Alec Bradley Vice Press

This line is not to be confused with the Maxx Vice, which is a different cigar but it’s assumed that this line was influenced by that cigar.  The similarities end there, you will not find a maduro wrapper or a full bodied smoke here.  The is a sweet Sungrown wrapper that was very pleasing to the eyes.  My biggest gripe with this cigar was the cutting.  I thought scissors would do the trick since they usually handle my larger gauge cigars but the rectangular size caused a big mess.  I found that my large gauge double bladed cutter did the best job.  Try not to cut too far in, keep it close to the end of the cap and it shouldn’t cause any major problems and there are no draw problems even with a short cut.

Alec Bradley Vice Press

This cigar is just now making it’s way into Canada and it seems that the online availability is quite limited.  I can’t speak for the B&M availability n the US, maybe some people could fill us in with some comments, I’m curious to know.  On to the review…

Alec Bradley Vice Press

Cigar: Alec Bradley Vice Press
Drink: Alexander Keith’s Dark Ale
Vitola: 6T4 (64×5)
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Sungrown
Binder: Costa Rican
Filler: Honduran, Nicaraguan and Mexican
Price: $7-$8
Burn Time: 1.75 Hours

Alec Bradley Vice Press

Construction:
-Middle is very firm but foot and cap are a perfect softness
-Dark brown color and a nice oily sheen
-Toasting took a bit longer than normal
-Heavily box pressed and rectangular shape
-Draw was dead-on perfect, surprising considering how firm the middle portion was
-The odd shape made it a little difficult to smoke properly

Alec Bradley Vice Press

Burn:
-Wrapper burn issues at the start, this was the same on all my samples
-Considering the size, the burn was rather quick for the first half but slowed down soon after that
-Required a few minor touch ups every once in awhile, probably related to the odd shape
-Wrapper stopped burning a few times near the end and needed to be touched up, this caused some bitterness

Alec Bradley Vice Press

Smoke:
-Tons of smoke in your mouth
-Lots of resting smoke
-Although there is a lot of smoke, it doesn’t feel very thick in your mouth
-The aroma had a nice sweetness to it

Alec Bradley Vice Press

Ash:
-Dark grey/black
-Not very strong and lots of flaking
-Barely passed the one inch mark before falling off

Alec Bradley Vice Press

Tasting Notes:
-Pre-light was a chocolaty barnyard scent
-Foot has more a prominent chocolate scent
-No flavor on my lips when dry
-Pre-light draw is more of the same flavors
-Initial draws were subtle with no strong flavors to mention
-After a few draws the chocolate flavors start to stand out, very nice
-Body for the first 3 inches or so was in the mild-medium range
-Retrohale had a small bite and a great finish with hints of coffee and chocolate
-About halfway through, it was leaving a dry itchy sensation on the back of my throat, nothing too bothersome but worth noting
-At about the half-way point, sweet tobacco and notes of coffee began to develop
-The bite in the retrohale got a little stronger after the halfway point, still a nice finish
-Body ramped up a bit to medium with about 2 inches left, the sweet tobacco and coffee flavors tapered off a bit
-The last few inches were mostly a mild chocolate flavor and a bit of sweet tobacco
-A little bit or bitterness crept in near the end, purging helped this a bit

Alec Bradley Vice Press

Final Thoughts:
-Correct the burn issues quickly cause the wrapper has some great flavors
-Great medium smoke for some daring beginners, but beware as the body gets to be a strong medium near the last bit
-The flavor profile was similar to a typical maduro, adding to it the natural sungrown flavors
-All of this line have very long burn time, the flavors are good but don’t change much and some people may find that boring

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