Alec Bradley Kintsugi Toro - BOX OF 24

In 15th century Japan, the story goes, a shogun's favorite porcelain vase shattered. Rather than discard the pieces, he had artisans reconstruct it with gold or silver lacquer, and the resulting vein-like repair lines made the vase more beautiful than it had been before it broke. Alec and Bradley Rubin, the actual sons behind Alec Bradley's name and now cigar makers in their own right, took that art form, Kintsugi, and built a cigar around its philosophy.

The name wasn't chosen lightly. Bradley Rubin has explained the thinking directly: the cigar industry, in his view, is a bit fractured, with everyone fighting to reduce or eliminate regulation but little agreement on how to get there. The Kintsugi story, of broken things made more beautiful through the bond that repairs them, felt like the right metaphor. As Alec put it, they hoped that spreading that story through their cigars might encourage the industry's own colleagues and enthusiasts to come together.

The blend itself is a Honduran Trojes Habano wrapper, oily and medium brown with a slight rosado tint, layered over dual binders from both Honduras and Nicaragua, with filler tobacco from both countries as well. This Toro, at 6 x 52, delivers a medium-bodied smoke built around cinnamon, espresso, and pepper with traces of honey, alongside cedar, hay, and an interesting sweet-tart citrus note that several reviewers specifically called out as distinctive. Milk chocolate, almonds, and cashews tend to emerge by the second third, with a retrohale that leans more toward earth, herbal, and leather character than aggressive pepper. Reception has genuinely varied: some reviewers describe it as one of the better milder cigars in the Alec Bradley catalog, appealing to both new and veteran smokers, while others found it good but not showstopping, worth trying without necessarily becoming a regular rotation pick. Construction has also drawn a mixed but mostly positive response, generally solid with an occasional soft spot or seam issue reported on individual sticks, though rarely requiring a touch-up across a full smoke.

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Flavor progression:

1. Opening: cedar, hay, grass, and pepper lead the way, with an interesting sweet and tart citrus note and earthy, mineral undertones
2. Mid-smoke: cinnamon, espresso, and honey build, milk chocolate, almonds, and cashews emerging as the smoke deepens
3. Close: earth, herbal, and leather notes settle into the retrohale, the flavor staying approachable and consistent through to the finish

Key Features:

1. Brand: Alec Bradley
2. Line: Kintsugi
3. Release: March 2020, third full-production release from Alec and Bradley Rubin
4. Concept: Named for the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold lacquer
5. Factory: Fabrica de Tabacos Raíces Cubanas S. de R.L., Danlí, Honduras
6. Country of Origin: Honduras
7. Wrapper: Honduran Trojes Habano
8. Binder: Dual binder, Honduras and Nicaragua
9. Filler: Honduras and Nicaragua
10. Construction: Handmade
11. Vitola: Toro
12. Size: 6 inches x 52 ring gauge
13. Strength: Medium
14. Flavor Profile: Cinnamon, espresso, pepper, honey, cedar, citrus, milk chocolate, almonds, cashews, earth
15. Box Count: 24 cigars
16. Price per Cigar: approximately $8.80