Ovation Maduro

2008 01 07
Alec Bradley's Ovation Exotic Maduro (robusto, 5 x 50)
It was a typical cold and crappy January night and, though Michelle had seemed positive about my plans to light up, I knew that there was always a chance that I'd be needed for some "kid maintenance"...so I grabbed an Alec Bradley Ovation. The Ovations are cigars that I like to keep several around for-their likable, reliable, and affordable...so if I have to bail on it half-way, I don't feel like I just flushed a ten dollar bill down the drain.

I called up Rico to b.s. with but he was too busy...so I lit up alone.

This particular beauty was oily and good looking. I bought a sampler pack of Alec Bradleys for $40 and so I figure I paid around $2 for it in July of 2007, knowing that these guys would be pretty good smokes in Winter 2008, expecially if I let them sit a few months. The extra few months of age on these Alec Bradleys makes a big difference-when I first got the pack, I gave one a try and it was a bit...odd....

This dude was a yummy bastard.

The smoke was medium in flavor and in body-a fully decent combination for me. The flavors were consistent from beginning to end and the stick suffered no burn issues. It was a hearty "beef" type flavor, something I like, with a little pepper and maybe...charcoal smoke? Regardless, it was solid.

I would compare it closely to the El Rey del Mundo, except the El Rey is a stronger and all-around better smoke. The Ovation had a slight sweetness that tasted a tad artificial...and occasionally a weird "funkiness" that I couldn't identify.

Alec Bradley makes the Ovations, the Trilogy, the Medalist, Pryme, and Maxx (as well as other lines, I'm sure). Of these, I've tried all but the Medalist and find them all to be solid smokes. The Ovations and Trilogys in particular can often be found at pretty good prices ($2 a stick).

I rate these a "7" on my 10 point scale. They fill a nice niche-and give a lot of value. If the flavor was evened out a little (or even changed slightly as the cigar progressed), they'd score higher. I've had at least five of this make and model and I've had the same good experience with them all.

Here's an unflattering picture of me, in my Mobile Smoke Shack (M.S.S.), enjoing the Ovation. Note the ultra cool head band/led miner's light...very useful as the M.S.S. doesn't have interior lighting and it's tough to "ash" or read in the dark. Before I began using the miner's light, I managed to use the torch lighter on my finger on two separate occasions...and the Blazer PB-207 is hot enough to WELD WITH, so...

I thought I'd also note that, while smoking this bad boy, I made up some notes for the next Topeka game...Good times ahead!