Alec Bradley Gatekeeper Gordo - BOX OF 24

The largest format in a cigar built from a genuine partnership. When Alec and Bradley Rubin created the second release under their own subsidiary brand, they worked directly with Ernesto Perez-Carrillo, a Cigar Aficionado Hall of Fame cigarmaker, naming the cigar in his honor as a gatekeeper to new opportunities and experiences for them. At 6 x 60, the Gordo gives that collaboration its widest, most extended expression.

The construction stays consistent with the rest of the line: an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper over a Nicaraguan binder, with long-fillers from both Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic, all handcrafted at Perez-Carrillo's own Tabacalera La Alianza factory in Santiago. Cigar Aficionado rated the overall blend 95 points and later named it the #7 cigar on their Top 25 list for 2020. At this wider 60 ring gauge, the burn runs cooler and slower than the narrower Robusto or Toro, giving the cedar, roasted nut, and cacao notes considerably more room to develop across a genuinely long session.

As with the rest of the Gatekeeper line, reception here isn't universally consistent, and it's fair to say so directly. Most reviewers describe a smooth, well-rounded smoke with real complexity, mineral and floral undertones playing against a honey-like sweetness in the background. A smaller number of buyers who came to this line specifically because of its Top 25 ranking have found the experience less impressive than expected, occasionally citing a flatter flavor or uneven burn on individual sticks. This kind of divide seems to track across every vitola in the collection rather than being unique to the Gordo, so if the smaller sizes have worked well for you, there's little reason to expect a meaningfully different outcome here, just a longer one.

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Flavor progression:

1. Opening: cedar and roasted nuts lead the way, with a subtle sweetness settling in at this wider ring gauge
2. Mid-smoke: cacao and leather deepen, mineral and floral notes building alongside a honey-like sweetness across a longer, cooler burn
3. Close: wood and pepper round out the retrohale, the medium body carrying through to the final draws

Key Features:

1. Brand: Alec & Bradley
2. Line: Gatekeeper
3. Release: September 2019, second release from Alec & Bradley subsidiary brand
4. Concept: A tribute to cigarmaker Ernesto Perez-Carrillo, who co-blended the cigar
5. Factory: Tabacalera La Alianza S.A., Santiago, Dominican Republic
6. Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
7. Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
8. Binder: Nicaraguan
9. Filler: Nicaragua, Dominican Republic
10. Construction: Handmade
11. Vitola: Gordo
12. Size: 6 inches x 60 ring gauge
13. Strength: Medium
14. Flavor Profile: Cedar, roasted nuts, cacao, leather, honey, mineral, floral
15. Rating: 95 points; #7 Cigar of 2020, Cigar Aficionado
16. Box Count: 24 cigars
17. Price per Cigar: approximately $12.25