This time, I will be sparking up a Montecristo Maravilla…Released in 2005 as part of the Colección Habanos (or Habanos Book Series), there were only 500 boxes of 20 cigars (or 10,000 total) produced for the entire world…So I think that qualifies as a somewhat rare smoke…

The cigar itself is a HUGE monstrosity, measuring 7.2 inches (182mm) with a 55 Ring Guage…So it is going to take a while to smoke, I would imagine…it is a great looking cigar, with a medium brown wrapper that actually has a major vein running down almost the entire length…The wrapper itself smells like a typical Cuban, a mixture of sweet hay and barnyard that is very identifiable…

• Cigar Reviewed: Montecristo Maravilla (2005)
• Country of Origin: Cuba
• Factory: José Martí
• Wrapper: Cuba
• Binder: Cuba
• Filler: Cuba
• Size: 7 1/4 inches
• Ring Gauge: 55
• Vitola: Double Robusto
• Est. Price: N/A
• Release Date: 2005
• Production Numbers: 500 books of 20 cigars each (10,000 total cigars)

The cigar cuts easily, and the draw seems perfect…predraw tastes like a great aged Cuban, hay, sweet etc…The cigar is a bit big in my mouth (a 55 RG will do that too you)..

It lights very easily, and I was hit with just a bit of spice (mostly on the tounge) and some sweet cedar…also the tinest bit of hay as well…A fairly mild start, but not unusual with Cubans, of course…LOTS of smoke in this stick, I can already tell…

I am starting to get more of a woodsy flavor, but the spice has died down to almost nothing…still quite sweet and VERY creamy, and it is drawing like a dream (just the right amount of resistance so that you know you are smoking a cigar)…The ash fell after about an inch…

We are just a little more then a 1/3rd in, and the draw is still amazing…the volume of smoke coming out of this cigar has actually increased (if that was even possible!)…The flavors have turned more sweet now, with a bit of hay and some toasted nuts (sort of tart)…the burn has been wonderful for the whole stick, but the ash has not stayed on long…

I am starting to get a bit more spice (albeit not THAT much), and the sweetness has receded, replaced by a not too strong cedar taste…also tasting a VERY faint floral flavor (and it is present in the smoke as well), but barely enough to even write down…As I said before, the burn is really quite good, great burn line and has given me no problems whatsoever…

I am getting down to the end of this stick, and flavor wise, it is mostly more of the same…cedar, a nice sweetness, creamy, nuts and just a touch of spice….it is still burning like a champ (although not quite as great as before, it is starting to wander a bit, nothing major) and the sweetness is actually increasing…I am tasting something I can’t put my finger on, perhaps it will become more clear as we get to the end of the cigar…

Ok, the end came and went, and while it never got bitter (not even close), there was definitely and increase in spice (not THAT much, but more)…interestingly, there was also an increase in the sweetness coming out of this cigar, and while I could not pinpoint what it was before, it increase enough that I could tell it was a flavor of Honey…a great taste (especially in a milder cigar), but I just wish there was more of it…

The Bottom Line: This was a very good cigar, no doubt about that, but I could not help but think there was something missing…There were wonderful flavors, and the burn and draw were nothing short of amazing, but it could have used a bit more spice or pepper to contrast the mildness…Since I just reviewed the AVO 22 (Euro), it is only natural that this cigar be compared to it, and the bottom line is that the Montecristo Maravilla comes up short against it…Honestly, the Maravilla was just too large a cigar (I did finish it, but got bored with about 1/4th left), and I can’t help but wonder what it would taste like if it was a Robusto (or better yet, a Corona Gorda)…

Final Score: 88