ALEC BRADELY PRENSADO DOUBLE T

ALEC BRADELY PRENSADO DOUBLE T



This ALEC BRADELY PRENSADO is the biggest ring that this company puts out. The measurements are 62 ring by 6 inch length. The wrapper is Trojes Honduras, binder is Nicaraguan and the filler is a mix of Trojes Honduran and Nicaraguan. This cigar is the closest to the size I normally smoke. The Prensado is the higher end smoke of ALEC BRADELY and is compared to the PADRON 1926 as a cheaper alternative.


The ALEC BRADELY PRENSADO DOUBLE T is rated as a bold smoke and due to the size may not be for everyone. The 62 ring is very intimidating and will give the illusion that it is a lot of cigar. The Double T is a thick ring and should be punch or V cut if not familiar with this size. I like to use a piece of cedar to light all my first time cigars to get the purest initial taste.
At initial light I warm the end and begin to draw on this big stick. The first taste of flavor I get is a woodsy nutty blend. The draw is good and the flavor is smooth. This cigar starts off with medium strength and promises a great smoke. It tastes like a Prensado torpedo and has the same strength and draw. The smoke from my exhale is white with a hint of grey. With each draw the flavor begins to dance around my taste buds and gives me flashbacks of the first time I had a Prensado. As I draw the red from the glowing cherry gives the smoke an ominous color to the exhaled smoke. About a third of the way in the medium strength begins to change and become bolder. The double T is still burning evenly and the draw has not changed. For as thick as this cigar is it is still a pleasure to smoke.
At the half way point the Double T has changed completely to bold and the flavors a more distinct, A lot nuttier flavor than when it started it has captivated my palette. The ash is still attached and is thick and shows no signs of falling off. The smoke is thick and is filling the room which makes me glad I choose this cigar for the night. I’m two hours into this smoke and down to the nub.
The Double T has not disappointed me and with less that an inch left on this smoke I can still hold it in between my fingers. It’s not hot and is still burning evenly. The flavor is still there and after two hours the ashy taste has stayed away.


The ALEC BRADELY PRENSADO DOUBLE T is a great smoke and I recommend that if you like a big cigar to try it. It is well worth the cost and worth the time to smoke it. If you’re a fan of ALEC BRADELY you need to have this in your humidor and enjoy it with your friends….

Macanudo Cru Royale Lonsdale

Size: 6 ½ X 42
Shape: Lonsdale
Origin: Dominican Republic
Body: Medium
Wrapper: Equadoran Habano
Binder: Proprietary Dominican “La Vega Especiale”
Filler: Brazilian Mata Fina, Dominican Republic and Nicaragua Viso

I would like to start this post by issuing a formal apology to all its readers. I believe that I spent so much time complaining about being unable to get outside for a smoke due to the cold that the heavens have heaped a bunch of heat on us all. I am prepared to accept full blame and I hope that you all will forgive me. However, I have to admit that it’s nice to get outside for a smoke again.

On my way outside for a smoke in the park, I picked up a Macanudo Cru Royale Lonsdale to enjoy. Passing this stogie beneath my nostrils, I noted distinct sugar cane and earth notes. Drawing through it, I tasted sugar cane and earth again, but I also noticed a touch of hay to the flavor of this blend.

First light was a little under impressive, offering a sharp quality that was unpleasant. After a few puffs, this sharpness wore off and revealed a really tasty profile of sugar cane, leather, and peat. Exhaling through the nose brought the sweetness of the sugar cane note to the forefront, which was very enjoyable.

Towards the end of the first quarter and the beginning of the second, I noticed that a cashew note had crept in to subtly support the rest of the profile. This note helped to provide some depth and complexity as well which was very much appreciated.

As this stick progressed, the profile held strong, rarely wavering or changing until the third quarter. At this point, the sweet sugar cane note subsided slightly but remained strong in the blend.

Despite the overall lack of complexity during this smoke, I found it to be very tasty and very relaxing. It’s perfect for an afternoon smoke in the park. I would definitely smoke this stick again and I highly recommend that anyone who is a fan of medium bodied stogies give this a try.

