{"type":"root","children":[{"type":"paragraph","children":[{"type":"text","value":"Montecristo was created in 1935 by Alonso Menendez at the H. Upmann factory in Havana. The name comes from Dumas' novel The Count of Monte Cristo, which the lectores would read aloud to the cigar rollers as they worked. The crossed-swords logo references the rapiers from the book. When John Hunter took on UK distribution, he shortened the brand name to Montecristo as one word and built the red-and-yellow box. The Cuban Montecristo accounts for close to half of all Cuban cigar exports today, which makes it the most-smoked Habanos brand in the world. Built for balance: cocoa, roasted coffee, cedar, creamy finish."}]}]}