Alec Bradley Black Market torpedo

My first humidor was a Pinnacle golf ball box, and Alec Bradley cigars have been a regular in my humidor since those days. I have long since upgraded to a FootJoy shoebox, and now an igloo cooler. Over the past year, I've smoked about a box worth of the different sizes of the Black Market (enough so I could wallpaper my man cave with the huge foot bands) and look forward to the wee petit corona-sized Punk. I decided to review one of these torpedoes again after refamiliarising myself with the Family Blend.

Alec Bradley Black Market torpedo

At $8 or so for the torpedo size, the Black Market has a pretty good bang for the buck, especially versus the spendier Tempus and Prensado lines. Its Nicaraguan wrapper is a mottled, shoeleather-brown and has some moderate veins. Drawing through the Honduran/Panamanian fillers is a perfect balance of whim and restraint, and the burn is a little wobbly but care-free.

Right away, bold earthy flavors of leather, wood, and a sultry spice greet my first fiery kiss. The spice doesn't linger long, but the tart woody flavors hold the tone for most of the cigar and mix with cameos of coffee, bitter cocoa, and occasionally hay. Definitely a medium-bodied stick, all told.

The Tart wood/leather of the Black Market has a lot in common with the Family Blend, especially the last third of that cigar, but without the major grass overtones. I'll stick with the Black Market, and look forward to the wee Punk.