Montecristo - Especial #3 White

Since I haven't reviewed a cigar in a while, let Let me tell you a little bit about the Montecristo cigar label - some of the finest cigars in the world, in my opinion.

There are two kinds of Montecristo cigars - Cuban cigars and Dominican. I have had both. Among these two major kinds, there are dozens of different cigar types. Today I'm going to review one of the Dominican Montecristos, a Montecristo Especial #3, also known as Montecristo "White Label." For obvious reasons.

The brand Montecristo started in the 30s in Cuba by entrepreneur Alonson Menendez. Soon after, through acquisitions, business deals and the help of Alfred Dunhill, the Montecristo brand became one of the most ambitious and best-selling cigars in the world. After the Cuban Revolution and the nationalization of the cigar industry, Menendez fled Cuba and made his way via the Canary Islands to the Dominican Republic, where the Dominican Montecristos are made today. The brand's logo is made up of six crossed swords making a triangle... 

...as the brand was named for the book The Count of Montecristo, which was a favorite of cigar torceadors (cigar rollers) and was read to them aloud as they rolled. Torceadores would sometimes pool their money to buy novels or newspapers and have someone read to them as they (endlessly) rolled cigars. 

So let's talk about the cigars themselves. As I mentioned in my previous cigar post, cigars are measured in a certain fashion: length in inches by ring gauge. This shows the prospective smoker, at a glance, how large the cigar is. So when I see in the catalog that a cigar measures 5.5x44, as this cigar does, I know it's 5 and 1/2 inches long and is 44/64ths of an inch in diameter. There are also some common names for those sizes; a 5/5x44 is commonly known as a "Corona." So if I say that I'm smoking a Montecristo Especial #3 Corona, you'll know that it's a Montecristo white label cigar that's 5.5 inches long and around .7" in diameter. This link is a great resource for visualizing the width of cigars: http://www.cigarhandbook.com/ringguide.asp. Credit goes to Cigar Handbook for the visual aid. 

As cigars go, a Corona is not big at all. It's around a 20 minute smoke if you're really trying, and maybe 35 minutes of casual smoking. Some of the other usual sizes are Churchill (7 x 48), Robusto (5x50), and Presidente (8x60.) This cigar came in a small Montecristo sampler pack, which included four different varieties of Montecristo cigars in Corona sizes. The pack included an Especial #3, a Vintage 1999, a Serie C, and a regular brown label #2. As mentioned before, I'm smoking the Especial #3.

As you can see, the wrapper is very light - an Ecuadorian-seed Connecticut shade. The binder is Nicaraguan and the fillers are a mix of Dominican and Nicaraguan. This cigar is mild. the flavor is muted, very subtle, and starts off rather light. The cigar drew nicely at first but became a little tougher to pull.

The second third showed a stronger flavor. It was very straightforward, smoky with hints of pepper. As you can see, the cigar produced a mottled gray ash all throughout. I found the taste to be muted and very tobacco-y, which you might think it every cigar but it's a specific taste which some cigars lack. I found the aftertaste to not be pleasant but harsh and a little stale.

I put the cigar out with maybe two inches to go. It was getting bitter - like all cigars do once you smoke them enough - and rather than risk some immediate adverse effects, I decided it was done. 

As "mild" cigars go, I don't know if I would say this is totally mild. The flavor profile is muted - that is, the flavors I tasted were not as forward as some other cigars - but it lacked the creamy smoothness of an Avo XO, for example. It lacks the sophistication of the XO. I was expecting something mellow and sweet, and instead this cigar delivered some wood, tobacco and pepper flavors without any accompanying mildness. It wasn't really my cup of tea, but I can see why folks might like this. It has some good qualities - like premium leaves, a nice draw (which signifies superior craftsmanship), and even burn. The flavors are well represented and the cigar held up well to a relight - but in terms of flavors, it didn't work for me.

These cigars are expensive, around $8.50 per cigar. You can get these pretty much anywhere but I got mine online. As with any cigar, don't take my word as gospel - I have certain tastes that I like and don't like, and while this cigar didn't strike me as the best I've ever had, I encourage you to seek one out if you want to try a Montecristo. I respect the brand and think it's worth a try.

2011 Chateau Ste Michelle Columbia Valley - Riesling

I'll admit it: I've never been a fan of white wine. I've tried some over the years, and I've found much of it to be offensive, dry, and tannic. I'm not a fan of those wines, so I've stayed away for the most part. Riesling, however, is one of the few that I enjoy. I first tried a German Riesling a few years ago. Riesling is a white grape variety that's native to the Rhine region of Germany and was first mentioned by the Riesling name in 1435. Today, German Riesling has become very popular, a white wine that's sweeter than most and a little cheaper. I ran into Chateau Ste Michelle's Riesling - from their Woodinville, WA, winery - at Costco and decided to give it a shot. I have several Chateau Ste Michelle bottles in my cellar currently and figured I would give their white a spin.

The Columbia Valley, an American Viticultural Area, spans over 11 million acres in Washington state and Oregon. Many grapes are grown here, like cabernet sauvignon, Riesling, merlot, and chardonnay. Chateau Ste Michelle has been around since 1954; they are now the largest single producer of the Riesling grape in the US. 

The wine chilled nicely and poured freely. It didn't have a strong nose, but had a slight sugary smell.

That sugary smell translates nicely into the taste of wine. The wine is smooth, sugary, with very few alcohol tastes. It's clean, crisp, and delicious. There's a slight aftertaste of pears with some muted alcohol flavors. The wine finishes well and leaves nothing to be desired. I really like this wine, despite not usually liking whites in general. I would definitely seek this out to have kicking around for a lazy Sunday afternoon. But don't wait too long - this wine is meant to be enjoyed in its youth and I would not recommend cellaring it for longer than 6 months. Just drink it.

It's hard to go wrong with a $7 wine. I'm used to drinking $20 wine and this bottle compares nicely with its counterparts triple the cost. While I don't usually drink white wine, I may make an exception for this white. I'd drink this Riesling with some blue cheese and water crackers on a hot summer day. Or I'd just drink it by itself. It's refreshing, delicious, and cheap and is fine for quaffing. There's an edge of sweetness that makes it deliciously palatable and appealing