Alec Bradley Gatekeeper Toro - BOX OF 24

Gatekeeper was named as a direct tribute. When Alec and Bradley Rubin, the actual sons behind Alec Bradley's name, set out to build the second cigar under their own Alec & Bradley subsidiary brand, they turned to Ernesto Perez-Carrillo, a Cigar Aficionado Hall of Fame cigarmaker, to help create it. In their own words, Ernesto is a gatekeeper to new opportunities and experiences for us, and the cigar became a permanent record of that partnership.

The blend combines an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper over a Nicaraguan binder, with long-fillers drawn from both Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic, all handcrafted at Perez-Carrillo's own Tabacalera La Alianza factory in Santiago. Debuting at the 2019 IPCPR trade show, Gatekeeper carries Gothic Era-inspired artwork on its band, including a Medusa head design that gives the whole line a distinct visual identity. Cigar Aficionado rated it 95 points and later named it the #7 cigar on their Top 25 list for 2020, a genuinely significant honor for a brand this young.

Flavor descriptions across reviewers land in a fairly consistent range: cedar, roasted nuts, and a subtle sweetness open the smoke, with leather, cacao, and pepper developing alongside mineral and floral undertones and a honey-like sweetness in the background. One reviewer specifically called the Corona in this line one of the best cigars they'd had from the entire Alec Bradley catalog, bold and rich with complexity from end to end. Reception hasn't been universal, though, and it's worth being upfront about that. At least one buyer who purchased based on the Top 25 ranking found the experience genuinely disappointing, describing mostly cedar with little else and an uneven burn on their particular stick. This kind of divide is not uncommon for a cigar that received this much critical attention, and most reviews land closer to the positive end, well-constructed, smooth, and rich, but individual results can vary more here than with some of Alec Bradley's longer-established lines.

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Flavor progression:

1. Opening: cedar and roasted nuts lead the way, with a subtle sweetness and a creamy texture with slight dryness on the draw
2. Mid-smoke: cacao, leather, and pepper develop, mineral and floral notes appearing alongside a honey-like sweetness in the background
3. Close: wood and pepper settle into a smooth retrohale, the medium body carrying through to a well-rounded finish

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: Toro
12. Size: 6 inches x 52 ring gauge
13. Strength: Medium
14. Flavor Profile: Cedar, roasted nuts, cacao, leather, pepper, honey, mineral, floral
15. Rating: 95 points; #7 Cigar of 2020, Cigar Aficionado
16. Box Count: 24 cigars (20-count boxes at original release)
17. Price per Cigar: approximately $10.35