Rating:
Presentation: 8/10 – The band is simple and to the point, displaying an attractive combination of blue, silver, and black. The lettering is clearly legible and is placed around what appears to be a coat of arms.

Appearance: 8/10 – Rugged, smooth, thinly veined, and displaying dark and rich earth tones, this stick really looks great.

Construction: 32/35 – Solid throughout with just a little give. The draw was excellent: open, but with a little bit of resistance. The only issue I had with this stick was that it ran a few times. It did, however, fix itself in the long run.

Flavor: 42/45 – I really enjoyed the overall flavor profile that this cigar offered. There was one major drawback though. At first light, this stick exhibited a sharp and unpleasant taste that I definitely did not enjoy. Beyond that, this stick has a first rate profile that I found very relaxing.

Overall: 90/100 – I really enjoyed this stick. It was well constructed, tasted great (for the most part), and was very relaxing. I highly recommend that anyone out there who enjoys a solid medium bodied smoke should give this stick a whirl.

Berger & Argenti Classico Rothchild

Size: 5 X 50
Shape: Rothschild
Origin: Esteli, Nicaragua
Body: Medium - Full
Wrapper: Ecuadorian "Desflorado" Connecticut
Binder: Nicaraguan Corjo
Filler: Nicaraguan

Now that the frigid days of winter are behind us, one would think they could venture outside for a smoke with the temperature hanging out in the 50s and 60s for the last week. However, you have to remember that it is April and we all know what that means. I think an old idiom says it best, “April showers bring May flowers.”

So with my tail firmly between my legs I retreated indoors once again to the comfortable confines of my local tobacconist. The smoke for the day: the Berger & Argenti Clasico Rothschild.

I'll tell you what, Berger & Argenti make one good looking cigar. Sliding this guy out of its cellophane, I immediately noticed how smooth, silky, and evenly colored the wrapper on this stick was.

After that cursory glance at this beautiful stick, I went straight for the head. Snip! Prelight flavors in the nose were of sugar cane and rich, fertile earth. Drawing on this guy displayed notes of sugar cane and leather on the palate. This was shaping up to be one sweet little smoke.

Without a moment to spare, I put flame to the foot of this baby. Immediately, I was soothed by the sweet sugar cane flavor, awakened by the coffee notes, and saddled with the notes of leather that flooded my palate on first light.

Progressing through the first quarter, the notes of sugar cane, earth, and leather held strong and mingled, creating a complex experience on the palate. Pure notes of unsullied tobacco goodness made themselves present at first as well. These were most noticeable when the three main flavor notes mingled perfectly.

Once the second quarter began, I started to take note of the body of this stick. At first it felt like a medium bodied cigar at best, but by the second quarter, it became clear that I was smoking a delicious medium-full bodied smoke. As I made this discovery, I also noted how well the flavors were holding on. No bitterness had crept in and I continued to be in a state of pure cigar heaven.

Unfortunately, my bliss was not to last. A sharp note accompanied by a lingering bitterness became present during the third quarter of the Rothschild, taking focus away from the delicious flavors that this cigar was providing. By the end of the third quarter, I could no longer stand to smoke this stick due to the intensity of the bitterness in the profile.

Setting this guy down, I pondered how a cigar that could start off with such a phenomenal profile could deteriorate to quickly towards the end. I suppose this could be likened to a runner with poor training. If you sprint out of the gate and don't pace yourself, you're sure to lose in the end. Sadly for this smoker, this is just what the Clasico Rothschild did.

Rating:
Presentation: 8/10 – I really love Berger & Argenti's bands. They're classy and simple and I like that. I have to take a point off because there is nothing attention grabbing about it. Spotting this stick from across the room may be a challenge.

Appearance: 9/10 – This is a great looking cigar. The wrapper is smooth and unwrinkled, there are very few visible veins, it has a nice oily sheen, and the color is very consistent. Top notch.

Construction: 33/35 – The draw was effortless on this firmly packed beauty. I did have a few burn problems though.

Flavor: 38/45 – This smoke started off very strong with sugar cane, earth, and leather notes dominating the profile. Unfortunately, the delicious experience that I started out with deteriorated into an extremely bitter one by the end.

