Montecristo 90th Anniversary Celebrates Nine Decades
The Montecristo brand has been on the market for nine decades, and Altadis U.S.A. is celebrating with the Montecristo 90th Anniversary—a small-production smoke made by Plasencia Cigars in Nicaragua. In addition to the cigars, Altadis is also releasing a Montecristo humidor that includes a BRM timepiece and a watch winder, as well as a deck of cards, poker chips, and dice.
The Montecristo 90th Anniversary comes in two sizes, one of them a nod to the past, the other a tribute to the present. The No. 2 is a torpedo measuring 6 1/8 inches by 52 ring gauge—the same size as the original No. 2 that debuted in 1935, when the brand was created in Cuba. The second is called Nacional. At 5 1/2 by 56, its thick ring gauge appeals to modern smokers who prefer hefty cigars. Each No. 2 will have a suggested retail price of $40, while the Nacional is set to retail for $38.75 apiece. Both come in decorative, 12-count boxes.
According to Rafael Nodal, vice president of product capability for Tabacalera USA (Altadis U.S.A.’s parent company), the tobaccos are from the Plasencia family’s especially aged reserves. This all-Nicaraguan blend includes leaf from four of Nicaragua’s major tobacco regions: Estelí, Condega, Ometepe and Jalapa, where the wrapper was grown.
To further the celebration, Altadis will also be offering a humidor that comes with a limited-edition watch with a bronze case and a skeletal dial. It’s handmade in Paris by BRM Chronographes and only 35 pieces are being produced. The humidor, which can hold 18 cigars, includes a watch winder. If you have a yen for games of chance, the humidor also includes playing cards, poker chips, dice and “The Last Chip” game card, created for this anniversary set. It has a retail price of $15,000.
The Montecristo 90th Anniversary cigars and humidor set will be released to Casa de Montecristo stores on August 30, followed by a national release September 15. Altadis will also be taking the Montecristo 90th on tour, holding a series of events from August to October.
