Herf #17 - Gentle Giant

October 5th, 2008 - Shoreline, WA

In attendance were Fernand, Pat, Joe , Tom, Peter, and Bruce. As usual, we gathered to enjoy a good cigar and give our opinion on it by holding a 'group tasting' following dinner.

The six of us were treated to a very special dinner prepared by Fernand’s wife, Debra. It featured her famous bourbon glaze salmon, a tantalizing fruit-topped spinach salad, and a very creative sun-dried tomato and pepper couscous. There was not so much as a crumb left. Once everyone had their fill, it was time for the tasting session. Beverages included beer, wine, bourbon, port, and rum.

Our selection for this Herf was the Alec Bradley Tempus ‘Centuria’. A dark looking, sweet smelling churchill measuring 7 inches long with a ring guage of 49. This Alec Bradley was Cigar of the Week back on September 15th which received a 94 from Cigar Aficionado's expert tasting panel.

Following CA's 4-part rating system (Appearance & Construction, Flavor, Smoking Characteristics, and Overall Impression) we began the tasting. This proved to be a very well-liked cigar among our group of tasters.

After averaging our scores, The Cohiba Club's official rating for the Alec Bradley Tempus ‘Centuria’ churchill is 91. An outstanding cigar.

Here's the points breakdown:
I. Appearance & Construction: 13 pts (87% of the points possible)
II. Flavor: 23 pts (92% of the points possible)
III. Smoking Characteristics: 22 pts (88% of the points possible)
IV. Overall Impression: 33 pts (94% of the points possible)

Made by Alan Rubin in Honduras, this cigar’s wrapper had a dark, well-aged look that gave off a sweet smell; rich from fermentation. The texture was smooth and velvety and the roll quality was firm and uniform across the group of our six samples.

These cigars drew perfectly. Everyone commented how it was just the way they liked it. Ample amounts of smooth smoke were produced. The ashes, however, could have been more stable and maybe even a little lighter in color. The burn was very even, though a few did require a couple re-lights as things progressed.

We all got some spice initially, but that soon calmed down nicely. The flavors were rich & meaty and the intensity would come and go. At one point I actually got the notion of meats over smoldering wood chips in a smoker with even a subtle garlic in there. Everyone kept commenting how smooth it was for such a full-bodied cigar.

All in all, a very enjoyable cigar which we highly recommend.
See you at the next herf, November 2nd.