Cigar Review: Alec Bradley Harvest Selection 1997

Size: 5×50, Robusto

Wrapper: Nicaraguan habano

Filler: Dominican Piloto Cubano (‘97), Mexican Ligero (‘97), Nicaraguan Criollo (‘98)

Strength: Medium

Price: Box of 20, $59.95

Grade: 7.4

Alan Rubin cracked open the cigar industry’s door in 1997, leaving a lucrative career as an importer of screws and bolts. The company name is a combination of his two son’s first names, Alec and Bradley. Alan’s first hit was the Occidental Reserve, named from one of Hendrik Kelner of Davidoff’s factories, who helped with the blend. Since the OR, Alan has been very successful with his blends over the years. Alec Bradley has been receiving more attention lately due to the success of his highly rated Tempus and Prensado cigars.

The Harvest Selection that I am reviewing today is also available in a Habano and is made exclusively for Cigars International; in fact, the HS’s are not even mentioned on the Alec Bradley website in their product lineup.

I can’t remember where I picked up the Robusto, but I ordered a 5 pack of the Corona from Cigarbid.com. For this review, I smoked both the Robusto and the Corona and saw no real change in any of the categories; my review is of the Robusto. So, without a ton of information on this stick, other than an overemphasis of the fact that it is comprised of 10 year old filler, let’s toast the foot!

Pre-light, 1.7:
The Harvest Selection is another good looking smoke from Alec Bradley; in my opinion, they produce some of the best looking bands around. The construction is firm with no soft spots whatsoever. There were however two raised spots that were very rigid; it almost seemed that a group of stalks gathered to have a party. The wrapper had a very nice sheen to it and was medium-dark brown and very rustic. The head was double capped and the foot was well rounded and packed. The aroma was of sweet tobacco with some hints of bitter chocolate and caramel. The draw was tight and the flavor was sweet, with a slight bit of that Nicaraguan spice. As I mentioned, the label was very sharp looking and ornate; it was over an inch tall and dominated the exterior appearance.

Burn, 1.0:
I smoked two different sizes for the sole purpose of making sure the burn really was this bad; I haven’t heard many other comments on this so I wanted to be doubly-sure. And yes, it was a terrible draw. The foot lit stubbornly, the draw was slow with small clouds of smoke produced, and after the first third it was just about completely plugged. The Harvest Selection required constant attention and I can’t remember how many times I was forced to re-light, but well over 5 times.

Flavor, 2.7:
The flavor was the highlight (in between re-light and hard tugs to produce smoke). Up front, the Harvest Selection produced a shot of sweet pepper that served as a very nice introduction. There was also a pallet filling creaminess that remained for the entire first third. The second third morphed into all out earth flavors with some nice consistency and bits of cedar. There was a slight harshness that never seemed to go away but it wasn’t a huge distraction. Though slated as a medium-bodied cigar, I never noticed any force to this smoke at all. I could feel its presence, but only subtly.

Overall, 2.0:
If you were able to have Alec Bradley and Cigars International guarantee you that 70% of your box purchase would burn with only 10% issues, I’d say grab a box. But it seems a bit risky to me. The flavor on this stick is very enjoyable, which makes the burn issues so unfortunate. I’ll continue to give these a try, hoping to find a winner. If I do, I’ll let you know.

(Total: 7.4)

Contest Winner!

Thank you to everyone that entered our recent contest for a box of Exile Maduros.

We have a winner!

Congratulations go out to Greg Y! Greg has been contacted and his smokes are on the way. We’d like to thank everyone for commenting throughout the month of January and we’d like to give a special thanks to Al Argenti, of Berger & Argenti Premium Cigars,  who sponsored the event!

We have another contest coming in a couple weeks, so be on the lookout!

Cigar Review: Rocky Patel Nording

Size: 5×54, Short Torpedo

Wrapper: Costa Rican Maduro

Binder: Mexican

Filler: Nicaraguan

Strength: Full

Grade: 8.7

Price: Box of 25, $119.99

This particular brand was created by Rocky Patel for pipe maker Erik Nording. Nording produces over 50,000 pipes per year, 90% of which are exported to other countries. You can learn more about Eric and Nording Pipes here.

The Nording is made at Rocky’s Honduran factory and received a panel average of 9.5 from Smoke Magazine. I am not sure if this is a new blend or just a band re-design, but the original Nording was a simple off-white band with “Nording” written in gold. The version we are reviewing today bears a double band with more flash.

Matthew picked up this smoke for me on one of his trips to his favorite B&M in Jackson, Mississippi. I’ve been eyeing it for sometime but always pulled out something a bit larger. Well, late one night this week I decided it was time and the foot was toasted!

Pre-light, 1.7:
The Short Torpedo is a unique size and, coupled with the attractive double bands, this smoke looks very tough and stout, in a good way. The medium brown maduro wrapper is in good shape with a few bumps and ridges. The Nording was tightly packed but light to the touch. The cap construction is ok to the eye but when clipped, it came off in one piece and I was able to really see how well constructed it was. The pre-light aroma was earthy, nutty, and spicy at the foot. The cold draw hit me with a blast of spice on the back of the throat and in the nose; I was surprised by this and it was enough to make my eyes water.

Burn, 1.6:
After setting fire to the torpedo, I noticed right off the draw was loose for what appeared to be a tightly packed smoke. The burn was jagged throughout the smoke but the ash held well. The ash was varied in color from solid white to black in places. This small smoke produced tons of smoke that was very thick and aromatic. The draw remained loose throughout the smoke but the temperature and smoke time were good, so it was not that big of a deal.

Flavor, 2.7:
The first puff on the Nording was very creamy and green and had a nutty flavor profile with a hint of pepper at the end. The first third produced more nutty flavors but they seemed to be roasted as opposed to green; I also picked up a hint of coffee and the finish was long with pepper. The second third continued in the same fashion as above but the coffee flavor became lighter, still present, but not as heavy. The last third produced more spice, the creaminess decreased, and the coffee notes remained with hints of nuts thrown in.

Overall, 2.7:
The flavor profile on this smoke was very good for a five-dollar stick. The only real issue was the jagged burn, but it was only aesthetic and did not seem to affect the flavor profile. Though this cigar does not rate a 9.0 or better, it is still a good smoke at the price point Rocky has it at. If you see them around, pick a couple up; I myself would like to try the Robusto size and will be on the lookout.

(Total: 8.7)