Alec Bradley Nica Puro
Reviewed by: Brandon Luna
Size: Toro 6×52
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Paired with: Water
Alec Bradley, what can you say about Alec Bradley Cigars that already hasn’t already been said? Highly popular, highly rated but also slightly hated by haters of any cigar line that they deem as “to popular, too fast.”
I like a lot of Alec Bradley cigars (Black Market, Tempus, even the controversial Prensado) but they aren’t for everyone. I like to think of Alec Bradley cigars as “that guy that you invite to your parties because everyone likes him and he parties hard” but he is also the guy who “brings crap beer with him, drinks all of your beer and takes his crappy beer with him when he leaves.” This is also the same dude that if you called him at 3a.m. about bail, because you thought it was a good idea to sing “hit me baby one more time” butt naked and drunk in the middle of a busy intersection, he would be happy bail you out, but of course he would take pictures and post it on Facebook.
So, overall a good guy, but popular with some, not with others. Now let’s talk about the newest addition to the Alec Bradley line…the Nica Puro.
Pre Light:
Presentation isn’t the biggest selling point to me with cigars. I have smoked cigars uglier than a homeless monkey with a wooden leg, two fingers up his butt and buck teeth, and still loved the way they tasted. No worries though because the Nica Puro is a solid looking stick. Average veins, nice even color, with a slightly oily sheen to it. Cold draw brings out a slight spice with strong tobacco flavors and a hint of sweetness. The smell of the wrapper is downright intoxicating. Pretty cool looking presentation on the bands as well. Looks like one band, but it is actually two!
1st Third:
Right from the start you get a nice blast of spice and hits of cinnamon and wood. This starts slightly mild for the first few puffs but that kick of spice comes at you pretty quickly. The burn is razor sharp and the room note is pretty nice as well. The ash holds on the entire first third, even after trying to intentionally flick it off so I don’t ash on myself.
2nd Third:
Spice gives way to a more earthy tone on the 2nd portion of the cigar. Wood gives way to Cocoa for the most part and I was getting a slightly leathery tone on the retrohale along with a strong spice. Near the end of the 2ndthird the ash drops (on the table) and while I curse myself for not flicking it earlier I am also impressed it held on so long. So far, this has been a surprising complex, tasty cigar.
Last Third:
The spice which was previously more of a paprika (slightly hot but not white pepper hot) gives way to a more peppery profile. The cocoa also kicks into high gear and the mouth feel of this cigar reminds me of a chocolate bar my wife got for me around the holidays. It was a dark chocolate candy bar with chili peppers in it. You get that slightly sweet taste along with a nice kick from the pepper. Overall a great flavor and a strong finish to this cigar. The woodsy/cedar flavor also comes back a bit for the last third, especially on the retrohale.
Final Thoughts:
I am generally NOT a fan of Nicaraguan Puros because, while I do like Nicaraguan binder and wrapper, I tend to like a little more variety in my flavor profiles. However, to my utter surprise this cigar kicks the flavor into high gear. This is a full flavored, medium bodied smoke, with great construction and all the makings of a great everyday cigar. It tastes darn good NOW but I don’t know if aging this cigar would do it any favors. At the same time, I also wouldn’t mind trying to age a few. I would most definitely smoke it again. I would say it edges out the Black Market flavor wise, but lines up with the Tempus. If you are already a fan of the Alec Bradley line of cigars, you should straight up LOVE it. If you aren’t a fan, or haven’t tried one in a while, give it a go, it just might impress you.