When I first grabbed the Alec Bradley Project 40 Gordo cigar, I first noticed its smell, as it gives a strong hay aroma to it. After lighting it up, the dominant flavor is the sweetness of its vanilla note, which is different from the previous Alec Bradley I’ve tried before. It also has a hint of almond flavor, and the sweetness of its vanilla note can be mistaken for toffee caramel because, at some point, it transitioned to that same flavor.
After my first third of the cigar, the sweet vanilla note was still there as well as the hint of almond, but this time, it was joined by a cinnamon flavor and a kick of spice on the back end, but not too overwhelming. There’s also a subtle earth, hay-like flavor, just like what I detected with its smell. The flavor notes are good so far, and they blend with each other very well.
While I smoke, I’m listening to an audiobook I recently downloaded: Team Spirit. It’s about captaining a sailboat with a team of people with mixed-experience. It’s an exciting book to listen to, since I just started sailing this year. The stories of what happens out in the ocean, and how someone got hurt bad very early, really puts the dangers of crossing an ocean into perspective.
The flavor didn’t change much for my second third, meaning they’re still the same flavors as my first third. What did change was their intensity; on this part, the flavors became much more tasty and present, giving a punch. The spiciness is also present on the retro-hale, which will be overwhelming if you’re not into spicy since it’s quite strong. The cigar burn is pretty good, as well as the draw, although I felt a bit of resistance but not too bothering.
The cigar has held up pretty well. I was getting really into my audiobook and forgot to draw for a while. The cigar almost went out, but I was able to get it going again with a few long pulls.
For my final third, the cigar’s flavor maintained through, and I didn’t get much of a transition. The same flavor notes are present, but some of the flavor notes got a little bit muted, almost bland which is disappointing since I expected the flavors to peak at this part. It started off far better than what it is now. Still, for an excellent price, it has exciting flavors already that anyone would love to taste.