Cigar Review – Alec Bradley Connecticut Robusto

A lighter-than-usual offering from Alec Bradley cigars, the Alec Bradley Connecticut blend consists of a Honduran binder and Honduran and Nicaraguan long-fillers beneath an Ecuadorian-grown Connecticut Shade wrapper. For a relaxing change of pace, I decided to sample the Connecticut Robusto(5×50) for today’s review.

Beneath a rather snazzy band bearing the A.B. Connecticut logo the cigar was dressed in a shiny and silky Connecticut leaf lined with thin veins. Closer inspection revealed an even fill from head to foot, and cold draws produced a taste of freshly-cut cedar.

After an easy light the cigar opened up with a dose of creamy cedar with some mellow white pepper on the finish. The draw was appropriately firm and the burn line was off to a mostly straight start with just a slight lean to it. About a half-inch into the smoke the profile deepened slightly to include a bit of mellow, earthy sweetness.

In the 2nd third a cycle of rich tobacco flavor with notes of cream, cedar, and molasses was making its rounds as a neat and firm light-grey ash was building up nicely. Right around the half-way point the cigar’s profile mellowed out considerably and the flavors became very light and creamy, leaving very little aftertaste. By this point the burn had straightened out and was now even all the way around.

Flavors stayed consistent but came across slightly stronger in the final third
as the draw opened up quite a bit. As a final act, the well-balanced and woody taste of the cigar was joined by a malty-sweet finish.

The Alec Bradley Connecticut conveyed the kind of straightforward flavor that one usually looks for in a Connecticut-wrapped cigar, with a bit more style than usual. This would be an ideal smoke with your morning coffee or for a day out on the golf course. For its super-smooth flavor with just the right amount of sweetness and maintenance-free burn and draw, I award the A.B. Connecticut Robusto a solid B grade. This one is sure to please fans of Macanudo, Romeo 1875, and other classic Connecticut wraps.