Montecristo Gran Reserva on Way to Stores

David Savona
Posted: December 9, 2011

Montecristo Gran Reservas, extra-aged, ultra-expensive versions of Montecristo No. 2s, are heading to cigar shops. The cigars, which were presented to retailers and fans of Cuban cigars in grand fashion at the final dinner of the 2011 Habanos Festival in Cuba last February, are expected to reach many shelves before Christmas.

The same size as a regular Monte 2, 6 1/8 inches by 52 ring, the Gran Reservas are made with older tobaccos than those in a traditional Monte. Habanos says the tobacco to make the cigars was culled from the 2005 harvest and then aged for at least five years prior to rolling into cigars. The Montecristo Gran Reservas come with secondary bands in black and gold, with a scripted and intertwined GR. The boxes are slim and elegant, with a piano lacquer finish, gold stripe on the left hand side and gold type on the front. The boxes will be numbered, each containing 15 cigars. There will be 5,000 boxes released, for a total production run of 75,000 cigars.

While most retailers contacted said prices have not been set, Montecristo No. 2 Gran Reservas certainly won’t be cheap. In Germany, the price for a box has been set at 850 euros ($1,143) per box, or 57 euros ($77) per cigar. That’s more than twice the price of a Cohiba Behike BHK 52 (Cigar Aficionado’s reigning Cigar of the Year), which retails for 27 euros ($36) but cheaper than the Cohiba Siglo VI Gran Reserva, which sold in Germany for 85 euros ($114) per cigar.

“Ours are coming in the next days,” said Christoph Wolters, proprietor of the Casa del Habano in Hamburg, Germany. When asked if people were asking for the cigars, Wolters said there has been “outstanding demand” for the smokes.

Marc Melanson, who runs the Casa del Habano in Montreal, agreed that aficionados were eager to get their hands on these new cigars. “The limited quantity we anticipate receiving has already been reserved or sold,” he said. He expected the cigars in two to three weeks, and said that Habanos had promised arrival of the cigars before the Christmas holiday.

For more on this story, see the most recent Cigar Insider.

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Comments 10 comment(s)

Jim Ryder — Miami, FL, US, — December 9, 2011 7:37pm ET

Wow t

Richard Carriere — Alida , Sask, Canada, — December 10, 2011 5:16am ET

For that price I doubt I will ever smoke one.

Christian A — December 10, 2011 2:44pm ET

A hefty price tag for sure. Excited for these to land.

Ryan Britz — Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, — December 12, 2011 6:50pm ET

Hey Richard, I don't even think we will get them in our neck of the woods. Too bad though. I would venture to buy one and let it age longer in my humidor. Oh well.

Donald Barrow — Burlington , NC, — December 12, 2011 10:08pm ET

Funny thing about this, I have some MC2's from 2001-2005 and they are nothing to write home about. Unless they changed the blend or perfected a better way than humidor storage to age them way would you expect so much better from these sticks?

George C — Commack, NY, USA, — December 13, 2011 3:47am ET

$77 bucks a stick! Wow... I think I would go for a Behike since they don't seem so expensive anymore.
This is why we love CA mag and web site. I get to see what I can afford and what someone else can afford.

Cigar Aficionado — December 13, 2011 2:26pm ET

David Savona — December 13, 2011 2:30pm ET

An update on my story: Christoph reports that the Montes have landed in Germany, but very few of them. "Very, very few boxes," he said.

Edward Ortega — December 15, 2011 4:59pm ET

The LCDH in Montreal has to be one of the worst LCDH in the world. People working there (expect for the GM but especially that blond looking guy, Jeff I think) look all miserable.

For God's sake, if you don't like your job, change it!

Taylor Franklin — December 15, 2011 5:45pm ET

Again, more marketing hype from Habanos SA. The Monte 2's from the 80's and early 90's were absolutely stellar. Back in the golden decades, when virtually every cigar from Cubatabacos top brands were great. Now it seems Habanos SA only rolls the good stuff for Behikes or other limited, special, obscure, unobtainable, way over-priced etc.

The late 90's and early 2000's Monte 2's were not very good at all, and are still hit and miss today. Although the profile has improved overall, but certainly not a 1988 No.2

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