Overall: 88/100 – As usual, Berger & Argenti nail the presentation and appearance of the cigar. The construction is very good, providing an effortless draw. This time, the flavor was even wonderful... right up until the half way point. I think that this is a cigar that I may try again, but just for the first half. I guarantee that the second half of a Clasico Rothschild and I will probably never cross paths again.

-DH

Pinar Del Rio 1878 Capa Oscura

Size: 5 X 52

Shape: Robusto

Origin: Dominican Republic

Body: Medium
Wrapper: Dominican Republic Habano Oscuro
Binder: Dominican Republic Habano
Filler: Dominican Republic (Corojo, Habano, Criollo 98)

Smoke Clock: 1 hr 10 mins

With the recent chilly resurgence, I was forced inside in order to enjoy my evening smoke. Fortunately for me, my local shop didn’t mind a bit. The smoke for the evening: PDR 1878 Capa Oscura.

The first thing I noticed about this stick was how attractive it was. A beautiful and rich color covered the wrapper and the pig tail and closed foot helped to make this a delightful stick to behold. Once I was done ogling it, I cut and dove in.

A pre-light sniff revealed notes of sugar, spice, and earthen undertones which had me raising my lighter quicker than a hound chasing a hare. As soon as fire struck tobacco, I tasted sugar cane with a hint of butter. What a start!

Progressing into the first quarter, the note of butter became more dominant. When the profile became overall creamy and the flavors began to mingle I tasted vanilla bean ice cream. Delicious!

As the stick progressed, I intermittently tasted hints of coffee and earth, while the profile remained dominantly vanilla bean in nature.

Advancing into the third quarter, the flavor profile remained much the same. The vanilla bean ice cream accompanied by coffee and earth notes, which served to enhance the delicious vanilla bean flavor, continued through the end of the cigar.

Even though this stick seemed relatively one-noted, it was extremely tasty and never became bitter. I only set this guy down because it was starting to burn my fingers. The only drawback was the burn. From start to finish, if the burn wasn’t wavy it was in a full out sprint. I had to touch it up two or three times. Despite the unfortunate burn, this stick provided this smoker with an excellent experience, one that I highly recommend you try yourself.

Rating:

Presentation: 9/10 – Now this, ladies and gents, is what I call a well presented cigar. The band is simple, well designed, attractive, and bold. If I walked into any B & M and glanced around the room I would immediately be able to spot this stick(if it was in plain sight, of course).

Appearance: 8/10 – As I stated earlier, this is one pretty stick. The wrapper is dark and oily with a well executed pig tail at the head and closed foot. However, two thick veins stood out and even though the seams were nearly invisible, they weren’t quite.

Construction: 31/35 – This stick was firm throughout but had a few soft spots, which indicated slightly inconsistent density. This may have accounted for the poor burn that I experienced with this stick. However, the draw was great, providing just a little bit of resistance.

Flavor: 43/45 – This blend was extremely well executed, providing me with a lot of delicious and consistent flavor throughout the entirety of the smoke. No bitterness was detected even down to the nub.

Overall: 91/100 – This cigar is masterfully blended, very attractive, and beautifully presented. This is a veritable home run in my book. If you haven’t tried this stick yet you are missing out.

La Gloria Cubana Serie N Generoso

Size: 5 ¾ X 49
Shape: Generoso
Origin: Dominican Republic
Body: Medium to Full
Wrapper: Equadoran Sumatra
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Smoke Clock: 1 hr

We are now in the early teasing days of spring, where it’s almost possible to go outside for a smoke, but it’s still just a bit too cold. With the promise of warm days of puffing outside ahead, I retired to my local smoke shop to escape the current chill. My smokeable companion for the afternoon: La Gloria Cubana Serie N Generoso.

After a neat clipping of the cap of this stick, I passed it beneath my nose. I detected earth, leather, and a pronounced spice which got me pretty revved up to get this baby lit. On the draw I experienced leather accompanied by a natural sweetness. After that, I was seriously ready to burn this baby.

