Date Added: Sunday 05 August, 2018
by Simon
£62.99
Montecristo Linea 1935 Dumas
It’s not often that you get to try an entirely new cigar, especially one from a range as hotly anticipated as the Linea 1935. I am a fan of Montecristo in general and as I have matured as a cigar smoker, I have always found myself relying on the old stalwarts like the No2. Having tried the Open series and enjoyed them, but not ‘loved’ them, I was really looking forward to a chance to smoke a Linea 1935.
I ordered two of each of the Leylanda and Dumas and they were delivered a couple of weeks ago, by the team at CGars. I would normally put my cigars away in the humidor for at least 6 months before I smoke them, but the anticipation was killing me and I was unable to wait that long. I picked a Dumas, as this is the size closest in size to a robusto, my favoured smoke.
Construction is almost as good as it ever gets, a truly lovely wrapper, nut brown but with with an oily sheen and some darker depth to it. The cap was beautifully constructed and almost looks seamless from a distance, but when you get close you can see real precision to the workmanship. Aromas from it in the unlit state, included hay, honey, cedar and some spiciness that i canÂ’Â’t put my finger on exactly. Once punched the test draw seemed to give just enough resistance.
It was easy to light and after a slow toasting I took my first puff. Instantly, I felt at home with this cigar, the smoothness and flavour coming from the thick creamy cloud of smoke with ease. Initial impressions were of cedar, coffee and a lovely mellow sweetness, honey and leather and perhaps even a hint of cocoa.
Huge amounts of smoke are available with very little effort at all on the draw, however the first third of the cigar burned a little erratically, with it first canoeing one way then the other, evening out in the second third, all the way to the finish. I will put this down to it being a young cigar, but at no time did this intrude on the enjoyment.
As I got into the second third, some earthiness started to become apparent and this along with the leathery finish balanced the sweetness nicely. There is some spiciness to it too and I would say that it has all the character of the best Montecristos, but with a much fuller strength and flavours coming through in spades.
On the subject of strength, this is where I waver a bit, I think because I love the No.2 for its rich complexity, I am not sure if there is a place for the Dumas in my ‘go to’ cigars. That’s not to say that its not a wonderful cigar, but I felt towards the end it got too strong for my taste, particularly as it lasted a good hour or so. It has everything I love about the Montecristo range, but I fear it is aimed at bringing in those who favour a fuller strength and competes well with the stronger brands.
Overall this is an exceptional cigar and one that I believe will age very well and some of my concerns about strength could well become unfounded as it matures. If you like MontecristoÂ’s offerings, but hanker for more power this is up there with their very best and a delightful smoke.
I have to give this a 4 at the moment, but I feel that this is for no other reason than my own taste in a lighter smoke, but will update this in a year or so.
