Stogie Reviews: Montecristo Buena Fortuna

When I slid the cheesy mustard-yellow cardboard sleeve from the Montecristo Buena Fortuna, I thought I’d gotten lucky. Several years in my humidor had greatly improved the look of the Habana 2000 wrapper. It was dark and oily, nearly shiny enough to reflect the light. And the aroma was rich and mouth-watering.

Hmm, I thought. Maybe I gave up on these sticks too soon. I’d bought a few five-packs from a North Carolina JR outlet, smoked a number of them without enthusiasm, and more or less forgot the rest. I’m not sure what prompted me to pick up this one the other day; perhaps it was the size, since I was seeking a small cigar. With its five inch by 47 ring gauge frame, the Buena Fortuna is a comfortable quick smoke.

My newfound enthusiasm soared with the first couple of puffs. It was thick and tasty, saturated with coffee and cocoa flavors and a little leather. I was ready to find the JR catalog for a re-order.

Ah, the foolishness of first impressions. Quickly, the cigar’s mix of Dominican, Nicaraguan, and Peruvian filler returned to form and became the bitter, unpleasant cigar I recalled. By the midpoint, it had become truly nasty, and I left it dying in the ashtray.

I thought this was one of the Altadis brand extensions produced exclusively for JR, which it owns. But I saw Buena Fortuna for sale at a couple of other sites on the web, so I’m no longer sure. At any rate, it doesn’t appear on Altadis’ own website. And while I don’t recall what I paid, JR lists a five-pack at $18. I cannot imagine I paid that much, but maybe that’s just wishful thinking.

I can’t really think of any reason to recommend this cigar. I’d be hard-pressed to smoke one as a gift. As such, I’m afraid the Montecristo Buena Fortuna rates only one stogie out of five.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here.]

–George E

photo credit: Stogie Guys