Alec Bradley Tempus Terra Nova

Honduras

By Jesse (www.CigarJack.net)

The Tempus is the new premium cigar from Alec Bradley Cigars. Alan Rubin discovered the wrapper in 2001 at a small farm in Honduras. Since 2001 they’ve been aging tobacco and perfecting the blend. Tempus is Latin for time and because of the time it took to perfect this blend they thought the name suited the cigar.

Construction: The wrapper has a unique look to it. It is dark brown with a slight reddish hue, with a touch of toothiness to it. The one I photographed from the review had some tiny darker spots all over it. The other one I had they weren’t as noticeable. Definitely well made, the cigar is firm throughout and had a good draw to it.

Burn: The Tempus burns fairly slow, I was surprised how long the cigar lasted. The burn line was pretty good and the ash a dark gray. My only problem is the cigar would occasionally go out on me. I was probably neglecting it a bit though.

Flavor: Right off the bat you can tell this cigar isn’t for someone who hasn’t smoked many cigars. It hits you with some definite pepper before some coffee and a rich robust earthiness comes out. Around the second third the spice mellows out a touch and I was able to pick out a bit of nuttiness. I also noticed that distinctive Corojo flavor I really enjoy. The final third really starts to put on the heat with some more spice until I finally set it down. The cigar never got overly harsh; it was the strength that really made me sit down with just over an inch to go.

Verdict: The Alec Bradley Tempus is going to be one of the hotter cigars this year. It is reasonably priced under $10, which is pretty good for a premium cigar. Don’t smoke it on an empty stomach, the Tempus creeps up on you. I didn’t really notice the strength until about midway through and by the end of the smoke I was pretty light headed. I’d probably compare this cigar to the Camacho Corojo Diploma or the Camacho Corojo 10th Anniversary in flavor and strength.

Reprinted by permission.

See the original review with Jesse’s photos of the cigar as he smoked it.