At the upcoming Tobacco Plus Expo (TPE) trade show, the distributor Santa Clara, Inc. will be unveiling a new exclusive line from Altadis U.S.A.’s Montecristo brand, the Montecristo Volume 1: 100 Days.

The cigar features tobaccos that have been aged up to 10 years, including an Ecuadorian habano wrapper, Nicaraguan binder and fillers from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. The cigar was blended by Altadis U.S.A’s Grupo de Maestros and is produced in Honduras at the Flor de Copan factory.

The line is offered in three sizes:

  • Montecristo Volume 1: 100 Days Churchill (7 x 56) — $15
  • Montecristo Volume 1: 100 Days Robusto (5 x 52) — $13
  • Montecristo Volume 1: 100 Days Toro (6 x 52) — $14

Each of the three sizes are offered in 10-count boxes that are designed to resemble the classic Alexandre Dumas book, The Count of Monte Cristo.

According to a press release issued by Santa Clara, Inc., the Montecristo Volume 1: 100 Days line gets its inspiration from the novel’s “100 Days” chapter, which tells of events that took place in the 100 days following Napoleon Bonaparte’s escape from the Isle of Elba and how he reclaimed power in France.

Borrowing from that timeline, after the rolling process the cigars are placed into aromatic cedar bins for an additional 100 days of aging.

“When Santa Clara started working on this project with the great people at Altadis U.S.A., we set a goal of creating a fantastic and unique cigar that would give adult consumers a memorable smoking experience,” said David Joyce, director of wholesale operations for Santa Clara, Inc., via a press release.

The cigars are currently available for order but will make their formal industry debut during the TPE show, which runs from Jan. 29-31 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Images courtesy of Santa Clara, Inc.

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Patrick Lagreid

I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury, the G-League's Valley Suns, and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for Major League Baseball, plus I'm a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.