Alec Bradley White Gold Robusto Staff Review
In this edition of my long-awaited return to the blogosphere, I’m celebrating with a diabolical detour to the nether region of my 52-quart coolerdor. This region, although properly humidified and climatically controlled, is inhabited with cigars I’ve been meaning to sample, but for some reason, never did. Well friends, after a realignment of priorities I’m dutifully taking one for the team. After an expedient reshuffling of the cigars laid out before me, I’m drawn to the Alec Bradley White Gold Robusto like a mosquito attracted to a bug zapper. Hopefully this review has a better outcome…
This cigar stands out because of its understated, non-descript appearance. A basic, unadorned band encircles a somewhat mottled, palomino-hued Ecuador Connecticut wrapper. I’m awarding bonus points for the handwritten $1.99 price per cigar scribbled on the aged yellow cellophane. Immediately, I temper my expectations and pivot my review strategy. You certainly won’t confuse Alec Bradley White Gold with the brand’s former ‘#1 Cigar of the Year’ titleholder, Alec Bradley Prensado, that’s for sure!
Alec Bradley White Gold is surprisingly light in the hand. After my punch cutter pierces the supple leathery cap, the cigar is also a tad loose on the draw. The pre-light tasting preeminently reveals notes of damp earth with woodsy, vegetal undertones. The cigar ignites instantaneously, courtesy of my trusty Jetline Double Torch, and we’re off to the races. The combustion rate is surprisingly fast on Alec Bradley White Gold, but it’s no different than any other Cuban sandwich cigars we stack deep and sell cheap in our cavernous warehouse! Smoke output is thick. Fragrant white clouds roll off my exhale like a fog from an approaching storm.
This cigar has piqued my interest. A slightly vegetal taste, best described as sweet hay, quickly yields to a very pleasant caramel-like nuttiness. While the first-third of this cigar remains pleasant, it’s nearly void of any peppery spice or detectable strength. Its mild flavor, although not my preference, would be perfectly suited for a novice or someone looking for the basic taste of a utility cigar.
We like to refer to this type of cigar as a ‘Yard ‘Gar’ because they’re cheap, have mass-market appeal, and will stand up to multiple re-lights as you go about knocking tasks off the honey-do list. It’s no surprise that Alec Bradley White Gold also made our esteemed list of the Best Cigars for Yard Work.
As the cigar reaches the halfway point, 40-minutes have elapsed with only a minor transition in taste. The mild flavor encountered earlier segues smoothly into a deeper, darker profile highlighted by notes of bittersweet cocoa and ripened black cherries. All in all, with moderate expectations firmly in place, I’m awarding the Alec Bradley White Gold Robusto a 74-point rating. This is not Alec Bradley’s crown jewel, but it is a solid, dependable, and consistent Nicaraguan-drafted cigar that you, too, can experience for mere pennies per puff!
Until next time, long ashes to you!
