Alec & Bradley Gatekeeper Now Produced in Honduras
The Alec & Bradley Gatekeeper has a new home for its production, as it has been moved out of Ernesto Perez-Carrillo’s Tabacalera La Alianza in the Dominican Republic and into Tabacos de Oriente, the Plasencia-owned facility in Danlí, Honduras.
The reason was due to strained capacity at La Alianza, according to a report by
Cigar Aficionado. Perez-Carrillo told the publication that juggling the needs of his company with Alec & Bradley’s needs was a challenge, and that the shift will alleviate a number of headaches for everybody. Perez-Carrillo has worked with Alec and Bradley Rubin on developing and producing the cigar, which debuted in 2019.
Rolled at the La Gran Fabrica factory in Estelí, Nicaragua, the Herrera Esteli line was blended by and named after master blender Willy Herrera. Measuring 6 inches by 44 ring gauge, this slender corona is made with an Ecuador Habano wrapper, Honduran binder and Nicaragua fillers which come together to create a medium-to full-bodied smoke full of leather, walnut, molasses cookie and cocoa. See full tasting note.
Arturo Fuente Hemingway Short Story (Dominican Republic, 92 points, $7.35)
There s a good reason this tiny perfecto has been popular for decades it s consistently superb. This Cameroon-wrapped figuardo delivers impressions of toasted almond, wood and spices, while remaining medium in body and never overwhelming the palate. It s perfect for a quick smoke before bed or for an evening walk after dinner.
Release Date: December 2020
Number of Cigars Smoked For Review: 3
Visually, the Alec & Bradley Kintsugi Corona Gorda is covered in a dark brown wrapper that has a bit of tooth, but very few overt veins or signs of oil. On this particular vitola the two bands take up more than half of the available real estate of the cigar and it is nicely spongy when squeezed. Aroma from the wrapper is a combination of sweet hay, milk chocolate, sweet cedar, manure, leather, barnyard, earth and honey, while the cold draw brings flavors of strong floral and dark chocolate, along with espresso beans, hay, leather, bread, white pepper, cedar and a distinct candied pecan sweetness.