Montecristo is a Cuban cigar brand established in 1935 by Alonso Menendez at the H. Upmann factory in Havana, Cuba. The brand was named after the Alexandre Dumas novel 'The Count of Monte Cristo,' which was a favorite story read aloud to the cigar rollers at the factory. Montecristo quickly became one of the best-selling Cuban cigar brands and has maintained that position for decades. It is currently the best-selling Cuban cigar brand worldwide by volume.
Cuban Montecristo cigars are produced at the H. Upmann factory in Havana using tobacco exclusively from the Vuelta Abajo region in Pinar del Rio province. The brand's core lineup includes the classic Montecristo No. 1 through No. 5, with the No. 2 torpedo being one of the most famous and highly rated Cuban cigar vitolas of all time. The No. 4 is the best-selling individual Cuban cigar size globally. Special lines include the Montecristo Open series, the Platinum series (released for the brand's 70th anniversary), and the Montecristo Linea 1935 introduced in 2019.
The Cuban Montecristo brand is owned by Habanos S.A. and distributed internationally through their joint venture with Imperial Brands' Altadis division. Due to the U.S. trade embargo on Cuba, Cuban Montecristos cannot legally be sold in the United States. However, a separate non-Cuban Montecristo brand is produced and sold in the U.S. by Altadis U.S.A. (a subsidiary of Imperial Brands), manufactured in the Dominican Republic. The two brands share the name but are entirely different products.
Montecristo has been a fixture on Cigar Aficionado's annual top 25 lists for decades, with the Cuban No. 2 frequently appearing among the highest-rated cigars. The brand is synonymous with Cuban cigar culture and is often the first Cuban cigar brand that newcomers encounter. Limited edition and regional releases from Montecristo, such as the Gran Reserva and Supremos, are highly prized by collectors and can command significant premiums over standard production cigars.