Alec Bradley Project 40 Maduro Toro - Box of 24

Project 40 Maduro is what happens when Alec Bradley takes the same relaxed, everyday philosophy behind the original blend and pushes it into darker, richer territory. Same concept, same factory, same core idea that a good cigar should be part of daily life rather than reserved for special occasions, just wrapped in a considerably bolder leaf.

The Toro here swaps the original's reddish Nicaraguan Colorado wrapper for a Mexican San Andrés leaf, earthy and mineral-rich, while keeping the same Brazilian Habano binder and all-Nicaraguan filler that defines the rest of the Project 40 lineup. Rolled at J. Fuego Cigar Co. de Nicaragua in Estelí, the Maduro version moves the strength up from medium to a fuller medium-to-full profile, with the San Andrés wrapper's natural earthiness pairing against the binder's subtle sweetness to create a genuinely dark, cocoa-forward character. Alec Bradley describes the result as reminiscent of bittersweet chocolate layered over rich soil and mineral-driven earth, a deliberate contrast to the brighter, nuttier profile of the original.

Reviewers have found real depth here, notes of earth, pepper, leather, coconut, and black licorice showing up across the smoke, with caramel, baking spice, and dark chocolate developing through the middle stages, and a bitter coffee character often emerging by the final third. Construction can vary slightly stick to stick, as with any handmade cigar at this price point, but the flavor experience across a full 90-minute Toro session is consistently described as complex and well-balanced rather than one-note. Alec Bradley marked the shift visually too, trading the original's white, blue, and gold color scheme for a maroon and gold band that signals this darker chapter of the Experimental Series before you've even lit it.

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Flavor progression:

1. Opening: hay, wood, cocoa, and earth lead the way, with a peppery retrohale and hints of raisin-like sweetness from the San Andrés wrapper
2. Mid-smoke: vanilla bean and dark chocolate notes develop, alongside caramel and baking spice, the profile deepening into cocoa-forward territory
3. Close: bitter coffee, leather, and dark tobacco flavor round out the final third, with black licorice and coconut notes appearing on some sticks

Key Features:

1. Brand: Alec Bradley
2. Line: Project 40 Maduro
3. Concept: The darker chapter of the Experimental Series, built on the same everyday-happiness philosophy as the original
4. Blender: Alan Rubin, founder of Alec Bradley
5. Factory: J. Fuego Cigar Co. de Nicaragua S.A., Estelí, Nicaragua
6. Country of Origin: Nicaragua
7. Wrapper: Mexican San Andrés
8. Binder: Brazilian Habano
9. Filler: Nicaragua
10. Construction: Handmade
11. Vitola: Toro
12. Size: 6 inches x 52 ring gauge
13. Strength: Medium to Full
14. Flavor Profile: Earth, pepper, leather, coconut, black licorice, cocoa, dark chocolate, caramel, coffee, vanilla
15. Smoke Time: Approximately 90 minutes
16. Box Count: 24 cigars
17. Price per Cigar: approximately $6.25