Country of origin: Honduras
Color: Maduro
Length: 5 1/4"
Ring gauge: 52
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Binder: Sumatra
Filler: Honduras; Panama
Rating: ★★★★★ (excellent)
Rarely am I enamored with a particular brand or line of cigars, but this one blew me away...
Not only will the unique banding draw your attention, but the oily and veiny maduro wrapper is a sight for sore eyes - simply beautfiul. The cigar lights very easily and will stay lit through the duration of the smoke...no need to re-light. It burns evenly creating a long, stiff ash - indicative of a well constructed cigar. Nice easy draw as well.
Although quite mild for a maduro, the flavor is surprisingly complex (I wasn't prepared for that)! The leathery taste is consistent throughout the medium-bodied smoke; however, my palate noted 3 distinct phases of tastes:
Phase 1- The cigar starts with a very mild woody flavor that has you questioning whether you are truly indulging in a maduro.
Phase 2- Midway through the smoke, the cigar takes on a very spicy and peppery flavor that coats and tingles the palate.
Phase 3- The last 1/3 of the cigar loses its spiciness and becomes very creamy, with hints of vanilla nut...finishing with fabulous flavor, but interestingly, no lingering aftertaste. Again, makes you question whether you just smoked a maduro.
This is an absolutely excellent smoke and a must-have! The Alec Bradley Black Market is perfect for a novice smoker who desires to tread into the waters of a maduro. However, only a connoisseur would truly appreciate the complexity of flavors that this fine cigar has to offer. I smoked this during my drive home from the office - boy was I glad to get stuck in traffic that evening, I truly savored the experience. Worth buying by the box...this is a keeper!
Black Market is one of the 14 lines marketed and distributed by Alec Bradley. Check out their website at http://www.alecbradley.com/index.html.