Alec Bradley Cigars Black Market Esteli Gordo
- Size: 6 x 60
- Strength: Medium to Full
The Black Market Esteli is an iteration of the popular Black Market Blend. The blend has a similar feel to its original namesake, but the flavor and experience are completely unique. Esteli is the mecca of Nicaraguan cigars. This line truly represents what the city of Esteli is all about.
Cigar Meditation (verified owner) –
Cold Draw – Straight cut. Young wood with a hint of cedar.
1/3 – Mild body with pleasant tobacco aroma. The base of this cigar is earthy with a hint of sweet tobacco. Experiencing some minor cashew tannic texture on the palate that dissipates after a minute or so. Short finish.
2/3 – Not much development on flavour profile, but I did notice the strength of this cigar increased from medium to full. I dipped a bit of honey on the head of the cigar to act as a natural filter and lower the strength. There is a drawback or benefit to this as it will also soften the flavour profile, depending on what you like.
3/3 – Deep earth and dark espresso notes start to come in with a bit of metallic note.
Overall – Lots of smoke production, don’t rush this smoke as it can produce harsh flavours. Strength is medium to full especially on the final third, personally more for experience smokers. I think it will pair well with bourbon as they usually have the characteristics of brown sugar, caramel and molasses. Personally, I would give it 85/100.
Serge Perras (verified owner) –
Harsh and too strong! It’s not a medium to full body cigar. For me it’s full strength. You must like very strong cigar to enjoy that one… not for me!