who blogs about cigars at CigarInspector.Com
Cigar: Montecristo Petit Edmundo
Size: 4 1/3 x 52
Origin: Cuba
Price: ~$8
I was hesitating between the RASS and the Petit Edmundo for this review, because I wanted to tell you about one of the cigars that I enjoy on a regular basis. As Jerry already posted about the Ramon Allones a while ago, I decided to go with the Montecristo.
Petit Edmundo is shorter (4 1/3 inches) and slightly fatter (52 ring gauge) than a regular robusto. As you can see from the picture, it’s a true killer in the looks department – this is probably the most gorgeous cigar that one can find. Milk chocolate, impeccable wrapper is silky and thin veins are hardly visible – needless to say, the classic Montecristo minimalistic band adds to the visual satisfaction. The cigar is well-packed, without soft spots. It has an exquisite sweet and sour smell to it. I used my Zino guillotine and obtained a very clean cut.
The pre-draw is slightly tight, it provides a rich tobacco taste along with some cedar notes. It is a pure pleasure lighting this cigar with a butane lighter as the aroma emanating from the toasted foot is truly wonderful. As soon as it is completely lit, the Petit Edmundo starts delivering clouds of thick white smoke, the draw requiring moderate efforts. The burn is absolutely perfect in the first two thirds and a few corrections might be needed in the last third to keep it evenly lit. The ash is light grey and very solid, holding for around 2 inches.
The first puffs immediately indicate that I’m dealing with a high-profile cigar. Instead of a rough spice burst which I often experience with other Cuban smokes, I am greeted with a perfectly balanced bouquet of expensive wood, black pepper and nuts. The smoke is extremely smooth and creamy, making me think about butter. The power and the spice are present but they are very well contained. The second third brings an increase in power, the cigar becomes even more masculine as the intensity of the bouquet surges. What’s surprising is that the creaminess is still there, it never feels harsh or overwhelming. At the end of the second third, I make out notes of sweetened coffee and perhaps some chocolate as well – it’s not easy to identify those but they are sure delicious. The finish is soothing. I could easily nub this cigar – just be careful while removing the band – you may damage the wrapper.
As you have probably noticed, I really like the Petit Edmundo. I find it better than its bigger brother, Edmundo (1 inch longer) as it (IMO) packs more flavors in a smaller format (and don’t forget to take the price into account, too!). I see no real competition in the short robusto format either. At $8 per stick, that’s a no-brainer if you are looking for an authentic Cuban experience. As for the pairing recommendation, I would suggest it with a single malt (my favorites are Glenlivet and Macallan) or a vintage port.
Thanks to The Stogie Review for this opportunity – if you enjoyed this article, consider visiting Cigar Inspector for more Cuban and non-Cuban cigar reviews.
Yup, this Monte has been a pretty consistant wonderful cigar. Way ahead of it’s time! It definitely started the short and stout cigar craze along with the Hoyo Petit Robusto. Great stuff!
Your review is spot on. The Montecristo Petit Edmundo is one of my all time favorites. Are you kidding me….$8???!!! Here in Japan they are ?1600 I believe, which is roughly $20. All due to the tax. I have never had draw or serious burn problems with these. The ones from 2007 were really great and if you can get a box for a good price by all means do!
I might have to pick one of these up soon! Worth $20? Perhaps not, but it is a great stick!
Cheers,
Thomas
The prices very depending on the country.. In Europe they cost 8-9 euros retail but I usually check prices online and make an average, which is around 8 USD.
$20 is a lot! I wonder how much the Edmundo costs in Japan then.. must be over 30 dollars!
Nice review. Even though I’m not a big fan of the RASS I do agree with you on this one, it is one of my favorite Cubans. I enjoy it mid morning with some good black coffee.
Where do you get them for $8? Must be on line. Here in Canada they go for around $27 with tax. I found some at the grocery store a while back that they had marked incorrectly at $15 a piece so I bought what they had. When they got another box in I bought that one too. They finally figured things out though and changed the price. I was pretty happy paying the $15 so for $8 these are a no brainer.
Well the Edmundo is 2100 JPY which is about $25….but MC No.2 is only 100 yen more coming in at 2200JPY…so I just usually opt for one of those if I will get a larger smoke. But back on subject…you can’t go wrong with the Petit Edmundo! Thanks for the review man! (^_^)b
@clint: Yes, I was referring to online prices. You can get in touch with me via Twitter – I could share some websites where you can order them for $8-$12 / stick.
Great review as usual.
First time I have ever seen someone use the words masculine and bouquet in the same sentence…very nice!
Actually Denis, I’ve looked into ordering Cubans online and the problem is that everything coming from Switzerland (which is where I am told the Cubans come from) gets hit at customs. That being the case the cigars would be hit with duty and taxes which would make it quite unaffordable.
I was told by one site that I should have them sent to an American address then have them shipped to Canada to avoid the taxes and duty. Apparently the U.S. customs doesn’t check alot of the stuff coming from over there. Pretty ironic considering Cubans are illegal down south. Luckily I have friends that travel to Cuba now and then.
Yes, customs is another problem… I had to stop ordering cigars from the US (I’m in Europe) because half of the shipments were not going through 🙁
Awesome review, makes me want to try this cigar out. Thanks Cigar Inspector!
I LOVE THIS CIGAR
Clint, hit me up. I can direct you to a safe online merchant that provides excellent product at an awesome price.
Where can you find these online?
You couldn’t have picked a worse Cuban to review (unless you like the taste of smoke and air). If you’re going to review a Cuban, how about something other than Montecristo or Cohiba? There does exist a world outside of these, ya know (shit, you don’t see wine connoisseurs constantly reviewing Spumante Bambino, do you?). Seeing as I probably smoke, and have smoked, more Cubans than the Stogiereview fanbase combined, may I suggest a Bolivar?
I guess this is another ISOM I have to try… (not that Ive had any)
I have enjoyed 2 Petite Edmundos and enjoyed both over and above everything else. With a glass of homemade sangria they are out of control glorious, and that was at $30 apiece U.S. in Toronto.
Agree with BobB on this one – I am a habano smoker who only smokes the odd non-cuban and I can happily say, having very slowly worked my way through a box of 10 from the very first Petit Edmundo release in 07, that these are pretty poor examples of cuban cigars. Pretty dull, and too ashy tasting, with only a hint of the signature montecristo flavours. Look good, funky/gimmicky new shape, not very tasty. Another victory for the marketing department!
To those of you impressed by the label, I should say that a lot of Montecristo cigars aint too good cos of the rate they roll em off the production line to meet demand (M no.4 in top 3 cubans for sales volume every year – beware!). Expensive ones like No.2s are kept away from novice rollers and can be trusted.