Quick answer: Montecristo No. 2 is the Cuban brand's signature piramide, 6.1 x 52, and Cigar Aficionado's 2013 Cigar of the Year at 96 points. Importing it to the US has been illegal since September 24, 2020. The closest US-legal matches are the Davidoff Aniversario Special T and the Padron 1964 Belicoso.
Montecristo No. 2 is the most recognized cigar shape in the world. The pyramid silhouette appears in Hollywood films, music videos, executive offices, and lounge artwork. Most US smokers know the No. 2 by reputation before they ever hold one. Montecristo launched in Cuba in 1935, and this single vitola has anchored the marca for generations on the strength of its shape, its wrapper character, and its historical weight.
This guide covers what makes the No. 2 iconic and what legal alternatives exist for US smokers. This article does not endorse circumventing the US embargo.
What Is Montecristo No. 2?
Montecristo No. 2 is a pyramid-shaped cigar (a piramide) from the Cuban Montecristo brand, made in Cuba and distributed worldwide by Habanos S.A. It measures 6.1 inches long with a 52 ring gauge, tapering from a wider foot to a pointed head; the Habanos factory name for the shape is Piramides. Alonso Menendez founded Montecristo in 1935 and named it for the Alexandre Dumas novel a lector read aloud to the factory's rollers. The No. 2 became the brand's signature figurado, and Cigar Aficionado named it Cigar of the Year for 2013 with a 96-point score. The all-Cuban blend of Vuelta Abajo tobacco delivers a smooth, refined profile of cocoa, coffee, cream, and cedar. Since the personal-import exemption ended on September 24, 2020, the Cuban No. 2 has been illegal to import into the US. A Dominican-made Montecristo No. 2 sold legally in the US shares only the name and the shape.
Why Is the Montecristo No. 2 So Famous?
Three factors made the Montecristo No. 2 the cigar everyone can picture:
Distinct silhouette. The pyramid shape is immediately identifiable. Most cigars look similar (round parejos in various sizes). The pyramid stands out from the rest of the humidor.
Hollywood and pop culture. The Montecristo No. 2 turns up constantly on screen as shorthand for success, the cigar a character lights to signal he has arrived. That on-screen presence built recognition far beyond the people who smoke it.
Cigar industry consensus. Montecristo No. 2 is one of the most-rated cigars in publication history. Cigar Aficionado has scored it in the 90s across multiple decades and named it Cigar of the Year for 2013, and it is widely treated as the gold standard of the pyramid vitola.
The name carries so much weight in the US that a nationwide lounge chain, Casa de Montecristo, is built on it.
How Does the Pyramid Shape Smoke?
The pyramid shape changes how the cigar smokes:
The tapered head. The cap concentrates smoke at the mouth, intensifying the flavor experience. The first third produces denser, more concentrated flavor than a standard parejo of similar size.
The wider foot. The wider foot exposes more tobacco to the flame initially, producing strong opening puffs.
The middle and final thirds. Past the tapered section, the No. 2 behaves more like a standard parejo, settling into the classic Montecristo profile: coffee, cocoa, roasted nut, and the tangy wood note Cuban fans call twang.
Smoke time runs 70 to 90 minutes for most smokers.
One practical note from experience: cut a piramide conservatively. Take two or three millimeters off the tip, test the draw, and only go deeper if it feels tight, because over-cutting a tapered head is how wrappers start to peel. The cigar sizes guide covers how figurados differ from parejos across every vitola.
Is the Montecristo No. 2 Legal in the US?
Cuban-made Montecristo No. 2 is illegal to import to the US. OFAC's Cuban Assets Control Regulations prohibit importing Cuban-origin cigars whether bought directly, given as a gift, or purchased in any third country. That has been the rule since September 24, 2020, when OFAC ended the personal-import exemption for travelers. The full legality breakdown, including how the rules treat cigars that entered the country legally before the change, is in are Cuban cigars illegal in the US.
US-legal Montecristo cigars exist. The US Montecristo brand is made at the Tabacalera de Garcia factory in La Romana, Dominican Republic, and sold by Altadis USA, a separate company from the Cuban operation. Several US Montecristo lines carry a No. 2 of their own: the yellow-label Original No. 2 is a 6 x 50 torpedo under a Connecticut-shade wrapper, and the White Series No. 2 Belicoso runs 6.1 x 52. They share the brand name and the shape with the Cuban original, and nothing else. The full Montecristo brand guide covers both sides of the split.
Best US-Legal Alternatives
If you want a No. 2 style pyramid experience, several US-legal cigars match the profile:
Padron 1964 Anniversary Belicoso (5 x 52). Box-pressed Nicaraguan with a tapered head. Fuller-bodied than the smooth Cuban, but it matches the pyramid shape and premium positioning. $19 to $25 each.
