Stogie Review: Montecristo Vintage 93 Club Cabinet No. 30
6 Dec 2006
The Montecristo Vintage 93 Club Cabinet line is hard to find. I haven’t come across any in recent trips to cigar shops, and in a quick spot check of major online retailers, JR Cigars seems to be the only game in town. There, the robusto-sized (5 inches by 50 ring gauge) No. 30 sells for $130 for a box of 25 – over five dollars per stick when purchased in bulk.
At first glance the 1996 Connecticut Valley wrapper was a bit veinier than one might expect from Montecristo, but overall this was a fine looking cigar. Held next to a traditional brown band Montecristo, the Vintage 93 wrapper was slightly darker with more of an oily shine.
Like many Montecristo smokes, this cigar felt very solid and dense in my hand. After clipping the cigar with a double guillotine, I used two wooden matches to give it a proper light (the first match toasted the edges and the second turned the foot glowing orange).
I immediately noticed that the stogie produced dense smoke. And while a deliberate puff was necessary, the draw was firm, but not at all a hindrance to enjoying the cigar.
Straight away, smooth nutty and creamy flavors came through in this medium bodied smoke. Initially there were also subtle hints of spice and black pepper.
Overall the cigar had good balance, and after the initial third of the cigar, the pepper flavors faded away as mocha notes became apparent.
This smooth complexity and balance, coupled with flawless construction throughout, earns the Montecristo Vintage 93 Club Cabinet No. 30 an impressive rating of four out of five stogies.
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Patrick Ashby
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George Edmonson
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Sounds yummy!
better be at those prices!
$5-7 a stick isn't that bad
Isn't Montecristo notorious for charging too much per stick? Even so, I do enjoy them from time to time.
Not too impressed with this one, after smoking more “economcally friendly” cigars for the past few years. I love full bodied cigars, and this fit that need. Draw seemed too easy after cutting, loose actually, and after 2″ burned the taste became foul, like the last 3/4″ -1″ of any cigar that makes it to that point. I expect a good cigar to taste good at least up to the 2/3rd’s mark, but a Monte should be even better. A dissapointment from JR’s.
I bought a box of the Club Cabinet #50 1 1/2 years ago. I smoked about 1/2 the box right away and absolutley enjoyed every one of them. I left the 2nd half to sit in my humidor until about 1 week ago. I took one out and lit it up. Oh man- (After ageing) it is one of the best out of all the cigars I have smoked. I would have to say it rivels Padron 1964 and some of the Cubans. Now with that said. The company I bought my box from, which is one of the first companies to sell the clubs said that Monticristo would be changing its wrapper but the binder and filler would remain the same. I have not tried the newer clubs, but when I do I hope they are as good and age as the origionals. Oh- one more thing- My clubs had very little veining but everything else mention in the review is correct.
Well I bid on a monti club cabinet #50 and won. I just got the box last night. I opened the box and expected to get an aroma I had gotten from my first box I bought 1 1/2 years ago (I didn't). I lit one up. It wasn't what I expected again, It seemd and tasted to moist and damp almost like a wet rag. Some of the flavors and aromas were present but the damp taste out wayed everything. At this point out of ten & ten being the best I would rate it a 4. I am sure with the monti's sitting in my humidor for a few weeks and months the dampness will be gone and the true monti will emerg. I will write another review in a couple of weeks and let you know how they settled down.