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Alec Bradley American Classic robusto

webmostwebmost Posts: 7,713 ✭✭✭✭✭
When I went on my quest for a great Pennsylvania cigar last summer, this is what I was hoping to find. Hay stacked in the fields, broadleaf hung in the drying sheds, Percheons working, under late summer sun in Amish country.

Instead, I got this stick from TomTom Tom, the same fellow who left me the Quorum. A strong brown wrapper. Thick. Shiny but not glossy. Tightly wrapped with a flat cap. A woodsy Connecticut odor, hay in the foot, tasting like toast. Naturally, when you get a strong leaf like that you do get some veins. But nothing knobby at all. Tight yet light.

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She uncapped easily with one swipe of the knife. The draw was free, tasting of dry grass and toast. A single match toasted the foot. Immediately, I got a good volume of thick beige smoke. Creamy taste. Nuts, cedar, with a bitter bread finish. Very smooth. Plenty of flavor; but not a spicy, peppery, or coffee tone anywhere. If it's possible to imagine loads of mild flavor, this is it. Honest broadleaf American cigar flavor.

Now, note that I smoked this from the same humidor and in the same garage as the Artemis I previously slammed for a bad burn. There were still puddles on the floor underneath the motorcycle I rode the day before and where my rain gear had dripped the evening before Walking across the back yard is like walking on a sponge. So, same conditions. Yet the burn on this was razor sharp and unremitting. The only flaw in the whole package is that the thick wrapper would curl up and drop a shard from time to time, and the ash would fall when you least expected it. So this is no indoor smoke. Other than that, perfection.

Halfway down, all of a sudden I get cocoa! Then slowly back to your honest nuts, cedar, and bitter toast. Makes you wonder what got into that broadleaf for a ten minute span there. Coors made the perfect mouthwash for it.

At a mere hour and a quarter, I was down to the hot nub. Don't you hate it when you regret reaching the nub? Wish I had another to light off of it.

Then came the stinkfinger. Delightful. Roasty toasty. Next morning, a mild toast morning mouth. No wheeze.

I rate this a solid five stars out of five. Alec Bradley American Classic is on my wish list now. It's not complex, spicy, floral, fermented, exotic nor fancy in any way. All it does is exactly what it sets out to do, and it does that just right. Ulysses Grant would smoke this cigar.

“It has been a source of great pain to me to have met with so many among [my] opponents who had not the liberality to distinguish between political and social opposition; who transferred at once to the person, the hatred they bore to his political opinions.” —Thomas Jefferson (1808)


Comments

  • Gray4linesGray4lines Posts: 4,691 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Great little write up!

    That's exactly what my impression of this cigar was too! No-nonsense, kinda plain, and simple, but never bland. Woody, creamy, and good all the way down.

    I smoked mine in the car, and ashes did drop off at inopportune times.

    I think this would be a great morning or lunch time smoke throughout the summer.
    LLA - Lancero Lovers of America
  • gripnripgripnrip Posts: 502 ✭✭✭
    Thanks for the review. I'm an AB fan (Tempus Quadrum, Black Market)-will definately put this on the list to try.
  • ddubridgeddubridge Posts: 3,978 ✭✭✭
    I guess I'll be smoking one of these this weekend. How can you not smoke one after that review?
  • Poopy_JonesPoopy_Jones Posts: 455 ✭✭✭
    I have one sitting in my humi. After that review I can hear it calling my name. Tough to resist. I was hoping to wait but that's probably not going to happen
  • curtpickcurtpick Posts: 2,757 ✭✭✭
    Always have these ready to fire up. One of my staples and always a joy.
    Family, Friends, Golf, Cigars, Fine Whiskey, Good beer.... is there anything else ?  Follow on instagram @crguy1961
  • brianetz1brianetz1 Posts: 4,134 ✭✭✭
    i really liked this one when i smoked it also.....real smooth cigar.
  • curtpickcurtpick Posts: 2,757 ✭✭✭
    brianetz1:
    i really liked this one when i smoked it also.....real smooth cigar.
    I'll be in St Louis this weekend Brian. Golfing and visting for the weekend. O'Fallon actually !
    Family, Friends, Golf, Cigars, Fine Whiskey, Good beer.... is there anything else ?  Follow on instagram @crguy1961
  • brianetz1brianetz1 Posts: 4,134 ✭✭✭
    cool.....where are you golfing? I would love to Herf, but my parish has a BBQ this weekend that I work pretty much the whole weekend at.
  • ctschirgictschirgi Posts: 63 ✭✭
    Good cigar with decent price point. Just finished my last one from a box. Doesn't really change in complexity through out the smoke. Though its apples to oranges in regards to blend, I'll take cigar.com's American blend over this any day. Even better price point and its an U.S. puro, heck ya. I am also a little upset with AB since they raised the box price 20 bucks on the Maxx blend after Cigar Aficionado started listing their cigars in the yearly top 25. This was well after the cigar tax hike.
  • madurofanmadurofan Posts: 6,219 ✭✭✭
    AND its a sub $5 smoke even in the B&M. American tobacco for under $5 that's almost unfair.
  • curtpickcurtpick Posts: 2,757 ✭✭✭
    brianetz1:
    cool.....where are you golfing? I would love to Herf, but my parish has a BBQ this weekend that I work pretty much the whole weekend at.
    Golfed Mo Bluffs and Innbrook. Was wonderful to get out of Iowa and get some sunshine ! Sorry we missed you. Next time !
    Family, Friends, Golf, Cigars, Fine Whiskey, Good beer.... is there anything else ?  Follow on instagram @crguy1961
  • brianetz1brianetz1 Posts: 4,134 ✭✭✭
    curtpick:
    brianetz1:
    cool.....where are you golfing? I would love to Herf, but my parish has a BBQ this weekend that I work pretty much the whole weekend at.
    Golfed Mo Bluffs and Innbrook. Was wonderful to get out of Iowa and get some sunshine ! Sorry we missed you. Next time !
    nice courses. Had a great weekend for it......hope you shot well.
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