Today, we review the Montecristo 1935 Edición Diamante in the Toro Size. In 2020, Rafael Nodal and Altadis U.S.A. teamed up with AJ Fernandez to release a cigar commemorating 85 years of the Montecristo brand, the Montecristo 1935 Anniversary Nicaragua. The cigar proved to be both critically acclaimed and commercially successful for Altadis U.S.A. With the success of that cigar, it made sense for Altadis U.S.A. to do an encore, and that’s where the Edición Diamante was born.

During the development of a brand, it is not unusual for a variety of blends to be considered. There are also many factors that go into selecting a blend. At the time the original Montecristo 1935 Anniversary Nicaragua was being developed, another blend was also under consideration. At that time, Nodal felt this other blend had potential but also thought that the tobaccos in the blend needed more aging. As a result, the blend was not used at that time. Fast forward a little over three years later, and that blend has become the blend for the Montecristo 1935 Anniversary Edición Diamante.

One final note: The Montecristo 1935 Anniversary Edición Diamante should not be confused with the Montecristo 1935 Anniversary Edición Doble Diamante. The Doble Diamante is an ultra-premium cigar priced at $150.00 SRP per cigar. The Edición Diamante we are discussing here is priced between $16.42 and $26.08. Even with those price points much lower than the Doble Diamante, the Edición Diamante is still one of the more expensive Montecristo cigars offered by Altadis U.S.A.

Now, without further ado, let’s break down the Montecristo 1935 Anniversary Edición Diamante Toro and see what this particular cigar brings to the table.

Montecristo 1935 Anniversary Edición Diamante Toro by Altadis U.S.A. | Cigar Review

SPECIFICATIONS

Blend and Origin

Like the original Montecristo 1935 Anniversary Nicaragua, the Edición Diamante consists of 100% Nicaraguan-grown tobaccos. According to Altadis U.S.A., the wrapper used on the Edicíon Diamante undergoes a second fermentation. This second fermentation develops the wrapper’s color and also eliminates the roughness and rawness of the tobacco. The cigar is produced at AJ Fernandez’s factory in Estelí, Nicaragua.

Wrapper: Nicaraguan
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Factory: Tabacalera AJ Fernandez Cigars de Nicaragua S.A.

Vitolas Offered

The Edición Diamante comes in six box-pressed sizes, each presented in ten-count boxes. The six sizes are regular-production cigars.

Icon: 48 x 4 3/4
Robusto: 54 x 5
Toro: 55 x 5
No. 2: 56 x 6 1/2
Grande: 60 x 6
Churchill: 54 x 7

Appearance (*)

The Nicaraguan wrapper of the Edición Diamante Toro was a medium shade of brown with tints of caramel and rosado. There were slight amounts of oil on the wrapper. Upon examining the wrapper closer, there was also a slight amount of mottling on the surface. There were some visible veins, and most of the wrapper seams were not noticeable. The box press itself is sharper (more square-like).

PERFORMANCE

Pre-Light Draw (*)

Before lighting up the Edición Diamante Toro, a straight cut was used to detach the cap. Once the cap was detached, it was on to the pre-light draw experience. The cold draw delivered a mix of earth, natural tobacco, and a slight amount of citrus. Overall, this was a satisfactory pre-light draw experience. At this point, it was time to toast up the Edición Diamante Toro and see what the smoking experience would bring to the table.

Tasting Notes

The Edición Diamante Toro opened with more earth notes, natural tobacco, and citrus. These were joined by notes of mixed pepper, baker’s spice, and cedar. The earth and natural tobacco notes moved into the forefront while the citrus, pepper, cedar, and baker’s spice settled into the background. Meanwhile, on the retro-hale, there was an additional layer of natural tobacco and some wood notes.

The second third of the Edición Diamante Toro saw the earth and natural tobacco remain grounded in the forefront. In the first half of the second third, the cedar notes gradually increased. Once past the midway point, the pepper notes increased. Meanwhile, the baker’s spice and citrus continued to round out the flavor profile.

The final third saw the pepper notes join the earth in the forefront. The natural tobacco notes receded into the background, joining the cedar, citrus, and baker’s spice notes. While the pepper was in the forefront, the cigar was by no means overpowering with spice. This is the way the Edición Diamante Toro came to a close. The resulting nub was slightly soft and cool to the touch.

Burn

The burn of the Edición Diamante Toro required multiple touch-ups to maintain a straight burn path and burn line. While the touch-ups kept things on track, I found this cigar needed more touch-ups than I preferred. The resulting ash was silver-gray in color. This wasn’t an overly firm ash, but it wasn’t loose or flaky. As for the burn rate and burn temperature, both maintained ideal levels.

Draw

Overall, the Edición Diamante Toro performed quite well when it came to draw – especially from a box-press. There was just enough resistance to make this an ideal in my book. At the same time, this was a low-maintenance cigar from which to derive flavor.

Strength and Body

The Edición Diamante Toro started on the lower end of medium for strength and body. There was a slight increase in intensity along the way, but overall, the change in strength and body was quite minimal. At the same time, the strength and body of the Edición Diamante Toro balanced each other very nicely, with neither attribute overshadowing the other.

BANDING AND PACKAGING NOTES (*)

Simply put, Altadis U.S.A. did a fantastic job. I love the gold and brown bands on the cigars. The brown looks quite nice against the wrapper. I also like the gold Montecristo logo—something that was introduced with the Montecristo 1935 Anniversary Nicaragua. The best feature is the diamond on the secondary band and on the inside vista of the box.

 

OVERALL ASSESSMENT

Final Thoughts

Rafael Nodal and AJ Fernandez were involved with two 2023 releases that were sequels to a successful prior release. The Aging Room Nicaragua Sonata was the follow-up to the Aging Room Nicaragua. The Montecristo 1935 Anniversary Edición Diamante was the follow-up to the Montecristo 1935 Anniversary Nicaragua. Both of these sequels were somewhat dialed back from the blends they were following up. I mention this because I found that both Sonata and Edición Diamante performed even better than their predecessors. In particular, the Edición Diamante Toro performed well in the most crucial category – flavor. It also performed as I would expect from a cigar in the $20.00 plus price range.

In the end, this is a cigar I would recommend to any cigar enthusiast. As for myself, this is a cigar I would buy and smoke again. Coming in at 90 points, the Montecristo 1935 Anniversary Edición Diamante Toro earns a Cigar Coop Standard of Excellence designation.

Summary

Key Flavors: Earth, Natural Tobacco, Cedar, Citrus, Baker’s Spice, Wood Pepper
Burn: Very Good
Draw: Excellent
Complexity: Medium Plus
Strength: Medium
Body: Medium
Finish: Very Good

Rating

Value: Buy One
Score: 90
Cigar Coop Standard of Excellence

REFERENCES

News: Montecristo 1935 Anniversary Edición Diamante Announced
Price: $24.20
Source: Purchased (one sample was also received from Altadis U.S.A.)
Brand Reference: Montecristo

Photo Credits: Cigar Coop, except where noted.

(*) Indicates this is not factored into the score or value rating