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| NEW BLENDS FOR THE 2009 IPCPR |
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Page 1 of 2  Tasting and grading new blends from Alec Bradley and the Tabacalera Perdomo!Los Angeles, July 31, 2009 – Some of the new blends which will highlight next month’s International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association (IPCPR) show in New Orleans are already starting to circulate. Two companies with major introductions are the Alec Bradley Cigar Company and the Tabacalera Perdomo and we had an opportunity to try four new cigars that are already beginning to appear on store shelves: Alec Bradley Family Blend: [Honduras: available in one size] Created as a tribute to the fathers of Alec Bradley executives Alan Rubin, Ralph Montero and George Sosa, this is a one-size blend (with a pigtail head) made in Honduras that began shipping in June. This is a medium-bodied blend in a robusto-plus format of 5 1/2 inches by 50 ring that lights easily and has a toasty and lightly spiced aroma. Very well constructed, the cigar burns evenly with a perfect draw. The flavor profile features a lightly caramelized taste from the start with an undertow of spice that gradually takes over. Nicely controlled, the blend reaches a climax with a peppery note that’s clearly felt on the back of the throat in the second half. However, the Family Blend is never aggressive or bitter and the clearly-defined, staged tastes in the cigar is really, really well done. The Family Blend is offered only in chests of 50 and it’s easy to see why smokers were asking for it after it was distributed as an unbanded “mystery cigar” at in-store events. It’s priced at $6.50 each, not including local tobacco or sales taxes. Overall grade: A-: Excellent. Alec Bradley Select Cabinet Reserve: [Honduras: available in 5 sizes] This is a cigar built around a wrapper leaf. Alec Bradley president Alan Rubin and his blending team were ga-ga about a mid-priming leaf they had been accumulating from their farm in Trojes, Honduras and decided it would be the foundation of a new cigar. It took several months to get the blend right, but when combined with an Indonesian binder and Honduran and Nicaraguan filler leaves, it had just the right balance. The Select Cabinet Reserve (SCR) has one of the largest bands you’ll find in cigardom and adds a footer band that reads “Select Cabinet Reserve” in case you had any doubts about its identity. Developed as a full-bodied cigar, we found it to be more medium in body, with excellent construction and an even burn. From the start, the SCR shows off a spicy aroma that complements a heavy, dark flavor with a caramelized, medium-length finish. There’s just a hint of spice to add an accent and the taste profile remains consistent through the first half. There’s more spiciness on the throat in the second half and the sweetness recedes a bit and a peppery note develops in the final third. It’s well balanced and is worth your attention if you want to enjoy all of its subtleties. The five sizes range from a Corona (5 1/2 inches by 42 ring) up to a 7-inch by 48-ring Churchill and a 5 1/2-inch by 60-ring Gran Robusto, all offered uncellophaned in cabinets of 20. Overall grade: A-: Excellent. |
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Did you know?
“A shape designated as "898" usually refers to its packing, in three layers of 8, 9 and 8 cigars.
