Montecristo Espada Signature Valiente

Since 2014, Altadis U.S.A. has released four different lines under the Espada brand: the original Espada by Montecristo—which had the distinction of being the first Nicaraguan puro to be released under the Montecristo name—debuted in 2014 while the Espada Estoque was released in 2016 and the Espada Oscuro was shipped to retailers in 2019.

In December 2021, Altadis U.S.A. sent an unspecified number of boxes of a fourth blend in the Espada line to Casa de Montecristo as part of a soft launch. Named Espada Signature Valiente—which translates to valiant or brave in Spanish—the cigars were rolled at Plasencia Cigars S.A. in Estelí, Nicaragua and are made up of a Colorado claro wrapper grown in the Jalapa region covering binder and filler tobaccos that were grown in Estelí. Two months later, Altadis U.S.A. began shipping the remaining boxes—which made up the vast majority of the total number—to other retailers.

“This exciting blend was developed by Rafael Nodal, Grupo de Maestro and the Plasencia Family in way that each tobacco’s signature, when blended, creates a harmony of flavors and elevated complexity,” reads the Altadis U.S.A. website.

While Altadis has indicated that the Montecristo Espada Signature Valiente is a limited edition release, the company has so far declined to confirm actual production numbers thus far. So far, the blend has only been sold in the single 6 x 55 size.

Here is what I wrote in my original review back in March 2022:

The Montecristo Espada Signature Valiente is a tale of three very different thirds: after starting off with some aggressive spice and pepper, the profile mellows out considerably in the second third—while becoming both quite a bit creamier on the palate as well as quite a bit more enjoyable—before ending up with some significant strength by the end of the final third. In addition, the main flavors of oatmeal, cedar and earth were fairly consistent, while the retrohale featured plenty of black pepper and bready sweetness. Having said that, the close-to-full strength caused some issues with the balance at the end of the cigar and while the burn never got close to being a major issue, there were enough corrections needed to cause some annoyance. Even with those issues, the Espada Signature Valiente is well worth trying now—especially if you are a fan of stronger, more aggressive profiles—but I think with a bit of age will do wonders to round out the rough edges and increase the overall cohesion of the blend.

• Cigar Reviewed: Montecristo Espada Signature Valiente
• Country of Origin: Nicaragua
• Factory: Plasencia Cigars S.A.
• Wrapper: Nicaragua (Jalapa Colorado Claro)
• Binder: Nicaragua (Estelí)
• Filler: Nicaragua (Estelí)
• Length: 6 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 55
• Vitola: Toro Gordo
• MSRP: $15 (Box of 10, $150)
• Release Date: December 2021
• Number of Cigars Released: Undisclosed
• Number of Cigars Smoked For Redux: 1

A medium brown-colored wrapper with a reddish tint covers this Montecristo Espada Signature Valiente, and while it is exceedingly smooth to the touch, there are no signs of oil present. In addition, a couple of thick veins run down the length of the cigar, and there is quite a bit of spongy give when it is squeezed. Aromas from the wrapper include sweet earth, espresso beans, nutmeg, barnyard, wood and general nuttiness. Notes from the foot are quite a bit stronger and more distinct, with rich milk chocolate, cedar, dirt, dry hay, almonds and chocolate nougat sweetness. Finally, after a v-cut, the cold draw brings flavors of rich cocoa nibs, vegetal, almonds, straw, leather and light raisin.

There is some black pepper and spice in the first few puffs after I light the foot of the Montecristo, but the combination is nowhere near as prevalent as I remember from the first review. The profile starts off with strong almond and espresso beans flavors, followed by cedar, leather tack, earth, lemongrass and a light vegetal note that reminds me of raw broccoli. In addition, I can taste quite a bit of mineral saltiness on my lips, while the retrohale is full of maple syrup sweetness, although I detect some light black pepper in the mix as well. Flavor ends the first half at medium-plus, while both the strength and body lag behind at just under medium and a solid medium, respectively. There are no problems with construction as the cigar features an excellent draw, plenty of dense, gray smoke and a burn line that I don’t even have to think about correcting.

As the second half of the Montecristo begins, the main flavors shift a bit: the espresso beans note fades a bit into the background, replaced by a great aromatic cedar flavor that joins the almond note at the top of the profile for the rest of the cigar. Secondary flavors include the aforementioned espresso beans, gritty earth, lemongrass, sourdough bread, dark chocolate and nutmeg, while the mineral saltiness remains noticeable on my lips. There is a bit more black pepper on the retrohale—and it continues to increase as the cigar burns down—but it is not nearly enough to drown out the massive amount of maple syrup sweetness that is present. Flavor hits the full mark by the start of the final third and stays there, while the body increases to a solid medium and the strength passes into the medium-plus zone just before I put the nub down with slightly less than an inch remaining. The overall construction continues to give me no issues whatsoever.