Montecristo 1935 Anniversary Nicaragua Getting Thick, New Size

The No. 2 cigar of 2021 will soon be available in a beefed-up, 60-ring-gauge format. Made in Nicaragua by A.J. Fernandez for Altadis U.S.A., the Montecristo 1935 Anniversary Nicaragua Espeso is the newest addition to the line and it should be shipping to retailers on May 1.
Espeso, which translates to “thick” in Spanish, lives up to its name at 5 1/2 inches long by 60 ring gauge. The box-pressed cigars come in 10-count boxes and are set to retail for $18 each. The new release will bring the Montecristo 1935 Anniversary Nicaragua brand up to five sizes.
“The Montecristo 1935 Anniversary Nicaragua blend works incredibly well in the new Espeso vitola,” said Rafael Nodal, head of product capability for Altadis U.S.A. “This is why A.J. Fernandez and I decided it had to be the first size extension in the line after receiving Cigar Aficionado’s No. 2 Cigar of the Year in the No. 2 size. In my opinion the new vitola amplifies the flavors and complexity of the blend.”
When the line was introduced in 2020, it was to mark the 85th anniversary of the Montecristo brand and came in only four sizes. The blend is a collaboration between Nodal and Fernandez, but neither are saying much about the tobacco inside, other than confirming that it was all grown on Fernandez’s farms in Nicaragua.
If the Espeso ends up being anything like the other cigars in the Montecristo 1935 Anniversary Nicaragua series, it should be a hearty, medium-to-full-bodied smoke. To find out, see a future issue of Cigar Insider.