Pre-light Experience

The wrapper is very dark where I would call it Oscuro and has a couple of slightly raised veins present. The cigar is a bit lumpy and makes the seams fairly easily visible even though they are smooth. The head is finished off with a well applied double cap. The band is blue, burgundy, white and gold with some interesting geometric designs as well as the company logo, name and line name. The aroma from the wrapper is a mix of damp wood and stone fruit sweetness while the foot brings a spiced wood. The pre-light draw brings a light wood along with a mild spiciness on my lips.

Pre-light Experience

The Alec Bradley Magic Toast Robusto has a dark blue, gold, red with gold lettering band. The band also has astrological themed symbols in gold across it. The wrapper is very dark black, approaching Oscuro in color, with firmly pressed veins. The wrapper has aromas of sweet hay, barnyard and fermented tobacco. In the foot, there’s barnyard and sweet raisin and fermented tobacco.

Pre-light Experience

The Alec Bradley Magic Toast Robusto has an inconsistent dark brown wrapper. The wrapper ranges from Colorado maduro to oscuro. Veins are well pressed, seams tight, bunch and roll even and head finished off with a well applied thick cap. Aromas from the wrapper give some subtle wet barnyard, chestnuts and hay. Aromas from the foot give stronger wet barnyard, chestnuts, hay and an introduction of white pepper. Cold draw tells cedar, nuts and hay.

First Third

The cigar begins with a mix of dark wood, baking spice and a light creaminess. At a half inch in, the baking spice smooths out a bit while the dark wood and cream maintain their levels. At an inch in, the creaminess has increased to become even with the dark wood and baking spice. The retrohale is a bit baking spice forward and provides a mid level zing with the dark wood and cream slightly behind. At an inch and a quarter, the dark wood transitions to cedar as the baking spice and cream mellow quite a bit. The strength in this third began at medium-full but settled in at right around medium.

First Third

The first third opens with sweet cinnamon, and delayed brown sugar. As I progress, I’m tasting cedar, powdered cocoa and a delayed chili pepper on the post draw. The retrohale has an intense baking spice and pepper, which dominates the palate. The brown sugar takes on a toasted sugar aspect, as the spice and pepper back off to medium plus intensity. Earthiness and sour citrus comes into the post draw at the first third begins to wrap up.

First Third

The first quarter inch of the first third has a viscous medium-full bodied profile of whipping cream and milk chocolate. Past that mark, the profile picks up dry red peppers, baking spices and cedar. Retrohaling brings out a sharp dry red pepper spice and more noticeable cedar. The finish is long with a lingering cedar note. Strength is medium.

Second Third

As the second third begins, the cream increases to become even with the cedar while the baking spice is in the background. At a half inch in, the cream recedes to the background to become even with the baking spice while the cedar is up front. At three quarters of an inch in, the cedar transitions to oak. The retrohale is now oak with the baking spice slightly behind and faint creaminess in the background. As the third comes to a close, the baking spice is very faint while the oak is up front and the cream slightly behind. The strength in this third remained at medium.

Second Third

The profile is chocolate and cedar moving into the middle third, with powdered cocoa coming at the end of each draw. The spices on the retrohale take on almost a chai tea profile as it settles in. Mild earthiness joins in and begins to match the cedar in strength.

Second Third

The second third picks up strength (now medium-full). The body is still viscous with flavors of whipping cream, milk chocolate, dry red peppers, baking spices and cedar. The profile also at times provides espresso beans.

Final Third

As the final third begins, the oak remains up front with the cream slightly behind and just a hint of baking spice in the background. At a half inch in, the cigar begins to warm up, bringing a toasted note to the oak along with a slight mintiness while the cream maintains its level. At an inch in, the oak gains some char to go along with the toast while the cream is in the background and the baking spice has finally dropped out. The retrohale is the same profile. As the cigar comes to a close it continues to heat up but doesn’t really change the flavor profile at all. The strength in this third bumped up to slightly above medium.

Final Third

The sweetness falls down to a light plus with the earthiness picking up and taking on a slight toasted character. Some mild espresso notes join in, with baking spices at the middle and end of the retrohale. By the end of the final third, the toasted earth has taken over the profile.

Final Third

The last third showcases more of the spice variants (baking spices, dry red pepper spice) as well as the cedar component. The viscosity is still there with the whipping cream and milk chocolate but a bit overshadowed by the spices and wood. Strength and body finishes medium-full.

Burn

The burn line was slightly wavy but never needed any attention. The ash dropped at the two inch mark and then held on the rest of the way.

Burn

Across all the Magic Toast cigars smoked, the burn had waviness with touch-ups in the first and final thirds. Ash held on well in up to 1.5 inch increments.

Burn

The burn was average as there was one complete re-light, multiple touch-ups and flaky ashes.

Draw

The draw was slightly tighter than I prefer but didn’t cause any issues with the smoking experience.

Overall

The cigar started with a punch of strength and then settled in to right around medium the rest of the way. There were some nice transitions from a general dark wood note to cedar and then oak. Baking spice and cream were also core components. The construction was very good and allowed me to just focus on the flavors. The profile had a heaviness to it and if you enjoy that, you’ll like this cigar. This would be a good evening cigar that you could pair with a nice whisky or bourbon. When I’m looking to settle in with a wood forward flavor profile I’d have no problem smoking this again.

Draw

One of the samples had an ideal resistance and one sample was half a notch into the resistant spectrum.

Overall

The Alec Bradley Magic Toast Robusto brings the spiciness of the Black Market with nuances and flavor complexity that last all the way to the nub. Once the initial spice intensity fades, the cigar establishes a sweet and chocolate profile.

Draw

Perfect draw. No issues here.

Overall

This is a good offering from Alec Bradley. I enjoyed the medium-full strength and body delivery of milk chocolate, whipping cream, spice characters (dry red pepper, baking spices) and cedar. If you find yourself enjoying thicker smokes with a heavier profile (which seems like all the hipster cigar geeks like these days), you should take a hard look at the Magic Toast.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

6.57

Cost/Point

$1.36

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

7.07

Cost/Point

$1.27

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

6.87

Cost/Point

$1.30

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Alec Bradley Magic Toast Robusto