Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief verdict on a single cigar of “buy,” “hold,” or “sell.”

Montecruz bands have surrounded many different cigars over the years. This Altadis-made Montecruz, introduced January 2009, features a ten-year-old Cameroon wrapper surrounding a Nicaraguan binder and a filler of tobacco from Peru, Honduras, and Nicaragua. It’s attractive, notably silky, and vein-free. The cigar is balanced and medium-bodied, with a straightforward graham cracker sweetness with a bit of cedary spice. At around $5 each, and with excellent construction, it certainly warrants a try.

Verdict = Buy.

-Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys