Alec Bradley Tempus Quadrum

Purple is not a color one typically sees on cigar bands. Standing out from the crowd, it’s a small but telling preview of the outstanding smoke yet to come. The Tempus Quadrum was rated ’94’ by Cigar Insider and named one of the Top 25 Cigars of the Year; in fact, this stick is quite possibly the crowning achievement of Alec Bradley Cigars. The dark and leathery Habano-seed wrapper hails from a small tobacco field located on the border of Nicaragua and Honduras, and captures the rich, hearty flavors of Honduras. The wrapper cloaks a complex mixture of Cuban-seed long-fillers grown in both Nicaragua and Honduras. The cigar is thick and may challenge even a guillotine cutter but cut off only 1/8th of an inch and you can look forward to a great draw. The Tempus Quadrum isn’t for someone who hasn’t smoked many cigars. Initially, it hits you with some definite pepper before some coffee and chocolate flavors predominate. As you get into this smoke, rich nutty and earthy notes vie for your attention. By the last third, the cigar morphs into full-bodied, but it never gets overly harsh. The finish is long and peppery with an enjoyable sweetness. Pair it with a top shelf scotch such as Laphroiag, Glenmorangie or Talisker.