The story of Montecristo Espada is seriously interesting. Montecristo partnered with famed tobacco grower Nestor Plasencia, giving their blending team, the Grupo de Maestros, unrestricted access to his renowned tobacco library and state-of-the-art factory. There, they spent months crafting a unique Nicaraguan puro unlike any prior Montecristo—overflowing with flavor and fitting the brand’s legacy while delivering a surprising new level of depth. Meaning “sword,” Espada features a gorgeous 2010 Habano wrapper from Jalapa over an all-Nicaraguan blend of bold, well-aged long-fillers from Jalapa, Ometepe, and Condega. The result is an extremely well-balanced cigar layered with rich notes of wood, pepper, coffee, cream, nuts, and sweetness—elegant, refined, and full of complexity.