Cigar Review–Alex Bradley Select Cabinet Reserve “SCR”
Size: 5 x 50
Style: Robusto
Wrapper: Honduras
Binder: Honduras, Indonesia
Filler: Nicaragua, Honduras
Strength: Medium
Price: $5-7
Source: I picked this cigar up at CigarFest 2010.
Propaganda: The Alex Bradley website describes the SCR in the following manner: “The careful selection of mid and upper priming tobaccos, were hand-picked to create the rich and balanced SCR line. Alec Bradley’s Select Cabinet Reserve delivers smooth bold flavors derived from the fertile soils of family run farms in Honduras and Nicaragua. The limited yield, dark caramel colored wrapper, adorns a skillful selection of premium leaves from the valleys of Central America, creating a perfect union of balance and flavor. SCR is presented in elegant lacquered boxes of 20 cigars, without cellophane, in five sizes. The smoke is buttery smooth, and possesses an abundance of complex flavors and aromas that will hold your attention from start to finish.”
Look: This cigar is colored somewhere between a maduro and a natural wrapper. The wrapper near the cap was beginning to come off when I picked up the cigar which was a sign of future trouble as I smoked this cigar. There were a couple of medium-sized veins and a minor amount of oil on the wrapper. As soon as I put the cigar in my mouth, the moisture from my lips caused the ultra-thin wrapper to tear even more. I ended up with about a 1/2″ piece in my mouth. Not exactly what I expected but the signs of trouble continued. The cigar lit without a hitch. After about 10 minutes, another half inch of the wrapper came off. The cigar had a ton of smoke, which I happen to love. Some are turned off by really smokey cigars but I love them! About a third of the way through, the entire wrapper starting falling off. I used my best efforts to keep the wrapper one the binder. The cigar burned evenly from beginning to end.
Feel: The cigar was firm and tight. It seemed to be rolled a bit too tight. I like my women like this but generally, not my cigars. However, the draw was perfect.
Smell: Prior to lighting the cigar, it smells a bit like horse manure. Not rank horse manure, but the sweet smell of horse manure that has been fermenting for a while. After lighting, the cigar had a pleasant smell that was in the medium range.
Taste: At the beginning, the taste was slightly sweet with a barely noticeable aftertaste. The strength profile was on the medium side. The cigar had the same taste profile throughout, however, the aftertaste increased slightly about halfway through the cigar.
Rating: B-. This is a very good cigar. I marked down the rating to a B- because of the issues with the wrapper. I hope that this is a one off issue but since Alec Bradley hasn’t sent me a box yet to review, I’ll stick with the lower rating for now.
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