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Unlit Impressions

Hidden from view, like any respectable item on the Black Market should be, the vast majority of this cigar sits beneath a sizable paper sleeve. With its shipping crate typography and tattered appearance, the appeal of this off-white paper is almost as amusing as the fact that the actual Alec Bradley cigar band sits dead center on the cigar. I honestly cannot think of another cigar that has this unique double feature, and I find it to be equal parts fun and refreshing.

Now, as for the wrapper on this cigar, that sits in an equally centralized section, somewhere between ruddy maduro and milk cocoa sun-grown. Smooth and shiny, this medium oiled outer leaf feels tacky to the touch and displays some moderate mottling in areas. But these are the only issues I can detect besides a touch too much cigar glue being applied to the cap, and an unwelcome soft spot in the center of the cigar near the band. Sour cherries mixed with molasses, sorghum, and honey waft off that tacky feeling oiled leather mystery wrapper, teasing the nose with sweet aromatics, 

Milk chocolate-covered raisins and a double dose of Fig Newtons form the foot's primary aromatic core. A scoop of topsoil here, some leather and cedar there, and a lingering scent of sun-grown goodness all make sniffing the innards of this cigar an absolute thrill. The chocolaty raisin notes quickly become more of a rum raisin taste once the cap is cut, and the cocoa side immediately turns dark and semi-sweet. Sour cherry is back, and the unlit tobacco tastes extremely sweet, making this an excellent option for recommending to those who prefer to gnaw on their stogies a bit.

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Initial Smoke

Salty, spicy, and leathery, like a flat iron steak with a sprinkle of Montreal seasoning on top, the show starts with some form of familiarity and a bit of bravado. Oily and rapidly growing sweet, I admire the swift shift from umami spiciness to bittersweet chocolate and dark fruit. The draw is right on, retrohales are rich and borderline on being full-bodied already, and the nutty finish that follows is flavorful and fantastic.

1st Half

As the nuttiness found deeper within the blend evolves, a taste of oak and the embers of charred hardwood attempt to champion the milky taste. But the milkiness of the smoke is too powerful, and the tannin-heavy tastes are subdued and shelved as secondary tasting notes. Tufts of grassiness attract the taste buds with herbal, light flavors, making the darker sides of the cigar feel less heavy. Mixing sweet with dry, and creamy with bitter allows these flavors and textures to give the cigar a fair bit of complexity early on, and keeps the smoke from growing too heavy in body.

Second third fans will surely nod their heads in approval at the transition to creamy oat milk, and how that plays off each descending layer of nutty retrohale. Deep, but never overly dark, these medium-bodied vibes are encouraged to keep things from getting too oily or intense by the increasingly crisp tannin tastes of those oaky embers still smoldering on the fire. Spiciness is absent from thought by now, and a leisurely round of retrohales and generous puffs of fluffy smoke fill the gap.

2nd Half

Sour cherry leans in to say high for a moment in the center of the cigar, right about where that band once sat. There, bittersweet chocolate holds out its hand to greet the forgotten flavor, and the two dance a merry jig around the smoldering oak and mixed tree nuts roasting over the open fire. Still creamy tasting, but only partially in a textured sense, the whole blend begins to build an oily backbone that will continue until the very last parting puff.

Cinnamon and brown sugar, along with some mixed dark dried fruit flavors pulled straight from the dehydrator, deliver what could possibly be the best transition of the entire cigar right about where the final third fires up. With some stronger, sappy cedar aromatics revising the entire retrohale profile, and that increasing oiliness engaging the tongue at each pull, the big shift toward medium-plus becomes unavoidable.

Parting Puffs

Slightly soil-like and tannin-touched, the last inch or so of this stick uses the tastes and textures of the rainforest to its advantage. Dark and mysterious, like the uninhabited wilds of the Amazon, I find these intensely aromatic last moments of this blend to be a substantial counterbalance to the oily tastes of leather, bittersweet cocoa, and dark fruits that have been brought over from the final third. 

Ash / Burn / Smoke / Draw

A touch tight in some sections, a little loose in others, with the draw varying depending upon the level of the restriction, overall combustion assessments were a solid B+ in my Bucksaw cigar journal. While the near-ideal draw did lean toward tight over loose much of the time, it opened up a good bit once that soft spot in the center of the barrel was reached, and I found the final third burned fairly hot because of this. However, up until then, the cigar burned icy cold, and the oily texture of the medium-plus bodied smoke was superb, as was much of the ash along the way.

Final Thoughts 

Not once have I been let down by Alec Bradley's Black Market Estelí. Flavors and aromatics are always interesting and a mighty fine mixture of sweet and fruity, bittersweet and dark, and tannin-rich and nutty. Smoky at times, and undeniably meaty in its earlier moments, this blend brings the transitions in rapid succession.

Although some of these flavors and aromatics feel a touch recycled at times, they are never unpleasant or out of place, and the balance brought forth from it all, blending together tastes and feels top-notch. It's an oily, dark cigar-smoking session that almost feels full-bodied at times, but prefers to leave that to its cigar flavor profiles. 

I must warn you, though. More than once, I have encountered some high temps in the final third of this blend, so smoke slowly to prevent any overly charred tastes from ruining the last portion of the smoke. But besides that, this is one solid little stogie that deserves a lot more attention than what it received way back in the day. That's your cue, homeskillet. Smoke one or two for yourself, and leave your opinion on the Black Market Estelí product page, and let's see what ya'll think of this tasty premium cigar blend.

Stogie Specs