Cigar Review: Alec Bradley Harvest Selection

For anyone that hasn't been paying attention to the cigar industry, Alec Bradley is on fire! Many of their sticks have been given a 90+ rating from Cigar Aficionado and it seems like their quality is unmatched. So I picked up a nice little sampler to see what all the fuss was about. Fuss discovered.

I picked up a Harvest Selection, not one of the more premium Alec's but it will do for my first of the sampler (more reviews and sticks to come). Wrapped up in an oily Habano wrapper, this thing looked to please. It cut great and had a super smooth draw. It was very easy to smoke and over-smoke even. I puffed a wee too hard and had to take a little break. Nothing a little whisky wouldn't fix!

Anyway, this guy is stuffed with 3 fillers; Mexican, Nicaraguain, and Dominican. You will notice these fillers when you get hit with all the complex flavors and spice. The Nicarguain and Dominican cuts give it a nice smooth leathery taste, while the strong and spicy Mexican ligero give it the spicy coffee like kick. I found this to be a bit strong for what most people consider a medium bodied cigar. Great flavors but it did have a kick, although that may be due to me over-smoking it. You know, when you get that light headed feeling? As I mentioned whisky seems to do the trick. Not sure if there is any science in that or just the happy numbing of whisky.

I really enjoyed this smoke, it burned evenly, tasted great, and was a great deal. Those spicy, earthy flavors are not usually found on a stick this cheap. So far my first Alec Bradley of the sampler was good. Now onto the more premium lines, hoorah! Overall, I give this Alec a respectable 8 of 10.