Bugatti Monte Carlo Gold Half Corona

There is no car company quite like Bugatti.

Ettore Bugatti’s car company made vehicles at a time when the well-to-do would buy an engine and chassis from one company and the body of the car from another. The company was around for roughly four decades—some of which were consumed by World War I and II—building thousands of cars, including ones that won races including the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Monaco Grand Prix.

The Bugatti name returned to the car world a few times, most recently under the ownership of Volkswagen, which produces ultra high-end luxury vehicles priced well into the seven figures and beyond. It has also found its way on to a laundry list of non-automotive products, including cigars and cigar accessories.

Earlier this year, Bugatti Group announced the Bugatti Monte Carlo Gold and Monte Carlo Platinum. The Gold uses a Cuban-seed Brazilian wrapper over a Dominican criollo 98 binder and fillers from the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and Peru.

It’s offered in three sizes:

• Bugatti Monte Carlo Gold Half Corona (3 1/2 x 46) — $6.95 (Box of 25, $173.75)
• Bugatti Monte Carlo Gold Robusto (5 x 52) — $9.50 (Box of 20, $190)
• Bugatti Monte Carlo Gold Toro (6 x 54) — $10 (Box of 18, $180)

• Cigar Reviewed: Bugatti Monte Carlo Gold Half Corona
• Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
• Factory: Kelner Boutique Factory
• Wrapper: Brazil (Cuban-seed)
• Binder: Dominican Republic (Criollo 98)
• Filler: Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and Peru
• Length: 3 1/2 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 46
• Vitola: Half Corona
• MSRP: $6.95 (Box of 25, $173.75)
• Release Date: May 2019
• Number of Cigars Released: Regular Production
• Number of Cigars Smoked For Review: 3

This is one of the smaller cigars I’ve smoked in quite some time, though given the hot Texas summer, it’s a welcome relief. The wrapper is a bit darker than the LED lights make it out to be, certainly darker than a typical Connecticut. Aroma from the wrapper is mild-medium, with cocoa and peppermint being the only things I can really pick up. The foot has some oak, spearmint and more of the bubblegum, around medium. There’s also some spearmint on the cold draw, sitting on top of some sweetness. It’s medium in intensity, though trying to identify other flavors is rather challenging.

The Monte Carlo Gold starts with earthiness, lots of grass and a bit of allspice, around medium-full. Eventually, the minty flavor returns, this time more of a peppermint, along with earthiness and a growing amount of black pepper in the back. Reetrohales have peanuts followed by some generic nuttiness and some white pepper. Flavor is nearly full, body is mild-medium and strength is medium-plus. It’s a bit of a struggle to keep the cigar lit, though I make it through the first third without having to touch it up.

Less than a half hour in and I’ve found the second third. The flavor changes dramatically, now creamier with some white pepper and green apple. Retrohales are stronger with black pepper and some green licorice. Flavor is medium-full, body is medium-plus and strength is medium-full. I’m forced to touch up two of the Bugattis in the second third thanks to an uneven and diminishing burn line.

Unlike the first transition, the change between the second and final thirds of the Monte Carlo Gold. It remains creamy with some added earthiness, leather and almonds. Retrohales are toastier with some lime-like citrus flavors. The finish has popcorn and chestnuts, an interesting end to the 45-minute cigar. Flavor ends medium-full, body is medium-plus and strength is medium-full.

Final Notes

• There are few cigar brands I know less about than Bugatti.
• I am noticing that a lot of people in the cigar industry have recently posted pictures of the Bugatti Mirage lighter, which doesn’t seem like a bad marketing approach.
• Patrick Lagreid is working on a review of the Vulcan, the brother to the Mirage.
• While I understand using a name that people have some recognition of, there are some downsides. Those become very obvious when you type in “Bugatti Monte Carlo Gold,” “Bugatti Monte Carlo,” or “Bugatti Gold” inn Google. Outside of the one article we wrote, finding any reference to the cigar is nearly impossible.
• For those wondering, you can find just about any product with the name Bugatti. Five minutes on Google turned up luggage, flatware, clothing, furniture and others.
• Cigars for this review were sent to halfwheel by Bugatti Group.
• Final smoking time was 45 minutes on average.