Alec Bradley Medalist Toro - Box of 24

Before Alec Bradley became known for cigars that push toward the bolder end of the spectrum, founder Alan Rubin got his start in the 1990s selling affordable, mild cigars. Medalist, released in April 2018, was his deliberate return to that origin, and an open invitation to milder-cigar smokers who had drifted away from the brand as its reputation grew for bigger, richer blends.

Rubin was direct about the intent behind this release. Medalist was built for smokers who value smoothness and a light natural sweetness, and for a segment of the market Alec Bradley hadn't been speaking to in a while. The blend itself starts with a shade-grown Honduran wrapper, a golden, oily leaf with a beautiful sheen that visually resembles a Connecticut, layered over a Honduran binder and a filler combining Nicaraguan tobacco from Jalapa and Estelí with Honduran leaf from Jamastran. It's all handcrafted at Tabacos de Oriente in Honduras.

Here's the twist worth knowing before you light one: don't judge this cigar's strength by its light wrapper color. Despite its approachable presentation, Medalist runs noticeably fuller than a typical mild cigar, and black pepper reinforces that fact clearly on the retrohale. The opening delivers cedar, nuts, cream, and a gentle spice, with toast and hay notes rounding out the profile early on. Several reviewers have specifically compared the creamy character, especially when paired with coffee, to a vanilla latte, and the second third tends to bring the most complexity, with graham cracker sweetness staying prominent alongside deepening pepper and mineral notes. It's a genuinely versatile cigar, mild enough for a relaxed morning smoke, complex enough to hold real interest through a full session, and priced to make both of those things easy to justify on a regular basis.

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Flavor progression:

1. Opening: cedar, hay, and toast lead the way, with a light creaminess and white pepper building on the retrohale
2. Mid-smoke: graham cracker sweetness and a vanilla latte-like creaminess develop, black pepper reinforcing that this is a fuller cigar than its wrapper suggests
3. Close: pencil lead minerality and slightly charred coffee round out the finish, the burn typically evening out well by the final third

Key Features:

1. Brand: Alec Bradley
2. Line: Medalist
3. Release: April 2018
4. Concept: A return to Alan Rubin's early mild-cigar roots, aimed at reconnecting with smokers who prefer smoother blends
5. Blender: Alan Rubin, founder of Alec Bradley
6. Factory: Tabacos de Oriente, Honduras
7. Country of Origin: Honduras
8. Wrapper: Honduran, shade-grown
9. Binder: Honduras
10. Filler: Nicaragua (Jalapa, Estelí), Honduras (Jamastran)
11. Construction: Handmade
12. Vitola: Toro
13. Size: 6 inches x 54 ring gauge
14. Strength: Medium-Plus
15. Flavor Profile: Cedar, nuts, cream, vanilla, toast, hay, graham cracker, white pepper, mineral
16. Smoke Time: Approximately 75 minutes
17. Box Count: 24 cigars
18. Price per Cigar: approximately $6.50