Alec Bradley - Black Market Esteli - 6 1/4 x 54 Diamond

 The No. 9 cigar of 2018 by Cigar Aficionado Magazine. 

From the Cigar Aficionado website:

The name may sound ominous and illicit, but the Alec Bradley Black Market Estelí Torpedo is really a stand-up, law-abiding cigar—and a very satisfying one as well. Owned by Alan Rubin, this intriguing series is a spin-off from the first Black Market brand, only the blend is quite different and so is the factory. While the original Black Market is made in Honduras, Black Market Estelí is produced at Plasencia Cigars S.A., a Nicaraguan factory located right in Estelí, the country’s epicenter for handmade smokes.

Playing to the theme, the cigars are packaged in crate-like boxes, as though they were stolen freight boosted from a cargo plane or container ship. If you’re not into cloak-and-dagger, then simply ignore the name and concentrate on the smoke. It’s earthy and leathery with sweet, concentrated undertones of raisins and cocoa. The draw is flawless, delivering a weighty, substantial smoke to the palate, which speaks to the cigar’s excellent construction and fine tobacco.

Working with the Plasencia family has many advantages, one of which being a vast library of tobacco to choose from. Black Market Estelí is a blend consisting of Nicaraguan wrapper, Nicaraguan filler and two binders: one from Honduras, the other from Nicaragua. Tasty as they are, all the tobaccos are of course, within legal U.S. compliance, even if you feel like you might be breaking the law.

Strength: Medium to Full

Wrapper: Nicaragua

Binder: Nicaragua and Honduras

Filler: Nicaragua