Touching fire to the foot, I tasted sweet earthen coffee. Throughout the first quarter, the smoke was copious and creamy, wafting away in thick clouds as I exhaled. After a few puffs, the sweetness picked up, leading to a long mocha finish. This was a solid start to a tasty stick to say the least.

Leading into the 2nd quarter, the profile developed into a complex array of flavors that I lovingly refer to as compost. Sweet mocha lingered on my palate after ever puff. Towards the end, a hint of spice emerged in the nose, but just for a moment before retreating to the background of the profile. Once this occurred, I was able to detect it in the distant background and was glad that the spice note had made its presence known.

As the 3rd quarter began, the profile returned to sweet earthen, leathery, rich compost flavors. The richness and depth of the profile increased during this quarter, rewarding this smoker with a long luxurious finish.

This was a great smoke and an excellent sister blend to the Serie R. Much more mellow and luxurious than the R (in my opinion), the N provided an absolutely delightful smoking experience; one I hope to soon repeat.

Rating:
Presentation: 8/10 – The color and contrast of the La Gloria emblem are proudly displayed all over the band. The seal, complete with an attractive woman, is placed over a large and dramatic “N.” Classic, to the point, and easily readable, this is one of the better bands I’ve seen. An interesting addition of a tobacco leaf “N” is stuck to the outside of the wrapper. This is an interesting presentation concept, to say the least.

Appearance: 7/10 – This stick was rough and bumpy, providing a rolling hills type appearance. The wrapper was dark and oily with a clearly visible seam.

Construction: 32 /35 – Applying some pressure, this cigar appears to be rock solid, yet provides a decent draw with a punch cut. The burn was wavy overall, but didn’t take away from the experience.

Flavor: 43/45 – The complex profile of sweet and rich earth, leather, and cocoa came together to create a sweet compost note that I really enjoy.

Overall: 90/100 – Overall, this cigar provided a very consistent and delicious smoke and didn’t require a lot of maintenance. I would definitely smoke this guy again and if you haven’t, I highly recommend that you do.

-DH

Arturo Fuente King T

Size: 7 X 49
Shape: Double Corona
Origin: Dominican Republic
Body: Medium
Wrapper: USA Grown Connecticut Shade
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican
Smoke Clock: 1 hr 15 mins

Sitting inside my local tobacconist’s shop on a calm Monday, I decided to light up a smoke that I suspected would be a little on the mild side, the Arturo Fuente King T.

This stick is presented in a beautifully designed tube with white and black contrasting top and bottom parts. Opening the tube reveals a solid stick encompassed by a lovely tan Connecticut wrapper. The oily sheen that I discovered on the wrapper had me eager to get this stick lit.

Once I had the foot toasted, I gave this stick a thorough light and was inundated with a transcendent sweetness supported by a light cashew note, subtle leather, and just the right amount of spice.

As this stick burned into the first quarter, I really began to fall in love. I began to taste what I can only describe as a cream soda flavor, a flavor that I’ve heard referred to as purely Cuban and one that I had never experienced before. This cream soda flavor was complemented by notes of oak and cedar with leather & sweet cream lingering on the palate after each puff.

Burning into the second quarter, the complexity to the profile remained, but the less dominant flavors slipped further into the background, allowing the sweet cream soda note to really take the fore front. Evanescent wisps of smoke floated up from my cigar as I reveled in the lingering finish that each puff brought to my palate. In this moment, I was in heaven.

With the third quarter came the return of the oak and cedar notes which had retreated during the second quarter of this smoke. Their return provided some welcome complexity, although the purity of the cream soda flavors was missed. At this point, I really began to notice how medium bodied this smoke actually was. With this realization came a hearty spice note which was most noticeable through the nose, providing a tingle in my senses which again elevated the sweet soda quality that this cigar provided.

As I lay this stick aside, the lingering sweetness, cashew, and leather left me craving another almost immediately. Given easy access to another of these sticks, I would not hesitate to light it up post haste to get another taste of that fabled Cuban flavor.

