Cigar of the Week Archives - Page 2 of 2

Cigar of the Week: Alec Bradley Trilogy Native Cameroon Robusto

Alec Bradley Trilogy Native Cameroon cigar

Brand: Alec Bradley
Line: Trilogy Native Cameroon
Vitola: Robusto (5 x 50)
Origin: Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Cameroon
Binder: Honduran
Filler: Nicaraguan, Italian
Body: Medium
Strength: Medium
Box Price: $72.00 (box of 20)

(This is the first of three reviews for Alec Bradley’s Trilogy line of cigars: the Native Cameroon, the Corojo and the Exotic Maduro.)

I don’t smoke too many sticks with Cameroon binders. The last one, I think, was the CAO Cameroon

So, to say the least, I was excited when I received the Alec Bradley Native Cameroon in the mail from Chris Manso over at A.B.

Not too much information is available on the Alec Bradley site, but the folks at Keepers of the Flame wrote in 2006 that the cigars in the Trilogy line used to be tri-pressed, and thus were shaped like triangles. Pretty cool, huh?

Anyway, the Native Cameroon has a good prelight draw, along with a leathery, woody taste and scent with hints of spice. It also has an attractive, fairly toothy wrapper.

About an inch into the cigar, I was hit with an earthy taste, and the spiciness dialed up a touch, enough for it to linger a bit on the finish, but this spice went away about an inch or so.

The stick had a good, even burn and produced solid, very light gray ash.

Verdict: Smooth and uncomplicated, but for a Cameroon, it’s not quite what I expected. Alec Bradley cigars are generally good bangs for the buck, and this Native Cameroon is decent, but to be honest, it’s not the best Cameroon I’ve smoked, and it won’t be the best one you’ll smoke either. I did enjoy it enough to think about buying a couple to let sit in my humidor. At $3 apiece, it’s a modest investment.

(Note: This review originally appeared on CigarJack.)

Tidbit of the Day: Hanging out in Nat Sherman’s Johnson Club Room

Mollie hanging out in Nat Sherman’s Johnson Club Room

Earlier this year, I reviewed the Nat Sherman Host Selection, the Nat Sherman Metropolitan Selection, the Nat Sherman V.I.P. Selection and the Nat Sherman Omerta. I enjoy the company’s cigars, but I just hadn’t been to Nat’s new 42nd Street digs.

So I was in New York recently, and in between a Mets game and some family business, my girlfriend Mollie (pictured) and I had some time to kill. We were near the store, so we stopped by for a bit.

Nat Sherman is a cigar smoker’s urban oasis. My contact there, store manager Mike Holba, was there, and he showed us around the store’s retail area, the cave-like walk-in humidor, the private lockers and, of course, the Johnson Club Room.

Think of the club as a cross between the Harvard Club — not that I’ve ever been there — and a Tommy Bahama wet dream. Decadent, no?

Simply put, The JCR is the cigar smoker’s ultimate tax write-off; $1,600 a year gets you membership, a personal locker and a whole bunch of prestige. But if you do a lot of business in New York, and you enjoy a good cigar, membership is a must-have.

There are many creature comforts: There’s the room, which features a full bar, lots of dark wood, comfortable leather chairs and couches and some cool cigar stuff on display. The club also serves up appetizers, a free daily continental breakfast from 9-11am and, presumably, some good conversation. This is the home of the city’s cigar-puffing elite, which include New York icons like Rudy Giuliani and Joe Torre, who both have lockers at Nat’s.

Mollie and I hung out in the room for a little while. She had a Host, while I enjoyed one of the store’s exclusive Blender’s Vault cigars. (I’ll be reviewing some of these later on.)

If you’re in the Big Apple on a weekend, a visit to Nat’s is a must. Period. The sticks are good, the space is nice, and the ice tea’s pretty damn tasty.

But if you tell ’em I sent you, you probably won’t get a discount.

(Note: This originally appeared on CigarJack.)