The Mundial project took Alan Rubin, owner of Alec Bradley, nearly 5 years to complete. “Mundial” translates to “worldwide” in Spanish and he wanted this cigar to take his company to a global scale.
This cigar was reviewed blind (no bands) by a panel of at least 4 reviewers. They did not know what they were smoking beforehand. The scores are an average of all the reviewers' scores with outliers removed. All of our cigars reviewed are shipped to the panelists with Boveda packs to ensure optimal smoking experience.
Production was limited to 3,000 boxes the first year the cigar came out, 2013. Since then, production has been limited but undisclosed. Each box has 20 cigars. The blend uses a wrapper grown in the Trojes region of Honduras (the same used on Prensado), two binders, one from Honduras, and one from Nicaragua, and filler from from Nicaragua and Honduras including some Estelí ligero. All the cigars in the Mundial line use a perfecto shape resembling the lances wielded by knights on horseback and have the phrase “Punta Lanza,” which means “point of the lance,” and is an homage to an old mentor who tutored Rubin in his early days. Vitolas include: PL#5 (5.1″x52) $9.99, PL#6 (6.0″x54) $10.99, PL#7 (7.0″x52) $12.99, and PL#7 (7.0″x52) $11.99.
Vital Stats:
Vitola: Perfecto Length: 5 1/8″ Ring Gauge: 52 Country of Origin: Honduras Wrapper: Honduras Binder: Honduras, Nicaragua Filler: Honduras, Nicaragua Factory: Raices Cubanas Blender: Alan Rubin Number of reviewers: 5 – John A.(Bostoneo) Ryan H.(Ryan H.) Mickey T.(irratebass) James H.(Keikan Jim) Doug S.(Unpossible_1) Price: $11.95 Age: 5 Months Release Date: 2013 Contributed by: Alec Bradley Cigars
Initial Impressions
Appearance: 93
“Very nice looking figurado cigar. Medium brown in color with some mottling, light seams and veins. Overall this is a stunning cigar. ” –James H. (Keikan Jim)
Aroma: 87
“No discernible aroma other than tobacco and barnyard. Cold draw is a bit different though. Candied pecans and caramel, very sweet flavors that are a bit unexpected.” –Doug S. (Unpossible_1)
“A tight initial draw reveals very earthy and slightly peppery flavors akin to grassy soil and cumin. As the tapered foot opens up, a much diverse, less concentrated flavor profile blossoms. Medium perfumed woodsy notes dominate alongside creamy fresh sawdust with a malty sweet aftertaste. ” –John A. (Bostoneo)
“Immediately after lighting the room is filled with a candied plum smell so wonderful. A some what complex profile on this cigar sweet bread, tobacco, some cinnamon as well as jalapeno spice. Cigar doesn’t leave a clean palate and is a bit bitter. Medium in strength.” –Ryan H. (Ryan H.)
“Sweetness takes a back seat to the lingering heat and spice. I’ve been racking my brain trying to figure out the best way to describe it and I think I have it. Ginger and peppercorns together create a slow warmth that just lingers without every being overpowering. Almost reminds me of ginger snaps but with a little more oomph.” –Doug S. (Unpossible_1)
“Rounding the base into the second third, woodsy sawdust notes with cream continue to delight the pallet each puff while delicious clouds of smoke spew forth to create an ethereal experience. The woodsy profile takes a turn in a more caramel like charred sweet oak flavor as we end this third. ” –John A. (Bostoneo)
Final Third
Flavor: 88 Strength: Medium-Strong Body/Complexity: Medium
“The final third is upon us! Sweet caramel like oak flavors provide a bump in body. As this portion burns down the sweetness appears to subside as a salty peanut profile takes over for the best of this third. ” –John A. (Bostoneo)
“Most of the pop the cigar had so far slowly fades away and I’m left with subtle sweetness and cedar. Not the most impressive finish to a cigar that offered some potential early on.” –Doug S. (Unpossible_1)
Overall Impressions
Draw: 94
“This draw on this cigar was consistent throughout the entire smoking experience allowing ample amounts of smoke to keep get through to the palate.” –James H. (Keikan Jim)
Burn: 88
“Really nice burn, no issues.” –Mickey T. (irratebass)
Construction: 93
“Construction was not phenomenal but easily what I’d expect from a premium cigar. No soft spots and even burn were the norm for this cigar.” –James H. (Keikan Jim)
“Its very tasty interesting flavor profile from the beginning was a winner. The transition further up the stick and finally a return to a similar profile in the beginning was perfect for this hour long smoke. Would definitely smoke this again.” –John A. (Bostoneo)
“A very good and interesting profile. Some burn problems and construction problems. With all that said it was still a very positive and enjoyable experience. Buying a few wouldn’t be a bad idea.” –Ryan H. (Ryan H.)
“This cigar was just that…..a cigar. Really nothing to report. I got earth, leather and wood throughout, and there was a hint of cherries at one point.” –Mickey T. (irratebass)
“This cigar would have rated much higher in this this category if it were not for the final third. The bitterness that crept in in the final third took it down a few notches along with the work it took to keep it going. The first two thirds shined as bright as the morning sun. The final third was more like a cloudy day with the threat of rain.” –James H. (Keikan Jim)
“For me, the difference between a very good cigar and great one is consistency. I really thought this cigar started out great, but that last third really bummed me out. I even found myself looking down at it to see how much was left so I could just be done. Nothing worse than a cigar experience fizzling out. Perhaps I will revisit it again, in hopes of something more.” –Doug S. (Unpossible_1)
Smoking Time (in minutes): 65
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"This cigar would have rated much higher in this this category if it were not for the final third. The bitterness that crept in in the final third took it down a few notches along with the work it took to keep it going. The first two thirds shined as bright as the morning sun. The final third was more like a cloudy day with the threat of rain. " -James H. (Keikan Jim)
