Cigar aficionado will often go to great lengths to find the perfect cigar. They’ll scour cigar shops and online retailers, read reviews, and ask friends for recommendations. And while there are many great cigars out there, the cigar brand Alec Bradley is definitely one that should be on your radar.

The Alec Bradley cigar company is a premium cigar brand known for its high quality and attention to detail. The Alec Bradley Medalist is one of the brand’s most famous premium cigars and is an excellent cigar for any occasion. The cigar is handcrafted with a flawless Honduran wrapper. It has a great burn and produces a lot of smoke. The draw is perfect, and the cigar is enjoyable from start to finish.

Wrapper Origin: HonduranShape: Robusto
Length: 5Ring: 52
Wrapper: N/AList Price: $156 (Box of 24)
Origin: HondurasStrength: Full

Appearance of Alec Bradley Medalist

The Alec Bradley Medalist cigar has a pretty elegant cigar band, which consists of a beautiful color palette that includes gold, maroon, red, and white. It has the famous Alec Bradley cigar band logo, which is the “AB,” in the middle, with its renowned crown at the top.

The logo is also placed inside an oval shape accompanied by an elegant design of small circles and stripes. The brand’s name, “Alec Bradley,” is also written at the top, and the word “Medalist” at the bottom, both written in upper case and in white font. There’s also

The band really compliments the cigar’s Honduran wrapper’s color of light brown. Speaking of, the wrapper has visible veins and minimal seams. The Alec Bradley Medalist cigar is also firm to the touch, and I detected no soft spots. Overall, it has an exquisite appearance, especially the band, which helps the cigar look elegant.

Smoking Experience

During my first third of smoking the Alec Bradley Medalist cigar, it has an ample amount of creaminess to it and smoothness. Nothing much complex on this part. There’s also a hint of cedar and a little bit of nuts. The cedar flavor overpowers the nuts, but the cigar’s creaminess is dominant. So far, it’s a light to medium-bodied level at this point. For the construction, it has a great draw and smoke output. It also burns evenly and has a lot of smoke output.

After the second third, the Alec Bradley Medalist cigar has the same flavor profile, which adds points to its consistency. The only thing that has changed is the cigar’s strength. The strength of this one is slowly building up, something that I like since I find the flavors to be a bit boring, considering that no transition has also been made. The construction of this cigar is also the same, giving me an impressive impression. The ash still holds on very well; the draw is excellent, and the burn is astoundingly even.

After my final third of smoking the Alec Bradley Medalist cigar, the flavor profile changed a bit which is something I’m happy about. The nuts flavor is something I can now taste properly. The cedar note didn’t mellow down, but it certainly gave way for the nuts to be present on the flavor profile. The sweetness and smoothness of this cigar are still present and still at the same level. While it didn’t get its full flavor peak, I’m still satisfied since they are being accompanied by a little bit of spice, something that is also present on the retro-hale. The spice is not too much, considering it’s already the final third; it’s just enough to let you know that it’s there. This cigar obviously has light-bodied flavors, but in terms of strength, it’s indeed full-bodied.

Overall

Overall, for my final thoughts, the Alec Bradley Medalist cigar is a great cigar that has good flavors. It gave me a milder experience throughout my smoking time, even if this definitely had a strength. Despite loving how the flavors transitioned to the end, I considered the flavor profile good because I expected this one to offer a little bit different or be accompanied by one or two dark flavors. In terms of creaminess, this one has that factor and smoothness. This one gives these two; although it lacks sweetness, it didn’t matter much to me, considering that other light-bodied flavors accompanied these.

I thought this cigar would fail me since it didn’t have much going on during the first and second third, but good thing something happened during the final third. Construction-wise, I can only say some of the great things about it. This cigar burns evenly; it has a great draw and produces ample smoke. The ash also holds on very well, and this cigar didn’t require me to touch it up.

The Alec Bradley Medalist cigar is a good one that I would recommend to a cigar aficionado who is looking for an everyday smoke. This one would be perfect, considering it doesn’t have many dark flavors. However, if you’re a beginner, the strength of this one might be too much for you.

I also find this cigar perfect to smoke during the morning, accompanied by a coffee. If you’re also a fan of cigars with creaminess, smoothness, cedar, nuts, and a little spice in terms of flavor, this is for you. Despite this one being slightly different from my cup of tea, I would purchase one in the future.

Moreover, the Alec Bradley Medalist cigar offers excellent construction. You won’t have to worry about having a bad draw, not much smoke output, uneven burn, and ash not holding well in smoking this one. Please keep in mind that this still depends on how you store cigars.

Other Cigars Reviews

Other Alec Bradley Cigar Reviews

Alec Bradley Maxx The Fixx

This AB cigar is a fat 58 gauge cigar that isn’t overpowering. It has a nice creamy, medium-bodied smoke. The filler tobacco in the Alec Bradley Maxx the Fixx is a blend from five countries: Costa Rica, Colombia, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua. The five-country blend makes for a complex and enjoyable smoke that could be appreciated by any cigar enthusiast or casual cigar smoker. It really is a great cigar.

Alec Bradley Project 40

The Alec Bradley Project 40 is a petite, 5-inch cigar with a 52-ring gauge handcrafted in Nicaragua. Contrary to its suggestive name, Project 40 is inspired by a study on human happiness rather than a forty-attempt blend. This medium-bodied blend boasts a Nicaraguan wrapper and filler complemented by a Brazilian binder. Its smoking experience reveals dominant notes of sweet citrus, raisin sweetness, and almond, with occasional hints of cinnamon. While the flavor profile remains consistent throughout, its affordability does not compromise quality. Maintaining its flavor throughout, it offers a smoking time of approximately an hour and eight minutes. This review of Alec Bradley Project 40, ranking 23rd on the list of the best cigars of 2020, is an exceptional value-for-money offering in the Alec Bradley catalog.

Other Honduran Cigar Reviews

Rocky Patel Cuban Blend Robusto

Rocky Patel’s Cuban Blend Robusto emerges as a substantial offering that caters to both seasoned aficionados and value-seeking smokers, presenting an intense flavor profile. It bears the hallmark potency and aromatic allure of the brand. It is characterized by a robust Maduro wrapper encasing a rich blend of Honduran Ligero tobaccos, which deliver a medium to full-bodied smoking experience. The cigar impresses with its construction and consistent delivery of deep espresso and spicy pepper notes, balanced with a touch of sweetness. Its full-bodied essence and earthy, spicy undertones hold steady, creating a rewarding post-dinner indulgence. While some may seek more complexity, this Robusto provides a reliably indulgent smoke right to the end, meriting an 88-point rating and the recommendation for those desiring a bold, yet velvety encounter, underscoring the need for a more thorough review of Rocky Patel Cuban Blend Robusto.

H. Upmann Sun Grown Magnum

The H. Upmann Sun Grown Magnum is a cigar that holds a special place in aficionados’ hearts, carrying the prestige of one of the industry’s oldest brands. Its dark Ecuadorian Sun Grown wrapper and premium blend of Nicaraguan and Honduran long-fillers promises a delightful smoking experience. From the outset, the cigar impresses with a rich bouquet of sweet cedar, chocolate, and a touch of spice. The smoking experience is consistent, producing voluminous white smoke with solid ash despite a wavy char line and a few relights towards the end. This Magnum delivers straightforward, rich flavors and a creamy, spicy profile that evolves slightly as it burns. Although the final third brought some harshness due to relighting, the overall smoking experience was satisfying, cementing this review of H. Upmann Sun Grown Magnum‘s position as a worthy contender in a crowded market and meriting a solid 85 points.

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Maria Morales

Maria Morales