Montecristo No. 2 Petit Review

Overview

The Montecristo brand has long stood as one of the most recognizable pillars of the Cuban Habanos portfolio, a name that commands respect among seasoned aficionados and casual enthusiasts alike. With the introduction of the Montecristo No. 2 Petit, Habanos S.A. has reimagined one of its most iconic vitolas—the legendary No. 2 torpedo—in a format that respects both tradition and the modern smoker’s appetite for efficiency. Hand-rolled at the storied H. Upmann factory in La Corona, Havana, this 5.0 x 52 figurado is a masterclass in distillation: every element that makes the full-size No. 2 a benchmark of Cuban craftsmanship is preserved, but compressed into a smoking window of approximately 45 to 55 minutes. The result is not a compromise, but a refinement—a smoke that demands no less attention to detail, yet rewards with a concentrated arc of flavor that can be savored in a single, focused sitting.

The cigar’s pedigree begins in the fields of Vuelta Abajo, Cuba’s premier tobacco-growing region, where the wrapper is grown from Cuban seed and finished in a Colorado shade—a warm, medium-brown leaf with a subtle silky sheen and fine tooth. The binder and filler are both Vuelta Abajo long-leaf, aged at the H. Upmann factory before rolling. This is a cigar built on patience; Habanos recommends a minimum three to five years of additional aging post-release, and those who observe this box rest will be rewarded with a more integrated, harmonious profile. The Petit No. 2 was launched as part of Habanos’ efforts to offer the No. 2 experience to smokers who may not have the time for a full 90-minute session, yet it remains a premium-tier offering, priced between $22 and $32 per cigar depending on market and duty-free sourcing.

Flavor development follows the classic Montecristo trajectory, but with an intensity that is uniquely its own. The first third opens with toasted bread, light creaminess, and gentle nuttiness, punctuated by a faint floral note typical of Vuelta Abajo leaf. As the taper widens into the second third, the cigar reveals layers of earthy leather, dried apricot, and a pronounced barnyard character—quintessentially Cuban—complemented by white pepper on the retrohale and a transition toward a cacao-inflected body. The final third is the fullest expression: dark roast coffee, aged leather, and lingering earth dominate, with the figurado construction concentrating heat and oils to intensify the draw without harshness when properly humidified. The burn is even and deliberate, the ash firm and pale grey, and the draw medium-open—a testament to the exemplary construction from La Corona.

In a market increasingly defined by larger ring gauges and bolder blends, the Montecristo No. 2 Petit stands as a quiet assertion of tradition. It is a cigar for those who understand that complexity is not a function of size, but of balance and aging. For the seasoned Havana smoker, this vitola arguably delivers the No. 2’s signature flavor arc more consistently than its full-size sibling when both are at peak rest, making it an essential addition to any humidor that values nuance over novelty. It is, in every sense, a distillation—not a dilution."