Alec Bradley Black Market Churchill

November 23rd, 2021: This is the second vitola of this cigar that I've tried. The first is the Special Perfecto. Both exhibited the same sour aftertaste, which suggested the need for more ageing. I've also tried to Esteli Black Market, which is a much smoother, albeit stronger, version. 

Appearance and Construction: 7x 50. The cigar is well made, feels weighty in the hand and looks good. It has a paper sleeve as well as a band. I suppose that the sleeve protects the cigar. But I wonder whether it might slow the ageing process. In any event, it's a gimmick that adds nothing to the cigar.

According to Neptune, the binder is Ecuadorian Sumatra and the filler is a mix of Panama and Honduras tobacco. Only the wrapper is Nicaraguan. 

First Puff: A nice blast of pepper and an introduction to the sourness which appears from time to time throughout the cigar. 

Draw and Burn: Slightly resistant draw, but no major issue. Burn was almost perfect. No touch up required. However I noticed that, upon ashing, there remained a conical spike of glowing cinder, which is not the hallmark of good construction. 

Flavour and Complexity: The flavour at best is a rich, dark roast, but it is marred by sourness. Towards the end of the first third, sourness was prominent and not at all pleasant. It didn't last long; maybe a few puffs. For most of the cigar, the sourness was part of the flavour profile, sometimes prominent, sometimes just a hint. By the time I reached the nub, sourness had dissipated and the cigar revealed its potential. It suggested that the cigar would benefit from ageing as the flavour at its best is quite complex. 

It's interesting to note the comments on Neptune, where the cigar is rated 4.5. "Nothing wrong with this cigar", "solid taste, not bitter", "surprised how good this was", "smoked BM for four years and have never been disappointed". All of these comments suggests that a bit of age will improve the cigars.

One of the virtues of the Churchill vitola is coolness. The smoke is cool through the first two thirds. When flavour is good, this long, cool, filter enhances flavour. Again, more ageing will benefit the remainder of the box. 

Body: Medium to full body. 

Strength: No strength to mention in the first two thirds. Quite a nice kick in the final third.

Finish and Aftertaste: Long finish, but somewhat dirty due to the sourness. I could taste it the next day. 

Aroma: Excellent, rich, complex aroma. As with the Perfecto, aroma was one of the most attractive qualities of the cigar.

Ash: Pure white ash which held on very nicely.

Balance and Consistency: The sourness was an imbalance. When the sourness was a background feature, the cigar was quite pleasant. When it was absent, at the nub, the cigar was satisfying. But when it dominated, it was not.

Time smoke: 90 minutes

Overall: This is a promising cigar. It needs to age. It is similar to the Perfecto vitola. Both suffered from sourness (although I called it bitterness in the Perfecto review. I need to make up my mind. Is it sour, like a lime, or bitter, like dark, unsweetened, chocolate?) However, the Perfecto suffered less from this flavour defect. 

I took the sleeve off the Perfectos and put the naked cigars in a humidor. I might do the same with a few Churchills to see whether this evens them out. Verdict: not particularly satisfying although the nub was good and with age, the cigar should improve.

Upon reaching the nub flavour smoothed out and sourness dissipated.

August 24th, 2022: After nine months I was expecting an improvement. I was disappointed. The cigar drew and burned well, but flavour was too much burnt toast. There was a modicum of sweetness and plenty of spice and aroma was occasionally pleasant, but these qualities didn't compensate for the overall dirty, burnt taste. I puffed on dutifully for 90 minutes. Not satisfying.