Wrapper: Honduran ’98 Criollo

Binder: Honduran ’98 Criollo

Filler: Honduran, Nicaraguan

Size: 5.25 x 52

Body: Medium

Price: $6.00 (Much Higher in NY)

I got the chance to smoke one of these a little over a year ago when the only place these were available were in New York State. The price tag on the stick was outrageous but this was a gift so I was duly appreciative.

I’m not sure what prompted the Alec Bradley people to make this stick available to the general public outside of New York. It just appeared. Maybe they had a lot on their hands and at around $15 a stick, they weren’t selling as quickly as they hoped. This is just a guess….because now the sticks are available at a very reasonable price point.

Supposedly, only 1000 boxes were released and that is what I bought. I saw that people are selling the boxes on Ebay as collectibles.

The stick is very close to being a Honduran puro.

The Criollo wrapper has an Ecuadorian look to it with a medium brown color and a reddish hue. For the most part, the cigar is pretty solid. Seams are in good shape. And there are an acceptable amount of veins. There is a hint of oiliness.

I sniff around and detect a sweet black raisin aroma. Also cocoa. There is a bit of cedar. And some strong cinnamon. I can also smell some spice.

So I clip it and light up.

The first puffs show a nominal amount of sweetness. I can taste a light coffee component. And then the spice hits. It is a combo of black and red pepper. Smoke is abundant…and the char line is dead on.

A bit of oakiness shows itself. And then the burn line becomes erratic. I’m hoping it corrects itself.

There is a cinnamon and toast flavor profile that is very appealing. All that is missing is the maple syrup. The body is medium from the get go.

The size of this cigar is perfect for me. Not too big or too small. It is the perfect size for showing off its flavors. And the burn time of around 90 minutes is the desired time limit for me. I get bored easily. Two hour + smokes wear me out.

The burn doesn’t seem to want to fall into line but I’m not going to correct it until I see doomsday in the lurch.

This is a very nice cigar so far. I think I would be very disappointed if I paid $15 for it. But then the poor New Yorkers are getting screwed on all of their B & M cigars. How the B & M’s are staying in business is beyond me. The state should keep its nose out of the cigar business.

The cigar is on the verge of tunneling so I give in and correct it. Success. It looks very nice now.

The flavors really haven’t changed much and I’m nearing the end of the first third. I’m beginning to think this is a classic $6 stick. The entire PR that went with this stick and so far it is fairly ordinary. Maybe that’s why the Bradley people diversified the cigar outside of NY.

I begin the second third and the flavor profile is muted. Creaminess appears which helps a lot. The spiciness has moved to the background. The cocoa is almost nonexistent now. I don’t taste coffee. There is the sweet raisin flavor but, it too, is muted.

The cigar band is nice.

It just dawned on me. This is an Alec Bradley cigar. Old School. All of their cigars need a lot of humidor aging. Months. And it would seem it is the same for this stick. With the New Breed of blenders out there fighting for Number One, you’d think the A/B people would get with the program. The NB blenders have found a way so that your stick only needs a couple weeks in the humidor before they are blasting out flavor and character.

And that’s something else missing from this cigar: character and depth. So far, it’s a one trick pony. It drives me crazy when I purchase good cigars and then I have to wait for 3-4 months before I get to enjoy them. Friends with financial difficulties are forced to smoke their sticks without waiting. That’s why they are buying the New Breed blends.

The cigar is at the halfway point and again, nothing has changed. The creaminess was my vigilant hope but it too is muted now.

I stopped buying Prensados because they are not cheap and I don’t like waiting. They are an investment. The A/B line is for the most part, excellent. But they are falling into the same category as CAO, Gurkha, and Rocky Patel. Gurkha and Patel pump out blends and house brands faster than I run for the bathroom to pee at 3am.

I am sticking with the cigar in the hopes that the last third perks up.

The cigar band is really nice.

Seriously, I can taste potential here. But that’s all it is. I am going to move the balance of the cigars to my longevity humidor. Throw them in and forget about them.

The burn has been erratic for some time but not so bad that I have to correct it…yet. This tells me the construction ain’t so hot.

The other stick I used for the photo is moving in front of me. One of the seams has come loose just sitting there and the wrapper is unraveling.

Oy vay.

I start the last third and guess what? Nothing has changed. This is very discouraging because I was really looking forward to this cigar.

I generally don’t write negative reviews but I feel like I’ve been duped. I fell like a schmuck. The fancy band. The PR machine. The fancy box. The price should have tipped me off. I thought I was getting a deal. Because I did buy this on a special for less than retail. So that helps the pain.

One of the seams, on the cigar I am smoking, is breaking loose and the wrapper is beginning to unravel. I am vigilant about humidity in my humidors. And these cigars are in a humidor with cigars that I smoke regularly and have no problems with.

The wrapper is coming apart. I’m done. I’ve put the cigar down and the review is over.

Categories: CIGAR REVIEWS