Smoke Notes Cigar Reviews: BCP #10 Alternative

BCP #10 – Alternative to a Popular Dominican Cigar (4 ½ x 49)

Wrapper: Maduro
Ligero: 36%
Seco: 38%
Viso: 15%
Volado: 11%

A review for an alternative cigar? What’s the deal? This stick wasn’t in Cigar Aficionado! I know, I know. Allow me to explain.

I chose to review this particular stick because I don’t normally smoke budget stogies or alternatives. We all know they’re not quite the same as their counterparts, however they generally make a good inexpensive smoke for yard work or fishing.

So you can imagine my surprise when I lit up this alternative and was floored by how closely it stacked up to the real thing. That’s one of the benefits of this job. I get to find the $8 sticks in our humidor masquerading as $2 ones.

We can’t say what popular Dominican this is an alternative to. Our lips are sealed. However, the size and shape of this stick are not exactly common. If a Brother or Sister of the Leaf were so inclined, they could narrow down the answer with just a quick visit to Google…

Notes:

• • Before I lit this solidly packed little flavor bomb, I detected notes of hay and grass in its scent and earth, hay, and dry maple syrup in the cold draw.

• • The first chapter of this stick started with an explosion of black and red pepper, raw lumber, cream, and bread. Cue the salivary glands.

• • You might be intimidated by the incredibly tight draw at the start, but 3 puffs in it completely opened up, with massive amounts of smoke.

• • As I smoked the first 3rd, this stick weaved its way into a super smooth, creamy profile of bread, lumber, and vanilla earth with subtle sweetness and a slight pepper hit on the finish.

• • After some transitions, grass and earth notes became more prominent while a sweet tart-like sweetness came out to hold everything in sugary goodness.

• The cream flavor escalated towards the end of the cigar along with the pepper on the finish; this change was accompanied by a barnyard note dropping in and out at just the right times.

Flavor Report: Black Pepper, Red Pepper, Cream, Raw Lumber, Bread, Vanilla Earth, Barnyard, Grass

Overall: 7.5/10

This smooth and creamy smoke was the definition of a classic Dominican profile with a nice little pepper zing on the finish throughout. Throw in some great transitions and nuances and you have one of the best alternative smokes out there.