Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Alec Bradley Tempus Terra Nova

This is the Tempus version of a robusto. The cigar presents well with a wrapper that has a reddish hue, almost like a Colorado capa. There is some veining, but nothing that detracts from the overall visual experience. I will make special mention of the exceptional band work on this smoke, it is stunning. The pre light aroma has hints of spice and dark fruit. The pre light draw showed some sweet notes, but has a nice taste of rich tobacco.

The cigar begins with an interesting profile of cherry and spice flavors. There is some pepper, and a strange floral essence at the middle and back of the palate. The draw on this cigar is superb, very easy and smooth and producing scads of smoke from the get go. The burn is a bit crooked, but there is a nice shoulder at the meeting of the wrapper and the ash.

At the two inch mark the core of the profile is of cedar, but there are still some notes of cherry and spice in the backdrop. There is still a strange sweetness to the smoke and I can't attribute it to one particular flavor. The draw is still excellent, but the burn is still showing some crooked angles.

At the halfway point the profile shows notes of pepper and dark wood, but there is a charred flavor that has entered the mix. There are still some sweet notes at the back of the palate. The draw and burn are consistent with earlier observations.

The final half of the smoke continues to show notes of pepper and wood, but the charred notes are strong. The draw stayed excellent, but the burn was lopsided throughout.

The finish was thin and charred. The profile lacked depth and complexity.

Appearance- 92 a very attractive cigar
Taste- 83 the charred notes hurt what would have been a pleasant profile
Construction- 92 an excellent performance
Strength- 84 a medium/full that could have used more power
Overall- 87.75 saved by construction and appearance

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