Alec Bradley Black Market

Origin Honduras
Wrapper Nicaragua Maduro
Binder Sumatra
Filler Honduras, Panama
Strength Medium

Alec Bradley Cigar Co. has a well-deserved reputation for churning out hit after hit to satisfy their loyal fans. It’s due in no small part to the meticulous attention to detail of the brand’s founder, Alan Rubin. But it wasn’t a quick and easy journey. He joined the premium cigar industry in 1996, but stumbled to find his footing for a while. He had a line of bundle cigars made in the Dominican Republic by Henke Kelnrer of Davidoff that was good, and he introduced the industry’s first (and only) triangular pressed cigars. Around 2005, he was told of a great little factory in Honduras called Raices Cubanas and traveled to see what the hype was about. It was this trip that altered the course of his company and set them on the path towards greatness. In 2007, they launched the Tempus line and established themselves as a serious player in the game. Two years later, working with the same factory, Alec Bradley introduced Prensado, and their legacy had been cemented as a world class cigar maker.

The Alec Bradley Black Market Churchill is a unique cigar in the company’s portfolio. It features unique packaging and is the only AB cigar without a traditional band. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. The blend is a 4 nation affair featuring filler tobacco from Panama and Honduras along with a binder leaf from Sumatra, and a dark, inviting Nicaraguan-grown Maduro wrapper leaf with a nice oily sheen. This medium to full bodied cigar features notes of smoked wood and leather with hints pepper. These well-balanced flavors are extremely satisfying and pair well with a nice peaty scotch.