In 2018, Alec Bradley Cigars showcased a new line from Alan Rubin’s sons Alec and Bradley. Yes that is how the name of Alan’s company got it’s name. At the time Alec was 26 and Bradley was 22 and both worked for the company primarily in marketing and sales support. The new line showcased was called Blind Faith and was blended by Alan’s sons and manufactured at the Raíces Cubanas factory in Honduras where many Alec Bradley cigars are produced.
The blend chosen is described as:
- Wrapper – Honduran (Trojes)
- Double Binder – Nicaraguan (Jalapa)/ Honduran (Trojes)
- Filler – Nicargauan criollo 98 and corojo 99
The Blind Faith is expressed in three vitolas and comes packaged in 20-count boxes:
- Robusto (5 x 52) MSRP $8.95
- Toro (6 x 52) MSRP $10.00
- Gordo (6 x 60) MSRP $10.95
For this review I sampled the Blind Faith toro.
Pre-Light Examination
The Alec & Bradley Blind Faith is a shiny dark brown cigar with some reddish tones in it. There are a few blemishes especially near the head. It is light on veins with tight seams and is finished with a well applied cap.
The cigar is branded with two bands. The primary band has a holographic ink border with a dark gray background that has what looks like an old television screen with the name “Blind Faith” printed across it. I am sure there is a hidden message here somewhere. On the bottom of the band is “A&B” identifying it as an Alec & Bradley product. There is also a white footer band that boldy states “ALEC & BRADLEY”.
Passing the Blind Faith across the nasals I picked up an inviting plum fruit aroma off the foot but not much along the barrel.
Once I removed the cap with a straight cut across the shoulder, the cold draw offered notes of natural sweetness, black pepper, and fruit.
The pre-light exam seems decent so it was time to warm the foot and take in the first puffs that hit with pepper right out of the gate. Follow along as I turn this one to ash!
Cigar Review Notes
- Pepper hits right out of the gate on the nose
- Spiced fruit quickly joins the mix
- Draw is spot on
- Salt and pepper ash builds on top of a thick wavy char line
- Thick and creamy smoke smooths nicely after inch of burn
- Light spice is predominant note
- Ash falls early revealing a flat centered burn cone
- Bitter notes moving in entering the second third
- Bitter lingers with a hint of butter and increasing spice
- Smoke is getting harsh deep in the second third
- Wave continues to build to where it needs a touch up
- Caramel aroma wafts off the foot
- Earth notes enter deep in the second third
- Nut nuance appears but the harshness is still prevalent
- Medium in Strength
- Total Smoking Time was 1 hour and 20 minutes
Overall, the Alec & Bradley Blind Faith was not my cup of tea. It had some intriguing pre-light aromas and cold draw notes, but once ignited, the flavor was too slow to develop, keeping primarily with a spice component until deep in the second. This is where I struggled with the harshness in the flavor to appreciate the notes of earth and nut that were trying to break through. The burn was jagged and developed an off-burn, that eventually need a touch-up. I rate this an 89.
Point Deductions: (-1) Off Burn; (-1) Touch-up Required; (-1) Bitter Notes; (-1) Flat Burn Cone; (-1) Salt and Pepper Ash; (-1) Harshness second half (-1) Might Try Again
