Cuban Montecristo Carmen Becomes Easier To Obtain
When the Montecristo Carmen was released exclusively for Spain two years ago, you had to buy an entire humidor filled with 100 cigars in order to get one—and it cost 30,000 euros (about $33,000). Now, Spanish Habanos distributor Tabacalera S.L.U. has made the Cuban cigar more accessible and somewhat more affordable, although the price tag still remains above $100.
This summer, Tabacalera released the Montecristo Carmen in 10-count boxes. While they aren’t nearly as fancy as the original S.T. Dupont humidors, they aren’t nearly as expensive either. Each box retails for 1,000 euros, which works out to about $1,100 or $110 per cigar.
Carmen is a big and unique size in the Montecristo portfolio, only available in the Spanish market. Measuring 7 1/8 inches by 49 ring gauge, the format is known as a Paco in Cuban cigar factories, and is rarely produced (the Hoyo de Monterrey Escogidos and Punch Sir David are a few examples). The name Carmen is a reference to Bizet’s famous opera.
This package is meant to honor the 250th anniversary of the Royal Tobacco Factory of Seville, believed to be Europe’s first tobacco factory, and now property of the University of Seville.
Although this new incarnation of Montecristo Carmen is somewhat easier to get than before, it remains limited. Only 2,500 numbered boxes have been released. The Montecristo Carmen is part of the industry’s growing trend of cigars that cost $100 or more, Cuban or otherwise.
Read Next: CAO Arcana Thunder Smoke Made With Mostly African Tobacco
