Your browser does not support JavaScript, or it is disabled. You will not be able to properly use this site until you enable JavaScript
W: Honduran
B: Nicaraguan, Honduran
F: Nicaraguan, Honduran
Origin: Raices Cubanas, Danli, Honduras
Alec Bradley fans have been buzzing about the fabled Magic Toast cigar since it was first teased and “previewed” with a highly limited release to select shops back in 2016. The cigar finally saw its official release at this year’s IPCPR trade show in Las Vegas, complete with a charming back story of an enchanted evening in the Honduran tobacco fields that saw its inception. And our League of Extraordinary Facebook Followers have been clamoring for it ever since. Just what is the big mystery about this cigar? What exactly is so magical about this toast? In today’s review I was determined to find out.
After clipping the cap on this dark and oily little robusto the cold draws immediately added fuel to my curiosity with an interesting taste of sweet hickory and floral notes.
Upon lighting, the Magic Toast opened up with heavy flavor right out of the gate – thick, smoky, and earthy leather with subtle dark fruit notes in the background and a zesty black pepper finish. This intense profile took me a bit by surprise, and remained consistent for the first 1 3/4 inches of the cigar before giving way to some balance via notes of rye bread and sweet cream.
The second 3rd was far less aggressive than the first, though still undeniably full in flavor. This portion was creamy-smooth, and earthy with notes of sourdough bread and baking chocolate. The draw was nice and firm with excellent smoke production and the cigar was accumulating solid and sturdy white ashes that actually took some effort to knock off – a testament to its impeccable construction. The texture of the smoke had a pleasant chalkiness to it, and despite the wealth of flavors at play, left my palate feeling pretty clean between puffs.
In the final portion a lingering malty sweetness that had been creeping in the background of the profile moved to the forefront as the earthy and bready notes mentioned above merged into one full, unified taste. As I neared the nub some nice little subtleties of spice and floral tones began to surface as a final gesture of complexity. I considered them parting gifts from what had been an immensely satisfying experience.
Alan Rubin told Cigar Aficionado, “For me, Magic Toast is a well-balanced, rich, medium-to-full-bodied cigar with a slight, natural sweetness.” And guess what? He wasn’t lyin’. The Magic Toast lived up to the hype and anticipation with awesome robust character and a flawless burn performance. This was one of the best-rolled, slowest-burning robustos I have ever witnessed, its flavors had real style, and it was no slouch in the strength department either – a “triple threat”, if you will. Dare I say that this is the most well-conceived Alec Bradley cigar since the Tempus & Prensado? I think I just did. Get yours here.