The Smoking Syndicate: Montecristo M Toro

Earlier this year at the 2025 PCA Trade Show, Altadis unveiled a new ultra-premium cigar in their Montecristo line called M. What makes this special is a 20 year aged Ecuadorian Connecticut that is used for its wrapper. This special wrapper was acquired from David Perez of ASP in Nicaragua. The blend for the Montecristo M was developed by AJ Fernandez and Rafael Nodal using this wrapper at AJ’s factory in Esteli, Nicaragua. Here is what Altadis had to say about the cigar: “Crafted by the legendary cigarmaker AJ Fernandez, the story of this smoke lies in a wrapper that has been carefully and beautifully aged for two decades. Aging a cigar’s wrapper leaf, like a fine bourbon or wine, adds a tremendous amount of character and maturity to a smoke, heightening the tasting notes and taking the smoker on a journey far beyond what they have experienced from normal mass market offerings in the past. The Connecticut seed Ecuadorian leaf utilized for this project was cultivated and brought to life through the fifth-generation grower David Perez, resulting in a medium-bodied smoke that is uniquely proportioned to accentuate the subtle beauty of the wrapper.” Vitola: Toro Size: 6 x 52 Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut Binder: Nicaraguan Filler: Nicaraguan Country of Origin: Nicaragua Factory: Tabacalera AJ Fernandez Cigars de Nicaragua S.A. MSRP: $15.99 Final Score: 93