Montecristo Open (J) Junior

📌 Brand: Montecristo
📌 Line: Open
📌 Size: Short Panatela (4 3/8" × 38 - Trabucos)
📌 Weight:7.2 g
📌 Age: 6 years
📌 Origin: Cuba

Tasting Notes

• Light Cedar – Clean but restrained

• Dry Grass – Fresh, airy but simple

• White Pepper – Mild, fleeting spice

• Paper-Dry Finish – Short and unengaging

First Impressions

The Open Junior presents a slender, elegant format with a pale Colorado wrapper and minimal oil. Pre-light aroma gives hay, light cedar, and a touch of sweetness. Cold draw is open and easy, hinting at an approachable but mild experience.

Smoking Experience

• First Third – Light cedar and grassy notes appear immediately. Burn is straight, draw effortless.

• Second Third – Profile stays virtually unchanged. Pepper flickers briefly but adds little depth.

• Final Third – Flavors thin further and become one-dimensional. Clean combustion, but no evolution or intensity.

Pairings

• Alcohol – Cachaça Novo Fogo Tanager - Bright tropical fruit, soft funk, and gentle sweetness add interest and contrast to an otherwise flat profile.

• Tea – Japanese Kirishima Wakoucha Black Tea - Naturally sweet, low-tannin, and softly fruity — chosen to enhance subtlety without overpowering.

Music Pairing

“O Barquinho” – João Gilberto
Light, relaxed, and uncomplicated — mirrors the cigar’s easygoing nature.

Final Thoughts

Montecristo Open Junior is clean, well-made, and easy to smoke, but ultimately boring and one-dimensional. It delivers consistency without excitement — more functional than memorable.

Final Score: 7/10
Why not a 10?
Linear profile, minimal transitions, and lack of depth kept it from engaging beyond the first few minutes.

Only cigars that deliver flawless draw, balance, flavour evolution, construction and satisfaction get a 10.