Alec Bradley Prensado Lost Art Staff Review
Today I’m smoking an Alec Bradley Prensado Lost Art in a 6.25-by-52 Gran Toro. Lost Art was officially released in 2017 as a follow-up to the company’s original Prensado blend, which earned a 96-point rating and a prestigious ‘#1 Cigar of the Year’ title in Cigar Aficionado back in 2011.
I’ve reviewed plenty of Alec Bradley cigars before like the Black Market, Double Broadleaf, and Kintsugi. Prensado Lost Art was blended by brand founder Alan Rubin when he was running the company with his sons, Alec and Bradley, for whom the brand is named. In 2023, the Rubins sold their brand to Scandinavian Tobacco Group, the parent company of General Cigars, which produces Macanudo and non-Cuban Cohiba cigars, among others.
Alec Bradley Prensado Lost Art is dressed in oily, brown Honduran wrapper with a full-bodied core of Nicaraguan and Honduran tobaccos on the inside. The cigars are available in a collection of popular sizes, including the Gran Toro I’m smoking today. Lost Art is a reference to the entubado style of cigarmaking, a traditional Cuban method where each leaf of tobacco is individually rolled into a tube before the tubes are assembled by the roller into a finished cigar. Entubado is labor-intensive but ensures greater airflow in the finished product. Prensado Lost Art cigars are made in this way at the Raices Cubanas factory in Honduras.
Lost Art is also stronger than the original Prensado blend. The soft box-pressed Gran Toro emits a rich aroma of cocoa, spice, and wood when I crack a box open. After clipping the cap, the cold draw opens with sweet notes of leather and lots of pepper. The cigar is consistently firm from head to foot when I gently squeeze it, which is a good sign.
Alec Bradley experienced a spate of quality-control issues years back, mostly due to the success of the original Prensado cigars. Following their number one ranking in Cigar Aficionado, demand spiked, and the company went through a noticeable growth spurt. Under the pressure to produce more cigars to keep retailers supplied, the factory began rushing shipments out the door, and the cigars weren’t up to their normal standards for construction. It took the Rubins a couple of years to remedy the issues at the factory, but they got their standards back on track by 2014.
Prensado Lost Art ignites with a generous draw in the Gran Toro as soon as I’m finished toasting the foot with my torch lighter. Tasting notes of graham cracker, cayenne, and earth weave an interesting profile over my palate. I pick up a touch of minerals and some acidity intermittently as the cigar develops during the first half. Lost Art is strong but not abrasive. While I wouldn’t smoke it on an empty stomach, I don’t consider it a powerhouse.
The ash flakes off in a few spots due to a crooked burn, requiring an occasional touch up as the Gran Toro progresses. But the flavor and aroma come together with delightful notes of root beer, pepper and wood. One thing I’ve generally appreciated from the best Alec Bradley cigars is that they offer a genuinely sweet taste despite harboring a lot of spice. I enjoy the complexity and balance of Lost Art.
Hearty notes of hickory and baking spices come into play after forty-five minutes of smoking. The Gran Toro has performed reasonably well despite a few construction issues. Luckily, they fail to impact the cigar’s overall flavor, which shows a solid marriage of Honduran and Nicaraguan tobaccos. Before the nub gracefully expires in my ashtray, I’m comfortable rating Alec Bradley Prensado Lost Art a respectable 86 points after docking a couple for the crooked burn. When we’re in the vicinity of over $10 for one cigar, I expect a flawless experience. Grab a few singles for your next order and smoke one side by side with the original Prensado to see which one you prefer.
