The most famous of the many famous Cuban cigar brands started only in 1935 as a new brand from Menendez, Garcia y Cia., then the owners of the H. Upmann brand. The name is reported to have been inspired by Alexandre Dumas' 1844 novel Le Comte de Monte Cristo. There are no machine-made shapes in this range and the strength is medium; in fact, it has become the standard by which all other Cuban cigars are now judged.