Rating:
Presentation: 9/10 – In addition to the tube, this stick comes double banded with one band at the shoulder and the other at the foot. The shoulder band is very attractive and bumps this stick up to my second highest presentation grade. Even though the band at the foot is also attractive, it feels a bit unnecessary to me and so, no perfect for this stick.

Appearance: 7 /10 – The wrapper is consistently colored, oily, and thinly veined. Drawbacks are the wrinkled appearance of the wrapper and the visible seams.

Construction: 32/35 – Very nice draw to this consistently firm stick, especially given that I used a punch cut on this guy. However, the burn was a bit uneven at times.

Flavor: 44/45 – Purity, complexity, consistency, and just downright yummy, this stick hits the mark in the flavor department.

Overall: 92/100 – Awesome flavor with a long and delectable finish accompanied by excellent construction and a knock out presentation makes this stick one for the record books. The next time you get a chance, burn one of these. You will not be sorry you did.

-DH

Kristoff Criollo

Size: 6 ½ X 56

Shape: Matador

Origin: Dominican

Body: Medium to Full
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican and Nicaraguan

Smoke Clock: 1hr, 5mins

Avoiding the winter chill, I poured myself a cup of coffee (courtesy of my local shop), nestled into a comfy chair, and lit up what was to be an eventful smoke: the Kristoff Criollo.

Prelight aromas were rich with earth & leather leading the way. There was also an unmistakable sweetness present that got my mouth watering. A little pre-light draw showed off the wide open construction of this stick with complex flavors complemented by an underlying sweetness. Man was I ready to light this baby!

Putting a flame to the foot, I tasted sweet earth and leather right off the bat. After a few puffs, pepper with underlying hints of nuts crept in, followed later in the first quarter by light cocoa and coffee notes. It was at this point that the adventure really began because, unfortunately, the wrapper began to fall apart on me.

Working my way through this mild tragedy, the flavor profile smoothed and balanced into the second quarter, eliciting dominant earth and leather notes with subtle nut and cocoa supporting. The sweetness that I tasted at first continued to hang around, coming and going in subtle waves.

As much as I was enjoying the flavor, I was NOT enjoying the disintegrating wrapper. By the time I’d reached the third quarter, the wrapper was in such a state of disarray that I finished the job and smoked the rest of the stick sans-wrapper. Not surprisingly, the flavor changed, making this an informative, although annoying, occurrence.

With the wrapper gone, the pepper in the profile ramped up substantially and the sweetness all but vanished. (I suppose that tells us where all the sweet flavors were coming from.) Earth and coffee notes also ramped up, turning this into a great black coffee accompanying smoke.

Reaching the end, I lay this stick to rest. I must say that flavor wise, this is probably my favorite of the Kristoffs that I’ve smoked. The draw was excellent and I didn’t experience any serious burn issues. My only problem with this stick was that the wrapper came off completely; starting with a few cracks that eventually caused the demise of the entire leaf. If this occurrence did not repeat itself on other Kristoff Criollos, this would be a smoke that I would reach for again. Even now, I would reach for one with the hope that it would keep its wrapper on.

Rating:

Presentation: 6/10 – I really dislike their bands. However, this band is a little better than their others. More contrast guys, more contrast! I’d like to read these bands clearly, please.

Appearance: 8/10 – Before it vaporized, the wrapper was virtually seamless, oily, consistent in color, and thinly veined. It did have that wrinkled appearance that I’ve come to associate with Kristoff, but that’s ok. This stick also featured a rough cut foot and a pig tail cap.

Construction: 34/35 – Bang, wiiiiiiiiiiiiizz, phew, kapow! Fire off the big guns for this category because they really did a stellar job assembling this smoke. I just wish the wrapper hadn’t exploded.

Flavor: 43/45 – Excellent flavor clarity, purity, and blending. I just wish the wrapper hadn’t fallen off.

Overall: 91/100 – If the wrapper hadn’t violently ripped itself from the cigar, this would’ve been an incredible overall experience. Even considering this unfortunate fact, I really enjoyed this cigar. The construction was spot on and the flavors were delicious. I’d recommend picking one up to try. I sincerely hope that yours only causes metaphorical explosions - on your taste buds.

-DH