Montecristo Elba 2025: a limited edition for the ninetieth anniversary

Some names travel through the decades without fading. Montecristo is one of those that shaped the world of the Cuban cigar. To mark 90 years of history, the brand is back in the spotlight with a release it describes as both classic and bold: the Montecristo Elba Limited Edition 2025.

A nod to the Mediterranean

The Elba 2025 borrows its name from the Italian island made famous by Napoleon’s exile, although the reference here is a different one. The brand presents it as an evocation of Mediterranean light and warmth. The Elba does not set out to overturn the Montecristo codes: it follows them, with a contemporary touch added.

A launch to match the name

The cigar was unveiled in Madrid, at the Las Ventas Building, during an evening organised by Club Pasión Habanos. Several hundred guests — distributors, journalists and enthusiasts — were able to discover this limited edition, alongside rare tastings and carefully chosen spirit pairings.

The brand set out to bring two worlds together: Cuban craftsmanship and technology. For the first time, a Montecristo carries an NFC chip built into the band and the box, which makes it possible to check the cigar’s authenticity and to access exclusive content.

How the cigar is made

Hand-rolled at the Encantos factory, the Montecristo Elba is a 54 ring gauge measuring 146 mm, with a medium to full profile. It is made from tobaccos aged for at least two years, grown in the Vuelta Abajo, the well-known region of Pinar del Río in Cuba.

The tasting notes published by the brand mention noble wood, bitter cocoa, vanilla and molasses following one another from the light, with roasted notes in the background and a round, lingering finish.
A cigar which, according to Habanos, asserts itself without ever being forceful, in keeping with the reputation of the Montecristo range.

A collector’s object

The Montecristo Elba 2025 comes in two presentations:

• a special box of 20 cigars, intended for world markets,
• and a Premiere Edition reserved for Spain, holding 5 cigars in a box numbered out of 10,000 copies.

Presented as a collector’s object, it is aimed at experienced enthusiasts, those who look in each release for the mark of long-established know-how.

Tasting notes

• Brand: Montecristo
• Vitola name: Elba
• Factory: Ercuros
• Dimensions: 54 × 146 mm
• Strength: medium to full
• Wrapper: golden brown, slightly oily and satin-like
• Draw: rated excellent
• Dominant flavours: wood, cocoa, vanilla, molasses
• Smoking time: around 1 hr 10

The Montecristo approach

More than a cigar, the Elba 2025 is presented by its maker as a balance between tradition and innovation. In the words of Jorge Pérez, commercial vice-president of Habanos S.A.:

“Montecristo Elba represents the essence of our history: heritage craftsmanship meeting modernity.”

In short, Montecristo is not only marking its past: it is writing a new page of its future.

Source and photo credits: Habanos.com