Meet the Alec Bradley Magic Toast Robusto - a 5"x52 Nicaraguan puro wrapped in that signature oily Honduran Maduro leaf. Priced at $210.60 for 24 sticks, this medium-full bodied smoke takes about 45 minutes to toast through. The name comes from founder Alan Rubin's late-night tobacco field celebration in Honduras, where he literally made a "magic toast" to his crop. First impressions? That dark wrapper glistens like spilled motor oil.
First Third: Immediate campfire smoke through the nostrils - charred oak and black pepper bite. The draw feels like sucking peanut butter through a straw initially, needing multiple touch-ups. Sweetness creeps in at the 1" mark: burnt caramel swimming in espresso.
Mid-Section: Construction evens out to reveal the promised "toast" notes - think overbaked sourdough crust. Leathery undertones emerge with retrohale, though tar buildup starts flirting with bitterness by band point. Keep a beverage handy.
Final Stretch: Nicaraguan puro flexes its muscles here. The last third drops charred meat juices and mineral ash intensity. I nubbed it at 35 minutes when nicotine headrush met soggy wrapper. Not for timid palates.
The triple cap peeled clean with a double-blade cutter, revealing tightly packed Honduran binder. Burn line stayed wavey despite rotation. Ash held firm in 1" segments - decent oil content. Pair with something sweet; I found Dr Pepper cut through the smoke musk better than bourbon.
Box appeal? Those gold-embossed bands pop against the near-black wrapper. But consistency issues linger - 3/24 sticks in my box had visible soft spots. Aged six months in 65% humidity, flavors mellowed into more approachable dark fruit territory. Fresh from shipment? Prepare for a nicotine uppercut.
