Alec Bradley Prensado Robusto: The 2011 Champ

A rugged, oily Honduran Corojo 2006 wrapper, veiny and dark, box-pressed just enough to sit square between the fingers. There is nothing delicate about how this cigar presents - it looks like a working man's smoke, and I mean that as a compliment. The cold draw offered bittersweet cocoa and a peppery cedar. The pack felt even, firm, with a slight softness near the foot that made me expect a generous draw. This is the blend that took Cigar Aficionado's top spot in 2011, and it still carries that reputation into every box sold.

The opening inch came out swinging with black pepper, sharp and bright, the kind that lights up the back of the throat before settling. Underneath it, a woody oak spine and the first hints of that cocoa from the cold draw. My draw ran a touch firm - not a problem, just a cigar that makes you work for the smoke a little. The burn line wavered early and left the banded, zebra-stripe ash this cigar is known for, requiring one small correction before it straightened out.

The middle is where the Prensado finds its balance. The pepper eased into the background and let bittersweet chocolate and leather take the lead, an espresso richness building underneath. The smoke turned mouth-coating and dense, coating the palate in a way that lingers between puffs. This is medium-full done with restraint - there is depth without any harsh edge. My burn behaved better here, the ash holding in firm inch-long segments before I tapped it.

The final third leaned into a creamy sweetness that surprised me, softening the earlier pepper into something rounder and warmer. It held its composure to the band across about an hour, never turning bitter or hot. If I have a quibble, it is that stick-to-stick this cigar can vary - I have had one that burned flawlessly and one that fought me the whole way. That inconsistency is the price of a rustic, hand-rolled Honduran, and for most boxes it is a minor tax on a genuinely good smoke.