Alec Bradley Select Cabinet Reserve Robusto

I always try to take pictures along with the notes I keep for the cigars I smoke, and in the case of the Alec Bradley Select Cabinet Reserve Robusto the picture brings up a memories of a great afternoon spent with a good friend at my local cigar hangout Stogies along with the notes from a cigar tasting that quite honestly I was expecting quite a bit more from.

If you recall I had nothing but good things to say about another offering from Alec Bradley so it was with much anticipation that I selected the SCR from the humidor. The wrapper was dark and inviting, the cigar itself smelt delicious and the construction was flawless. After paying and selecting a drink, in this case a Boylan's Ginger Ale I cut the head and was surprised to see the wrapper tear slightly. Of course this could be to a dull blade on the cutter itself, but the local shop tends to keep their cutters sharp so I mentally blamed the cigar as opposed to the cutter.

I slowly toasted the foot and after a minute or so took the first draw and in typical AB fashion met a smooth draw with very strong espresso flavors. The flavor was not overwhelming lending itself to a medium bodied profile and the flavors never overpowered.

The ash was very loose and needed to be ashed quite ofter which surprised me for AB, and about an inch or so into the cigar I was surprised by a very burnt earth flavor that quite honestly was not appealing. It was still smokable, but thankfully this flavor subsided after about 1/4 - 1/2 an inch and I suspect perhaps a bad leaf made it into this particular cigar, however since I have not had another AB SCR since, I can't say for sure.

My friend and I got a chance to visit for the better part of an hour and catch up on each others lives, but time as it always does quickly got away from us and the need to return to work arrived and we concluded our smoke by my friend commenting on how he hates the smell of smoke on his clothes after he finishes a cigar.

The AB SCR is a great example of what makes cigars and their enjoyment so great. The cigar itself was not that great. Several have asked if I would recommend it and I tell them all, "No." What made the cigar special though was being able to catch up with a friend I hadn't seen in an while, and enjoy telling stories and laughing at each others mistakes. Having the AB SCR as a companion for the time spent with a friend made the occasion more special. Perhaps next time we meet the cigar will be up on par with the occasion and round out what was already a great afternoon.

Until we smoke again...