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Montecristo

In July 1935, Alonso Menéndez purchased the Particulares Factory, makers of the popular Particulares brand and the lesser-known Byron. Immediately after its acquisition, he created a new brand named Montecristo.

The name for the brand was inspired by the Alexandre Dumas, père novel The Count of Monte Cristo, which was supposedly a very popular choice among the torcedores (cigar rollers) in their factory to have read by the lector on the rolling floor. The now-famous Montecristo logo, consisting of a triangle of six swords surrounding a fleur-de-lis, was designed by John Hunter Morris and Elkan Co. Ltd., the brand's British distributor.

In July 1936, Menéndez founded a new firm with a partner, naming it Menéndez, García y Cía. With the growing success of the Montecristo brand, the firm purchased the faltering H. Upmann Factory from J. Frankau SA in 1937 and transferred the production of Montecristo from the Particulares Factory to H. Upmann, which continued to be the home of the Montecristo brand after the Revolution. Some sources have incorrectly stated that the original name of the cigar brand was H. Upmann Montecristo Selection, but the fact that the brand was founded by Menéndez in 1935 and his firm did not acquire H. Upmann until 1937 bears out the original name of Montecristo. The original line had only five numbered sizes, with a tubed cigar added during the 1940s, but otherwise remained unchanged until after nationalization in 1960.

J. Frankau continued to be the sole distributor of the H. Upmann brand in the UK, while John Hunter Morris and Elkan Co. Ltd. was the sole distributor of Montecristo in Britain. In 1963, these firms would merge to become Hunters & Frankau, which today is the sole importer and distributor of all Cuban cigars in the UK.

Through the efforts of Alfred Dunhill (the company), the Montecristo brand became incredibly popular worldwide and to this day accounts for roughly one-quarter of Habanos SA's worldwide cigar sales, making it the most popular Cuban cigar in the world. The Montecristo brand, the factory, and all assets were nationalized by the Cuban revolutionary government of Fidel Castro on September 15, 1960.

After the Cuban Revolution, Menéndez and García fled to the Canary Islands where they re-established the brand, but were later forced to quit due to trademark disputes with Cubatabaco (later known as Habanos S.A.). In the mid-1970s, the operation was moved to La Romana in the Dominican Republic and released for the US market, since Cuban government rights to the brand were not recognized under U.S. law due to the 1960 nationalization and the subsequent embargo. Menéndez, García, y Cía is now owned by Altadis S.A., who controls its distribution and marketing in the United States.

With Menendez and Garcia gone after 1959, one of the top grade torcedores, José Manuel Gonzalez, was promoted to floor manager and proceeded to breathe new life into the brand. In the 1970s and 1980s, five new sizes were added: the A, the Especial No. 1 and 2, the Joyita, and the Petit Tubo. Three other sizes, the Montecristo No. 6, No. 7, and B, were released but subsequently discontinued, though the B can occasionally be found in very small releases each year in Cuba. Through the 1970s and 1980s, Montecristo continued to rise in popularity among cigar smokers, becoming one of Cuba's top selling cigar lines.

www.habanos.com/en/

 
  • Montecristo No. 3 - Box of 25 Montecristo No. 3 - Single stick

    Montecristo No. 3

    This Corona from Montecristo Turns out to be an intermediate step between the world's most-sold Habano (the Montecristo No. 4) and the large formats of the brand. It occupies a very outstanding place, althought more as substitute fo the No. 1, or as...
    R384.00 - R9,401.14
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  • Montecristo n. 2 - Box of 25 Montecristo n. 2 - Single Stick

    Montecristo No. 2

    Best cigar of 2013 by Cigar Afficionado The Montecristo No.2 is perhaps the incarnation of what a true Habano is. It is a living legend, one in two customers of Habanos purchases a Montecristo and this pyramid-shaped gem, 156mm x 52, is among the...
    R545.00 - R13,632.00
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  • Montecristo Open Eagle Montecristo Open Eagle

    Montecristo Open Eagle

    An ideal morning cigar and goes along well with nice wines and spirits. The Montecristo OPEN Eagle is a perfect choice for connoisseurs who are looking for smooth premium cigars or for newcomers to the world of Habanos. Take some time to discover this...
    R560.00 - R11,197.00
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  • Box of 25 Single stick

    Montecristo Tubos

    This Habanos who will never let you down, is from the world's best sold brand Montecristo. The best of all the tube cigars. It's an excellent choice for travellers or occasional smokers. Sometimes, it's practical to buy a small box of ten. Earthy taste,...
    R499.00 - R12,484.00
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  • Montecristo Open Master Montecristo Open Master

    Montecristo Open Master

    The format "Master" for the first time makes a classic Robusto an integral part of the MONTECRISTO brand. MONTECRISTO OPEN is especially well-suited for newcomers to the world of Habanos or those who like mild premium cigars from the Caribbean. But the...
    R431.00 - R8,614.00
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  • Montecristo Open Junior Montecristo Open Junior

    Montecristo Open Junior

    The Montecristo OPEN Junior at 110mm x 38 is the smallest format of the OPEN line. Montecristo OPEN is the ideal choice for unexperienced Habanos smokers, or for aficionados of mild premium cigars. However, it is still a premium choice for experienced...
    R236.00 - R4,728.00
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  • Montecristo No. 5 - Box of 25 Montecristo No. 5 - Single stick

    Montecristo No. 5

    The Montecristo No. 5, 40 x 102 mm, is one amazing smoke. Being shorter than other Montecristo doesn’t alter its strength or its construction. The draw is perfect, the burn is even and it is surprisingly smooth. It never gets too hot or too...
    R239.00 - R5,843.74
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  • Montecristo Edmundo Montecristo Edmundo

    Montecristo Edmundo

    The Montecristo Edmundo, 135mm x 52 looks more powerful than it is. It is one of the newer vitola added to the Montecristo family, it tastes definitely like one of them. The major difference with other Montecristos is that it is smoother; it develops a...
    R492.00 - R12,293.00
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