Whisky - UK (2020-05)

The Epicurean

THE CIGAR

Montecristo No.4

From last issue’s relative tiddler

in the cigar world, this time we are

Š‡ƒ†‹‰–‘•‘‡–Š‹‰™‹–Š†‡β‹‹–‡

reach and global standing, the

Montecristo No.4.

This Monetcristo is probably the best

known and most readily mentioned

and appreciated brand of Cuban cigars

in the world, coming in a close second

to Cohiba. For me, the No.4 and its

larger stablemate the No.2, are the

benchmarks for the cigar world, such

are their consistency and balance.

The Montecristo brand was created

in 1935 by Alonso Menendez and Jose

Manuel Garcia, who had just purchased

the H. Upmann brand. The name,

particularly if you are a classic literature

fan, comes from a lovely story. When the

cigar makers (or torcedores) are rolling

cigars they have someone called a

Lector who reads them the news, novels

and other things. The legend has is that

the Alexande Dumas novel The Count of

Monte Cristo was such a big hit at the H.

Upmann factories that the name stuck.

So what makes this little punchy

stick so impressive? Well for a start

the tobacco comes from Cuba’s home

‘ˆ•‘‡‘ˆ–Š‡⋐‡•––‘„ƒ……‘Ž‡ƒˆǡ–Š‡

Vuelta Abajo. This region is legendary

for tobacco in the cigar world.

The leaves when they are ready are

rolled into what’s called a petite corona.

There is lots of technical language

surrounding cigars and to be honest I

⋉—”‡›‘—†‡ƒ””‡ƒ†‡”ǡ‹‰Š–Œ—•–™ƒ–

to know what’s good to smoke and why

it’s good.

If I am wrong please drop me a line in

the usual manner and let me know.

So this world-dominating cigar might

be small, but it delivers a well balanced

and feisty smoke. Each pull gives you

great coffee and cocoa notes, and

developing after about a quarter of its

length, vanilla and caramel.

This is pretty much an all-rounder

of a cigar, but as we are talking about

dominating a market, I thought it would

be perfect to put with a Johnnie Walker

Black Label.

Š‹•„Ž‡†™ƒ•β‹”•–‡•–ƒ„Ž‹•Š‡†„›

grocer John Walker in the Scottish town

of Kilmarnock. It is now the most widely

distributed brand of blended Scotch

whisky in the world, sold in almost

every country.

Which means, if you travel with your

…‹‰ƒ”•ǡ›‘—ƒ”‡‰‘‹‰–‘⋐†–Š‡•ƒ‡

consistent sweet and smoky blend

in whichever bar you settle into for a

smoke and a dram.

Opening pages:

Jodi Feuille’s seared

steak and whiskey.

These pages, from

left to right:

The Old Fashioned;

Montecristo cigars.

062 - 065 - Epicurean-WM 167 .indd 65 09 / 04 / 2020 11 : 59