My Father Le Bijou 1922 Torpedo Box Press (6.1 x 52). Same length and ring gauge as the Cuban No. 2, all-Nicaraguan, and Cigar Aficionado's 2015 Cigar of the Year at 97 points. Darker and fuller than the Montecristo. $12 to $15 each.
Davidoff Aniversario Special T (6 x 52). Refined Dominican torpedo under an Ecuador Connecticut wrapper. Closest in profile to the Cuban No. 2: smooth, creamy, balanced. $27 to $34 each.
La Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor Belicoso (5.5 x 54). Box-pressed Nicaraguan from the Garcia family of My Father Cigars. Cuban-style flavor at well below the Cuban price. $8 to $11 each.
If I could stock only one in the No. 2's place, I'd take the Le Bijou Torpedo: identical dimensions, its own Cigar of the Year trophy, and change back from a twenty.
For the full substitute table, see the Cuban vs Nicaraguan cigars guide. Every pick above comes from a brand US retailers stock year-round. Active codes for Famous Smoke and the other retailers we track update weekly on the coupons hub.
Want to hold one before you commit to a box? Any well-stocked cigar lounge will have at least one of these four in the humidor. Smoke it slow and note which third you like best. Online, the premium cigar category shows who sells them as singles.
How Much Does a Montecristo No. 2 Cost?
Where Cuban cigars trade legally outside the US, the Montecristo No. 2 generally runs $20 to $60 per single depending on the market, with 25-count boxes well into the hundreds. Spain sits near the low end of that band; heavily taxed markets like the UK and Hong Kong sit at the top.
Inside the US, only the Dominican-made Montecristo lines are sold legally. Live pricing for every US Montecristo line sits on the Montecristo price comparison page. Our retailer data puts the Dominican No. 2s at roughly $13 to $22 per cigar depending on the line. The quarterly cigar price index shows where that lands against the wider US premium market. The Cuban version cannot be bought or imported in the US at any price.
Counterfeits Are Everywhere
The Montecristo No. 2 is one of the most famous cigar names in the world, which also makes it one of the most counterfeited. Industry and Habanos S.A. estimates put a large share of the Cuban
cigars sold to travelers in tourist markets as fakes. If a deal looks too good to be true, it almost certainly is. This guide does not cover buying or importing Cuban cigars into the US, which is not legal. For the fuller story of why Cubans carry the mystique counterfeiters exploit, start with the Cuban cigars complete guide.
Trying to find the closest US-legal pyramid match for a No. 2 you smoked abroad? Tap the chat bubble at the bottom right of any cigarfinder.com page and ask Cigar Finder AI based on the body and finish you remember.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Montecristo No. 2?
The signature pyramid (piramide) vitola of the Cuban Montecristo brand, 6.1 x 52. Montecristo launched in 1935, and the No. 2 became its most famous size. One of the most iconic cigar shapes in the world.
Why is the Montecristo No. 2 famous?
Distinct pyramid silhouette, decades of Hollywood and pop culture appearances, and Cigar Aficionado scores in the 90s across multiple decades, including the 2013 Cigar of the Year award at 96 points.
Is the Montecristo No. 2 legal in the US?
The Cuban Montecristo No. 2 is illegal to import to the US under OFAC's Cuban Assets Control Regulations; the personal-import exemption ended September 24, 2020. The US-legal Montecristo brand made in the Dominican Republic has a No. 2 that is a different cigar.
What is the difference between Cuban and US Montecristo No. 2?
Completely different cigars. The Cuban No. 2 uses Cuban Vuelta Abajo tobacco and is made in Cuba by Habanos S.A. The US No. 2 wears a Connecticut-shade wrapper over Dominican tobacco and is made in the Dominican Republic by Altadis USA. They share only the brand name and shape.
What does Montecristo No. 2 taste like?
Cedar, cream, light coffee, subtle pepper. Smooth refined Cuban character. The pyramid shape concentrates smoke at the cap, intensifying the first-third flavor.
How much does a Montecristo No. 2 cost?
Abroad: $20 to $60 per cigar depending on the market. In the US, the legal Dominican-made No. 2 lines sell for roughly $13 to $22 per cigar. Sales of the Cuban version are illegal in the US at any price.
Can I buy a Cuban Montecristo No. 2 in the US?
No. The Cuban version cannot be sold or imported in the US. It trades legally only in countries with a Cuban cigar market, where counterfeits are also common. In the US, the legal option is the Dominican-made Montecristo from Altadis USA.
What is the best US-legal alternative to Cuban Montecristo No. 2?
The Davidoff Aniversario Special T is closest in profile (smooth, refined). The Padron 1964 Belicoso and the My Father Le Bijou 1922 Torpedo, the same 6.1 x 52 as the Cuban, match the shape with fuller Nicaraguan flavor.
Join the Deal-Hunting Community
Share your cigar deals and steals with fellow enthusiasts:
