***Updated 11/19/12; see end of post
Video review HERE.
(from the Cigars International website)
Here’s a new....errr kind of new....release from Alec Bradley: MAXX Brazil. There’s a somewhat interesting backstory here too. A couple of years ago, we thought it would be fun and exciting to create an Alec Bradley 5-Star sampler that included a special cigar exclusive to only that sampler. That cigar was Alec Bradley MAXX Brazil. People loved the cigar, which is good. But once the sampler sold out, we had a problem. People were angry. I mean, legitimately pissed. So after 6 months of hate-filled ’how could you’ and ’I need my MAXX Brazil back’ emails, we’re bringing it back....for good. This time as a regular production item in boxes....and naturally it’s discounted in true CI form. Welcome back Alec Bradley MAXX Brazil, you shall never be missed again.
Alec Bradley MAXX Brazil employs the same complex long-filler blend as the standard MAXX - Colombian, Nicaraguan, Mexican, and Honduran. But adds in a Brazilian Mata Fina binder and a dark, oily Brazilian Habano wrapper. This combination delivers a rich, robust smoke that’s brimming with notes of earth, leather, sweet cedar, cream, and spices. Deliciously complex, excellently blended, this is one tasty cigar.
I find this cigar to be very interesting due to the fact it uses Brazilian binders and wrappers. I am familiar with the flavors of Brazilian tobacco and this cigar is one I really want to try.
The wrapper is very beautiful. The cigar is well made and take a look at the various colors in the filler.
The test draw after cutting the cap was a bit firm. At light up the initial flavors were sweet cedar, almond, leather, and a nice amount of pepper (6 out of 10)
About 1/2 inch in the flavors settled down into sweet cedar, light cream notes, leather, and coffee. The finish is a combination of a sweet cream and lightly roasted almonds with some lingering pepper. The finish lingers and lingers. It's a thick sweetness that coats the palate.
At the one inch point there was a blast of richness! The cedar is still sweet but now there are rich almond notes. The previously described cream notes are now almonds and they are nice and rich! The pepper remains unchanged. The leather has decreased somewhat but the coffee remains very good. The finish has changed to one of a rich almond cream with lingering pepper. It continues to paint the palate.
At the midpoint the richness continues. The cedar is very sweet and the almonds are rich. Obviously the richness comes from the Brazilian tobacco. The leather is subtle but the coffee is quite obvious. The finish remains long and sweet with almonds and some lingering pepper.
This has been a very good cigar. The richness in the almonds and the sweetness in the cedar are great. The leather notes came around a little more at the end and the coffee was very prominent. The pepper remained at a 6 scale. The finish is so thick and sweet. At the end there were some coffee notes on the finish but it was primarily one of a sweet almond. The cigar ended up medium bodied. I suspect this cigar will do very well for Cigars International. I would call this a "must try". I was very impressed.
Score: 92
UPDATE 11/19/12:
Since this review I have purchased and sampled the churchill and torpedo versions of this cigar. They were not nearly as rich and enjoyable as the robusto that I reviewed. The question is, did I get an exception cigar to review or does the flavor profile change drastically when smoking other than the robusto? I have not purchased any other robustos so at this point I cannot say if they will stack up to the sample robusto I reviewed.
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