Montecristo 1935 Anniversary Edición Doble Diamante Review — Montecristo 1935 Anniversary Edición Doble Diamante – Cigar Review

Today, we are reviewing the Montecristo 1935 Anniversary Edición Doble Diamante. This limited edition cigar is the third installment of Altadis U.S.A.’s Montecristo 1935 brand. Notably, the Doble Diamante is considered one of the most ultra-premium cigars ever produced by Altadis U.S.A., with a price point of $150 per cigar.

Over the past few years, there has been a rise in ultra-premium luxury cigars. Much like Rolex in the watch market and Lamborghini in the automotive market, numerous cigar brands have sought to establish high-priced luxury items in the cigar industry. Brands such as Davidoff, Arturo Fuente, Rocky Patel, and Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust are examples of companies that successfully created these luxury offerings. In Altadis U.S.A.’s portfolio, Montecristo stands out as its most premium brand. Therefore, it was a natural choice for Altadis U.S.A. to enter this market with a product from Montecristo.

The Montecristo 1935 line debuted in 2020 to commemorate the 85th Anniversary of the Montecristo brand. It has become one of the most successful sub-brands under Altadis U.S.A.’s Montecristo brand. Therefore, putting the ultra-premium Edición Doble Diamante under this sub-brand was logical.

Montecristo 1935 Anniversary Nicaragua
Montecristo 1935 Anniversary Edición Diamante
Montecristo 1935 Anniversary Edición Doble Diamante

Altadis U.S.A. states that the price reflects its ultra-premium packaging and the use of rare, extra-aged tobaccos in this blend.

Let’s go ahead and break down the Doble Diamante and see what this cigar brings to the table. Note: this assessment was based on a single smoking experience of the Doble Diamante.

Montecristo 1935 Anniversary Edición Doble Diamante – Cigar Review

SPECIFICATIONS

Blend and Origin

The Doble Diamante is a Nicaraguan puro. The tobacco used comes from AJ Fernandez’s Finca La Lilia and San Lotano farms. It has undergone a slow fermentation and an extended aging process over ten years. The production takes place at AJ Fernandez’s facility 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 Doble Diamante will be available in one vitola, a 54 x 6 1/2 Toro. The cigar comes in a 20-count wooden box with a piano finish and metal accents that also serves as a keepsake humidor. There were 250 boxes of the Doble Diamante.

Appearance (*)

The Nicaraguan wrapper of the Doble Diamante is exquisite. It has a beautiful cinnamon/rosado color to it. There was a very light sheen of oil on the surface of this wrapper and a very slight amount of mottling. There were a few visible veins, and the wrapper seams were minimally visible. The box press of the Doble Diamante was soft with a slight amount of rounding.

PERFORMANCE

Pre-Light Draw (*)

A straight cut was used to commence the smoking experience of the Doble Diamante. Once the cap was removed, it was time for the pre-light draw ritual. The draw delivered a combination of natural tobacco, earthy notes, and a hint of pepper. The natural tobacco offered a rich and enjoyable flavor, making for an excellent taste experience. At this point, I removed the footer band from the Doble Diamante, toasted the cigar, and moved into the smoking phase.

Tasting Notes

The Doble Diamante opened up with earth notes, natural tobacco, cedar, cream, baker’s spice, and black pepper. The natural tobacco notes maintained that rich texture from the pre-light draw and moved into the forefront early on. The earth, cream, baker’s spice, and pepper settled in the background. Meanwhile, there was an extra layer of black pepper on the retro-hale.

During the second third of the Doble Diamante, natural tobacco continued to play a prominent role. There was a slight decrease in the notes of natural tobacco and cream, while cedar and baker’s spice flavors experienced a slight increase. The flavors were well-balanced and harmonious.

In the final third, the natural tobacco notes remained dominant. The cedar notes increased in intensity, and I was initially worried they might become overwhelming, but fortunately, they did not. Meanwhile, the pepper notes also became more prominent, though they still maintained a secondary role. Meanwhile, the earth, cream, and baker’s spice rounded things off nicely. This is the way the Doble Diamante came to a close. The resulting nub was cool in temperature and slightly soft to the touch.

Burn

The burn of the Doble Diamante performed excellently. This cigar maintained a straight burn path and a relatively straight burn line. The photo below shows a slight jag, but the only time that happened was when I snapped the picture. Minimal touch-ups were needed for this cigar. The resulting ash was silver-gray. It wasn’t an overly firm ash but not prone to burning or flaking. As for the burn rate and burn temperature, both maintained ideal levels. I had approximately 1 hour and 51 minutes of smoking time with the Doble Diamante.

Draw

The draw of the Doble Diamante was a little more open than I prefer. I like a little more resistance on the draw, but that is my preference. It wasn’t loose, and it certainly wasn’t problematic regarding combustion.

Strength and Body

Regarding strength and body, the Doble Diamante is the most dialed back of the three blends in the Montecrsto 1935 Anniversary line. Strength-wise, the cigar started out mild to medium but progressed to medium in the final third. Throughout the smoking experience, the flavors delivered were medium, and there wasn’t much variance in the intensity.

When it came to strength versus body, the body maintained a slight edge throughout the smoking experience, but things moved closer to equilibrium in the final third.

BANDING AND PACKAGING NOTES (*)

Although we don’t assign a score to this category, I have high expectations for a $150 cigar. The Doble Diamante met all of those expectations. A box of these cigars costs around $3,000, and the beautifully crafted piano-finish humidor they come packaged in certainly lives up to those high standards. The banding is gorgeous, and the holographic effect on the diamond on the secondary band (and humidor box) was a great touch.

Packaging of the Burn of the Montecristo 1935 Anniversary Edición Doble Diamante

OVERALL ASSESSMENT

Final Thoughts

Price is not something we factor into a numeric score. The score is calculated on merit. In the case of the Doble Diamante, this cigar excels in the most crucial category – flavor. The flavors delivered start off fantastic, and do not let up. Ultimately, I would put this up with the Montecristo New York Connoisseur Edition as the best Montecristo Altadis has released to date. Determining the value of a single cigar at $150 is challenging, but as mentioned earlier, there is a market for luxury goods.The way we calculate a value rating for these high-priced cigars has changed, and now the question is – “is it worth splurging?”. In my case, I certainly want to smoke this cigar again, so the answer is a resounding yes to splurge. Coming at 92 points, this cigar is currently the highest-scoring cigar in the Cigar Coop Cigar Year (which began November 1, 2024), far exceeding the standard of excellence.

Summary

Key Flavors: Natural Tobacco, Baker’s Spice, Cedar, Earth, Cream, Pepper
Burn: Excellent
Draw: Very Good
Complexity: Medium
Strength: Mild to Medium
Body: Medium
Finish: Very Good