Montecristo (Cuba)

Montecristo was formed in 1935 by Alonso Menéndez shortly after purchasing the Particulares factory, makers of other brands that have since been recreated outside of Cuba, including Byron and Particulares. The cigar's name is in reference to The Count of Monte Cristo, which was a popular selection to be read by cigar lectores to the torcedores in that era.

Since this time, Montecristo has risen to become one of, if not the world's most well-known cigar brands (Cuban or otherwise). The Montecristo blend uses tobaccos exclusively from Cuba's famed Vuelta Abajo region. The profile is stronger than most other Cuban cigars, with the tapered "No. 2" size being not only the most famous Montecristo size, but perhaps the most recognized shape in all of premium cigars.

In 2013, the ubiquitous Montecristo band saw its most significant change, updating the fleur-de-lis logo and side-flanking designs to show a gold foil appearance (as opposed to the all-white coloring from former designs).