Pre-light Experience

The wrapper on the Montecristo Cincuenta Toro is medium brown and has a couple of slightly raised veins present. The seams are smooth and well blended and the triple cap is very well applied. There are two bands with the primary being gold and white and denoting the brand and line. The secondary band is red, gold and white and denotes the anniversary and the factory. The bands are extremely attractive. The aroma from the wrapper is a mix of bread and hay while the foot is just the bready note. The pre-light draw has a yeasty bread note along with hay and a mild spiciness. The spiciness lingers quite a while on my lips.

Pre-light Experience

The Montecristo Cincuenta Toro is beautiful in hand and has a lovely silky wrapper that is between Natural and Colorado in coloring. It is firm throughout and has an aroma of raisins, golden hay, strong honey, sweet tobacco, rich earth and leather.

Pre-light Experience

The Montecristo Cincuenta Toro has a smooth, chocolate brown wrapper. There are two bands, with a primary red on gold band, and a secondary gold on red band indicating ‘Tabacalera De Garcia 50 años’. The wrapper has aromas of baking spices and a deep, aged cedar. There is faint prune and hay in the foot.

First Third

The cigar begins with wood and some baking spice, but the profile is a bit sharp. At a half inch in, the sharpness goes away and the profile is now a mellow mix of wood, baking spice and light cream. The retrohale carries the same profile but without the cream. At an inch and a quarter, the cream leaves and the profile becomes slightly dry. As the third comes to a close, some mustiness joins the wood and baking spice. The strength in this third was slightly below medium.

First Third

The first third opens up by delivering notes of sweet spices, rich earth, dark cocoa powder and red pepper. It is medium-full in body, medium in strength and full in the flavor department. It is complex and really enjoyable. Great start to the cigar.

First Third

Chocolate, spicy cedar, lingering spices, with light pepper on the post draw provide a complex start to the cigar. Earth almost immediately establishes in the middle of the profile. Faint bready notes try to come through on the retrohale. Savory cedar joins the post draw and displaces the earth in the middle of the profile as it settles in. Some mid profile orange citrus at light plus joins in a few minutes later. Cedar starts to define the profile at the halfway mark, with a bready finish. The initial complexity of the cigar was off the charts, but that complexity winds down rapidly by the halfway mark.

Second Third

As the second third begins, the baking spice picks up to take a slight lead over the wood while the mustiness is still a supporting note. At a half inch in, a light earthiness joins the profile. At an inch in, all of the components are at equal levels which creates and interesting flavor combination. The retrohale is wood, earth and baking spice. As the third comes to a close, the cigar has a very long finish of earth and baking spice. The strength in this third bumped up to medium.

Second Third

I am in the second third of the cigar now and finding some great transitioning in the cigar. There are some graham cracker flavors present and it is paired with some pepper spice with rich earth. I am picking up some caramel qualities and it has a finish of coconut and milk chocolate. The body is right around that medium-full level, same as before, body right there with it, and the strength is medium overall.

Second Third

Bready notes displace the cedar at the center of the flavor profile. Sweet bread on the retrohale, finishing with aged cedar. At the bottom half of the first third, each draw has an earthy finish with substantial earth on the post draw. Tannic cedar joins the earth minutes later. The second third started out good but the profile can’t hold together once the cigar settles in.

Final Third

As the final third begins, the earth, now pretty dry, has taken the lead with the wood and mustiness right behind. The baking spice is now quite faint. At a half inch in, the earth and wood are up front while the mustiness remains in the background. A slight bitterness has also joined the profile. At three quarters of an inch in, a slight baking spice returns to the profile. The retrohale is musty wood. At an inch in, the wood takes the lead ahead of the earth and mustiness and the profile is a bit dryer now and the bitterness has increased. The baking spice has left the profile again. As the cigar comes to a close, the cigar begins to heat up which brings a vegetal note to the profile. The strength in this third remained at medium.

Final Third

The final third shows some transitioning from the second third, and while it is not as strong of a third, it is still solid. I am picking up some pepper spice notes and it is paired with noticeable cinnamon flavors. There is a dry earth quality on the finish and with that are some nutty traits. The body is around the medium level, strength as well and the flavors are at a medium-full level.

Final Third

Tannic cedar is defining the profile leading into the final third. There is some sweetness in the middle of the profile. The tannins ease up somewhat as the last third settles in. Cedar drives the flavor notes for the remainder of the last third. The last third is primarily cedar, making for an average experience.

Burn

The burn line was slightly wavy at times and straight at others. The ash held on in two inch increments.

Burn

The burn from start to finish on the cigar was top notch. At one point there was some minor waviness, but nothing major and it quickly corrected itself. This was a well made cigar that smoked great.

Burn

The first third starts out straight, becomes slightly uneven, eventually correcting. The burn is straight until becoming uneven again in the second third. Straight through the final third. The ash held on well up to 2 inches.

Draw

The draw was perfect with just the right amount of resistance that I prefer.

Overall

The cigar began with wood, baking spice and cream and then the cream switched to mustiness as some earthiness joined in. The profile had some dryness that built up as it progressed and the wood, earth, mustiness and baking spice all fluctuated in regards to their position. The construction was quite good and strength hovered around medium. For an anniversary cigar and the price point, I was expecting more from the Montecristo Cincuenta Toro, but overall it was a fairly average experience. The dryness took away some enjoyment and none of the flavors really popped. Both the price and flavor profile would make me hesitant to return to this. A positive for the cigar is that the presentation was quite good, but that’s really an afterthought to the flavor.

Draw

The draw on the Cincuenta was great. It had a nice level of resistance from start to finish. Well rolled cigar.

Overall

The Montecristo Cincuenta Toro was a really nice cigar to celebrate 50 years. I thought the flavor profile was enjoyable and I loved the transitioning that took place. It had depth as well and this is what I look for in a cigar. The growth in to the second third was awesome, and while it was not as stellar in the final third, it still delivered a lovely smoking experience. I like that it was a true Toro, and while I would have preferred a different vitola, they did a great job in showcasing the tobacco in the blend. The construction on the cigar was top notch as well and because of that it made for a truly enjoyable smoking experience. The only thing going against this cigar is the price, but it is a limited release and comes in an amazing humidor so that is understandable.

Draw

The draw is well in the ideal range, with a 1/2 notch of resistance.

Overall

The Montecristo Cincuenta Toro has a monster start to the first third with chocolate, cedar, spices, earth, bread and citrus. Unfortunately, that profile can’t sustain its complexity, and by the halfway point of the first third there is a steep decline in both strength and balance. The overall experience for the second and last third is average. Construction is impeccable, and the overall strength is medium minus with at times medium-full flavors. Total smoking time was 1 hour and 41 minutes.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.65

Cost/Point

$6.19

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

6.92

Cost/Point

$5.06

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

6.10

Cost/Point

$5.74

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Montecristo Cincuenta Toro