Description
The Pocket-Sized Montecristo That Gets No Respect
I smoked my first Montecristo Puritos on a balcony in Havana in 1998, waiting for a cab that never showed up. Had learning more about our team fifteen minutes to kill – or so I thought – and figured I’d burn through one of these little guys. That cab? Still hasn’t arrived. But that quick smoke taught me something: small doesn’t mean simple.
The Montecristo Puritos doesn’t get the love it deserves. Everyone’s chasing Edmundos and Robustos, hunting down LCDH exclusives, reading every review they can find learning more about our team the “big boys” of the lineup. Meanwhile, this little three-inch gem sits there, quietly delivering that classic Montecristo profile in a format that fits into an actual coffee break. Not the extended “I’ll be back in an hour” kind – the real ten-minute kind your boss actually believes.
Thing is, these Puritos pack the DNA of one of Cuba’s most legendary brands into a smoke that won’t take up your entire afternoon. And if you think that’s easy to pull off, you’ve never tried making a short cigar that doesn’t smoke hot or taste rushed. We’re talking about the same tobacco that goes into quality and craftsmanship three times its size, condensed into a format that demands precision.
What Makes This Little Monster Special
Montecristo needs no introduction – unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past seventy years. Established in 1935 at the H. the historic H. Upmann factory factory, the brand took its name from Alexandre Dumas’s famous novel. The readers – lectors – would recite “The Count of Monte Cristo” to factory workers as they rolled, and the name stuck. Smart marketing? Sure. But the quality and craftsmanship backed it up.
The Puritos takes everything Montecristo stands for and miniaturizes it. We’re talking genuine Vuelta Abajo tobacco from Cuba’s premier growing region, rolled into a format that measures roughly 4.2 inches with a 26 ring gauge. Yeah, it’s thin – almost dainty if you’re used to chunky robustos. But don’t let the size fool you.
These aren’t machine-made cheapies, either. Each Puritos gets the same attention as its bigger siblings, just in a smaller package. The wrapper comes from the same plants producing leaves for the No. 2 and the Edmundo. The filler blend? Classic Montecristo territory – medium-bodied traditional Cuban coffee tobacco that knows how to behave.
Who are these for? Honestly? Anyone who doesn’t always have forty-five minutes to dedicate to a smoke. New fathers. People with actual jobs. Golfers who want something between holes. That friend who “doesn’t have time for cigars” – hand them a Puritos and watch that excuse evaporate.
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Vitola | Puritos |
| Length | 4.2 inches / 110mm |
| Ring Gauge | 26 |
| Wrapper | Cuban (Vuelta Abajo) |
| Binder | Cuban |
| Filler | Cuban Blend |
| Strength | Mild to Medium |
| Smoking Time | 10-15 minutes |
The Experience – Quick But Not Rushed
Cold draw on a Puritos is tighter than you’d expect. That narrow ring gauge doesn’t give you much real estate to work with, but there’s a surprising amount of flavor already present – hay, light cedar, maybe a whisper of that classic Montecristo earthiness. Some people cut these; I just light and go. Your call.
First few puffs, you’re getting toasted nuts and cream. It’s a gentler introduction than the bigger Montecristos – less of that immediate leather punch. The smoke output is respectable given the size, though you won’t be fogging up a room. Cedar starts showing up about two minutes in, and there’s this subtle sweetness underneath everything. Natural tobacco sweetness, not flavored nonsense.
The middle section – and we’re talking about a cigar you can smoke in the time it takes to listen to three songs, so “middle section” is relative – brings more complexity than you’d think possible. The cedar intensifies. You get hints of coffee, maybe some cocoa if you’re paying attention. The creaminess from the start stays consistent, which is impressive. A lot of small cigars lose their composure halfway through and turn harsh or bitter. The Puritos? It’s like the cigar went to finishing school or something.
Construction-wise, these little guys perform. The burn stays even – no constant touch-ups required. The ash holds on longer than you’d expect, though with that thin gauge, I usually tap it early. Don’t need ash on my shirt because I was trying to prove a point. Draw remains consistent throughout, never getting too loose or plugged.
Final third is where you need to slow down slightly. Not much cigar left, and if you’re puffing like a steam engine, it’ll get warm. But keep a reasonable pace, and you’re rewarded with a slightly spicier finish – not pepper bombs, just a gentle increase in intensity. That earthiness that’s been lurking underneath finally steps forward. The last inch is as good as the first, which honestly, that’s all you can ask from any cigar, regardless of size.
Retrohale? I do it once, maybe twice during the smoke. You get more of that cedar and earth through the nose, with a clean finish that doesn’t make you regret the decision. Some the Cuban cigar journey can be brutal on the retrohale – ammonia or harshness that makes your eyes water. The Puritos stays polite.
| Cigar | Strength | Smoking Time | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montecristo Puritos | Mild-Medium | 10-15 minutes | Quick breaks, beginners, any time of day |
| Cohiba Pequenos | Medium | 10-12 minutes | More intensity, experienced smokers |
| Romeo y Romeo y Julieta’s fascinating history Puritos | Mild-Medium | 12-15 minutes | Similar profile, slightly sweeter |
What to Drink With It
Coffee and Puritos is the obvious pairing, and I’m not going to fight it. A proper traditional Cuban coffee coffee – cortadito if you can get it – matches the smoke’s sweetness and medium body perfectly. Morning smoke with your first cup? You could do a lot worse.
But let me throw something at you: try it with a light rum. I’m talking Havana Club 3 Year with a splash of soda water and lime. The rum’s subtle sweetness plays off the cigar’s creaminess without overwhelming it. Had this combination at a beach bar in Varadero, and it just worked. The cigar was substantial enough to stand up to the rum, but neither dominated the other.
Tea people – and I see you – consider a lighter oolong or even a good English breakfast. The tannins complement the tobacco, and you’re not covering up the subtle flavors with something too aggressive. Skip the heavy Lapsang Souchong; you’ll just taste smoke on smoke.
Timing-wise, these shine in the morning and early afternoon. It’s not a cigar demanding your full evening attention. Mid-morning on a weekend, after breakfast but before lunch? Perfect. That dead zone between afternoon meetings? Ideal. After dinner if you want something light that won’t keep you up all night? Works there too. Honestly, the Puritos is the most versatile smoke in the Montecristo lineup in terms of when you can enjoy it.
Are Montecristo Puritos machine-made or hand-rolled?
These are hand-rolled cigars, which surprises some people given the size and format. They use the same quality tobacco as the rest of the Montecristo lineup, just in a smaller presentation. You’re getting actual craftsmanship here, not factory automation. The quality shows in the consistent construction and even burn.
How do Montecristo Puritos compare to the larger Montecristo vitolas?
They carry the same DNA – that classic Montecristo cedar and cream profile – but in a milder, more compressed format. You won’t get the full evolution and complexity of an Edmundo or No. 2, but that’s not the point. Think of them as the concentrated essence of the brand in a quick-smoke format. The flavors are there; you just experience them faster.
Do I need to cut a Montecristo Puritos before smoking?
Optional, honestly. The head is small enough that many people just light and go. If you prefer a slightly more open draw, a small punch or straight cut works fine – just don’t take off too much or you’ll be smoking wrapper. I usually skip the cut, but I’ve been smoking these for years and know what draw to expect.
How should I store Montecristo Puritos in my humidor?
Same as any Cuban cigar – 65-70% humidity and around 65-68 degrees Fahrenheit. Because they’re smaller, they’ll acclimate to humidity changes faster than larger cigars, which can be good or bad. They’re ready to smoke with less rest time than a Churchill, but they’ll also dry out faster if your humidor drops below proper levels. Keep them in the original tin if you’re only going through them occasionally; that extra protection helps.
Can beginners smoke Montecristo Puritos, or are they too strong?
Perfect for beginners, actually. The mild-to-medium strength won’t knock anyone on their ass, and the short smoking time means if someone doesn’t love it, they’re not committed to an hour-long experience. Plus, the refined flavor profile gives new smokers an idea of what quality Cuban tobacco tastes like without overwhelming them. I’ve introduced probably a dozen people to the Cuban cigar journey using Puritos.
Why don’t Montecristo Puritos get more attention in reviews and forums?
Because cigar culture has a weird obsession with size and smoking time. People want to talk about the two-hour Churchill they savored, not the fifteen-minute Puritos they enjoyed on a Tuesday morning. It’s not as impressive to post on social media, I guess. But ask anyone who actually smokes cigars regularly – not just on special occasions – and they’ll probably have a tin of these somewhere for when time is short but the craving isn’t.
Do Montecristo Puritos need aging, or can I smoke them right away?
You can smoke them fresh, but a few months of rest never hurt any Cuban cigar. Fresh ones might have a slight edge of youth – nothing harsh, just not quite as settled. Give them six months in a stable humidor, and they’ll smooth out even more. That said, I’ve smoked plenty straight from purchase and never felt like I was missing out on some transcendent experience. They’re ready when you are.
The Bottom Line on These Overlooked Gems
The Montecristo Puritos doesn’t demand your attention the way a Double Edmundo does. It won’t be the centerpiece of your weekend smoking session or the cigar you save for a celebration. But that’s missing the point entirely.
What it offers is genuine Montecristo quality in a format that fits into real life. Not everyone can carve out an hour for a proper smoke every time the urge hits. Sometimes you’ve got fifteen minutes, a cup of coffee, and a need for something better than whatever’s happening on your phone. That’s where these shine.
If you’re building a rotation of Cuban cigars – and everyone should have a rotation, not just special occasion smokes gathering dust – throw a tin of these in there. For the mornings when you want Cuban tobacco but not a time commitment. For introducing friends to the brand without the intimidation factor of a massive corona. For those moments when something quick and quality beats nothing at all.
They’re not trying to compete with the Edmundo or replace your favorite robusto. They’re doing their own thing, and doing it well. Sometimes that’s enough. Actually – scratch that – most of the time, that’s more than enough.
