Alec Bradley Tempus Terra Novo

Origin : Honduras
Format : Robusto
Size : 5 x 50
Ring : 50
Wrapper : Honduras Criollo 98
Filler : Honduras, Nicaragua
Binder : Honduras Criollo 98, Indonesian Embetunada
Hand-Made
Price : ~$7 each
More info about purchasing Alec Bradley Tempus cigars...

This is my 1st tasting of an Alec Bradley Tempus. I have read some pretty good things, particularly that this cigar scored a 94 in Cigar Aficionado. So, I was definitely looking forward to trying this stick. I don't smoke Alec Bradley cigars too often, and the couple that I've had I wasn't too impressed with. Maybe, this will be the cigar that makes me think of this company in a different light...

Appearance :
This robusto had a dark, toothy wrapper and a sloppily applied triple cap. It sported big gaudy labels, which were nice, but a little over the top. Other than the slopy cap, the wrapper was well applied and didn't really have any blemishes.
 
Construction :
Overall, this was a pretty well made cigar. It had a perfect draw, but suffered from minor burn problems, requiring one touch up. It didn't overheat, swell, or go out on me, so the crooked burn wasn't really a big deal.

Flavor :
This was a medium-full bodied cigar that was pretty smooth. I didn't detect any bitterness during the smoke. The 1st half tasted of leather, earthyness and black licorice. This would be ok, except that I found the licorice taste very unpleasant. It is a taste that I try to avoid in cigars and it was a little too prevalent in the Tempus for me to really enjoy it. A dry cedar taste developed through the midpoint of the cigar, then some sweetness crept in during the second half, which definitely improved the cigar's overall flavor. I was suprised to learn that the Tempus had a Criollo wrapper, because it tasted more like a maduro.

Value :
From what I can gather MSRP on the Terra Novo is around $7.00, but can be found for much less online. This seems to be pretty in line for what you get in terms of quality. It just depends on what you like.

Overall Rating :
This review may seem unfairly harsh to those that like this cigar (there must be some of you if this cigar scored a 94), but it is my honest opinion. It just wasn't my cup o'tea. f you like your cigars to taste like anise, you will probably like it and rate it higher. I personally would not smoke another one. Regardless, it is well made and seems to be well aged, for that I can respect it.