there is some sight damage which is not uncommon with younger sticks although this does not take anything away from a good looking smoke. I remember standing in my father’s study, the air thick with the smell of old leather bindings and that lingering, ghostly scent of pipes smoked decades ago. I was twenty-two, my skin practically vibrating with the kind of frantic energy that pulses through you when you’re about to get on a plane for your first solo trip overseas. My bags were packed — a bunch of wrinkled t-shirts and an old copy of Hemingway, mainly — but I didn’t feel like we had fully performed the ritual.

Product Specifications

I wasn’t yet a “cigar guy,” in the sense that I’d become one, but I knew that if there’s a journey ahead there also needs to be a proper send-off. I remember the sun streaking across the mahogany desk and catching in motes that floated over to the threshold of light. I opened the bottom drawer where my old man stored his “quick smokes. I hovered my hand over the big Churchill tubes and the thick Robustos, but I didn’t have an hour.

I had a cab on the way in 20 minutes. What I needed was something that could keep up with my rhythm: lively, compact and on the quick. I pulled myself a bright green-and-gold second band and slender stick. That smoke?

The
Montecristo Open Junior
. I didn’t know it at the time, but that little Trabuco was about to become one of my go-to’s for whenever life got a little too busy to step outside with a double corona. Construction: Small but Feisty
The first thing you notice when you take an Open Junior into your hand is that it feels like a weighty pen.

It’s not intimidating. This is the kind of cigar you can chomp between your maw while you fiddle with your camera, or pore over a map. The wrapper on mine was a classic Colorado hue — a healthy, natural-looking brown shade that looked silky from afar but exhibited some “character” when you got up close. I mean, visible veins and a slight toothy grain.

It’s not a “pretty boy” cigar; it simply looks like it was born to be smoked, not gazed at in a museum. I gave it a gentle squeeze. A nice firm feel, no soft spots – which can be a crapshoot with these smaller Cuban vitolas. On the pre-light: the draw gave me exactly what I expect from a Monte, a little bit of dry hay and that earthy musk in spades.

I cut off the cap — a neat, straight clip — and the draw was perfect. Not too loose, not like sucking air through a straw, but just enough resistance to let you know that there’s actual tobacco packed inside that 38 ring-gauge. The First Third: The Awaken Call
Then I smoked it right there on the porch waiting for my ride.

The first few hits are always an eye-opener with the Open range. If you’re accustomed to the traditional size of Montecristo No. 2 or No. 4, this is a different animal. It’s brighter. The Open line was made for the “outside” smoker — golfers, sailors or schmoes like me running to make a plane — and you taste that intention.

The first notes were overwhelmed by oak and a very “fresh” woodiness. It wasn’t heavy or oily yet. Instead, it felt crisp. Introducing a nuttiness, too — but the raw almonds to, say roasted walnuts.

It’s light-bodied, not thin. I have to say for a little cigar, the smoke output is great. It made these wafer-thin blue ribbons of smoke that smelled like a high-end leather store. It’s the kind of opening that is well-suited to morning coffee.

Finding the Groove: Second Third
The Open Junior finds its legs after about 10 minutes. The “green” edge of the first third relaxes, and some classic Montecristo DNA begins to show.

I saw the leather notes, just older and a touch dustier. Here’s where the coffee notes began to appear — not a creamy latte, more like a dark roast espresso without sugar. What I like about this middle section is the balance of it. You’ve got that Cuban earthiness, but it’s mellowed out by a little fruity sweetness that keeps things from getting too “dirt-forward.” There’s also a hint of nutmeg in the retrohale; it adds just enough zing without searing your sinuses.

It’s a very approachable profile. And if you’re a beginner, fear not: you won’t be buried. For those of you who are veterans, an empty transition is a nice reward. It’s just… easy.

No struggle, no relights—just an even burn. The Third End: The Gradual Warming Burn
Just as I got down the homestretch — and we’re talking about the 25-minute mark here — the Junior decided to flash a little teeth. The strength ramped from light-medium up to a strong medium. The oak profile became a charred wood flavor and a pronounced black pepper began to hang out in the back of my throat.

Especially with small cigars, the last third can get “hot” or bitter as all that heat rises so close to your mouth.

But this Trabuco was exceedingly cool. The spice was deliberate, not just a consequence of bad burn. It ended with a nice zest of a kick, as a last-reminder that even though it carries the name “Junior” on its band, it is in fact a Cuban Montecristo. I smoked it down until my fingers actually started to warm up, and I didn’t regret a puff.

Pairing Recommendations
You don’t want to clobber this cigar with a big peated Scotch.

It’s too delicate for that. Here’s how I’d play it:
The Morning Routine
: Double espresso or flat white. The bitter aspect of the coffee is a nice play with the nut and woodiness of the cigar. The Afternoon Refresh
: A lean, dry white wine — perhaps a Sauvignon Blanc.

Acidity slices through the leather-covered notes and keeps the palate fresh. The “Outdoor” Special
: If you’re really on a golf course or a boat, a gin and tonic with lime. The botanicals in the gin bring a bit of that “fresh” woodiness I described. Design & Aesthetics
The Open Junior has two bands.

You have the traditional brown and white band of Montecristo, there is that distinct green-and-gold “Open” band below it. I know some purists think the second band is overkill, but I like it. It says to us: This is not your grandfather’s “sit-by-the-fire-for-two-hours” smoke. It looks modern.

It looks more at home in a travel humidor or a blazer pocket. The box of 20 is a standard Habanos presentation, although you can also find these in those utilitarian 3-pack cardboard tubs. Those 3-packs are a lifesaver if you’re traveling. They keep the fragile wrappers from getting squished while you’re willy-nilly slinging your bags everywhere.

Functionality & Value
Is it a “value” smoke? Well, it’s a Cuban, so you’re also paying for the dirt and the name. But next

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