Alec Bradley Tempus Centuria

Overall Score

1 review for Alec Bradley Tempus Centuria

  1. M***

    Alec Bradley Tempus Centuria

    Origin : HondurasAlec Bradley
    Format : Churchill
    Size : 7.0? x 49
    Wrapper : Honduran Criollo ’98
    Filler : Honduran and Nicaraguan
    Binder : Honduran Criollo ’98
    Hand-Made
    Price : $7 each

    The Alec Bradley Tempus is made in the Raices Cubanas factory in Honduras. This is the same factory the the Illusione and Cruzado cigars are made for Dion Giolito. I mention this because of a story I heard. It is second or third hand so I have no way of knowing how true it is but it is interesting. The story goes that Dion was testing several prototype blends to use in one of his lines. Apparently Dion wants his cigars to change up on him 4 plus times through the course of the smoke so there were several blends that while good, complex smokes, they were passed on by Dion. The rumor is, that one such blend was offered to and subsequently bought by Alec Bradley to become the Tempus. Like I said, I have no idea if it is true or not, but it is an interesting story and maybe it provides some insight into what happens to some of better blends that go unclaimed during the development phase for a new cigar.

    The large ornate band and the second gold band at the foot of the cigar gives it a kind of regal look from a distance, but up close the cigar looks rather rustic. The wrapper drak brown and a little rumpled looking with a sparse scattering of small black spots on it. It is very veiny and has a slight tooth to it. The triple cap is sloppily applied. It kind of looks like a Padron, only slightly better put together. Despite its rustic appearance, it is obviusly a well made cigar as the draw was near perfect and the burn remained straight and even the entire smoke with no relights or touch-ups.

    This was a nice robust smoke. It burned slow and cool and took me close to two hours to finish. It starts off with a peppery blast and rich notes of earth and black coffee and a subtle sweetness on the finish. It is a full bodied start with a bit of a heady punch. It does begin to mellow out though and the majority of the smoke is nice and smooth with creamy flavors of nuts and oak interrupted by the occasional flash of salty leather. As I neared the end, it changed back to the robust earthy smoke that it began as with plenty of pepper on the finish.

    This was a good complex smoke that was able to hold my attention for the full 90 plus minutes it took to smoke. I don’t smoke a lot of Churchills because they do take a while to work through so they need to be complex and engaging when I do partake of one. The Alec Bradley Tempus Centuria fits the bill. I will certainly smoke this one again. The Tempus is easily my favorite Alec Bradley cigar.

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    • Z** C****

      My Review of the Alec Bradley Tempus Corona

      The cool thing about Tempus line is that it is available in a corona and giant corona size. Got to love the coronas!

      This is a dark brown cigar, even coloration on the wrapper and not too veiny. I punched it and the draw was nice and easy, which is often complicated for non-Cuban cigar manufacturers (sorry, but it is).

      After I lit it and started writing this review, it went out. That’s not a good sign.

      Flavor wise, its not a terribly spicy cigar. It doesn’t give you much on the palate, but it actually delivers a ton of flavors in the sinuses. There is an undercurrent of sweetness in the cigar with a richness and depth that shows proper aging. I pick up notes, in my sinuses, of cherry coffee and chocolate. The cigar has a nice medium finish.

      The ash is very short, in fact I have to tap it every quarter inch or so, so that I don’t were it all over my expensive designer cut-off t-shirt.

      I like the artwork/design on the band but do not like the second band on the foot. Each band seems to be scaled for the size of the cigar which is cool. As an aside, what’s up with all of the second bands? Can’t fit it all on one?

      I would like to retract my spicy comment, it does begin to pick up some spiciness around the halfway point, not too much, just the right amount of pepper that tickles your tongue and sinus.

      So with flavor and appearance I was very pleased, but I was disappointed on construction. So I can’t give this too high of a score but the cigar does show good potential.

      Rating: 85 (B)

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Cigar Region Honduras
Filler Nicaragua, Honduras
Wrapper Honduras
Binder Honduras, Indonesia
Length 7
Ring Gauge 49
Vitola Churchill
Construction Hand Made