My family and I recently returned from a week-long vacation in Naples, Florida. It was a nice break from the snow and sub-freezing temperatures of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It was a week full of sun, beaches, exploring, and lots of cigars. But I am back, rested up, and hoping to start kicking out some more reviews. This week I light up the Alec Bradley Magic Toast.

Showcased at the 2018 IPCPR Trade Show, Magic Toast by Alec Bradley is manufactured in Fabrica de Tabacos Raices Cubanas in Danli, Honduras. The cigar features a Honduran wrapper over a double binder from Nicaraguan and Honduras and filler tobaccos from the same two countries. Magic Toast is available in three sizes Robusto (5 by 52), Toro (6 by 52), and Gordo (6 by 60) and will run you between $8.95 to $10.25 per cigar.

You can purchase Magic Toast by Alec Bradley from our good friends at Famous Smoke Shop.

THE FACTS

Price: $9.50
Vitola: Toro
Size: 6 by 52
Wrapper: Honduran
Binder: Nicaraguan/Honduran
Filler: Nicaraguan/Honduran
Smoke Time: 1 Hour and 30 Minutes

PRE-LIGHT

The Magic Toast is draped in an extremely dark brown wrapper with even darker splotching. Thin black veins crisscross down the leaf. I do not see or feel any tooth, but there are some scattered bumps. The cigar is rolled firmly and evenly from top to bottom.

The cap cuts with ease and opens up a fine draw with just the right amount of resistance. With all my excitement to fire up this cigar that has received rave reviews, I completely skipped over noting any of the cold draw flavors. My apologies. 

FIRST THIRD

The Magic Toast opens with a toasty/meaty profile of toasted bread and full pepper spices. The flavors come out of the gate full and the texture of the smoke is thick in the mouth.  As the cigar warms up, a sweet berry sweetness moves into the profile and compliments the other qualities of the cigar. A wavy burn forms a black and white layered ash.

MIDDLE THIRD

Progressing into the second third, the toasted and meaty flavors are now joined with earth and coffee.  The new additions to the flavor department are also the flavors that linger on the finish of the smoke. As I move the smoke through my nose, there is a bright white pepper that is full but also a great addition to the experience. There is a ton of depth to the flavors and a good amount of strength showcased by the cigar. A quick hit with the lighter is needed to get the burn back to even.

FINAL THIRD

A gritty earth note is carrying the Magic Toast along with a black coffee holding it ground right beside it. The early berry sweetness is more jelly-like in the last third of the cigar, but it is also toned back from the introductory sweetness. The overall profile seems to have settled with everything meshing well together. The burn is the best it has been and no additional touch-ups are needed.

WRAP-UP

Alec Bradley cigars are hit or miss for me. But the Magic Toast is something special. The evolving profile and great depth in the flavors made this an absolute treat to smoke. The strength pushed full and the retro-hale is a must with this cigar. Other than the minor burn issue, I have no real complaints and I can easily see why the Magic Toast rated so well on a wide variety of review sites. I may be reaching for an Alec Bradley cigar next time I walk into the humidor.