Montecristo

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Montecristo is one of the most famous cigar brands ever created. In 2015, the brand celebrated its 80th anniversary. The history of Montecristo cigars doesn’t stretch as far back as other Cuban-heritage brands like Partagas, Romeo y Julieta, or H. Upmann which were created in the 1800s. Montecristo began in Cuba in the 1930s, but it’s influence cannot be understated due in large part to the popularity of the Montecristo No. 2, a Torpedo-shaped cigar many argue is the greatest of all time. Today, a Dominican version of the brand exists for the U.S., while Cuban Montecristos are available in foreign markets. Let’s reveal the history behind Montecisto, a brand with decades of impressive commercial and critical accolades.

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The Launch of the Montecristo Name

A tale of jealousy, betrayal and revenge published in 1845 was often read by ‘lectores,’ the readers who kept ‘torcedores’ (Cuban cigar rollers) entertained while they made the world’s best smokes. The novel by Alexandre Dumas was The Count of Monte Cristo and it was popular in Cuban cigar factories. So popular, in fact, that after Alonzo Menendez, who bought the Particulares cigar brand in 1935, immediately created a new brand named after the classic work. The Montecristo cigar was born. It has become a classic in its own right. The saga that followed might have been written by Dumas as the tale of two Montecristos. Montecristo means ‘mountain of Christ.’