{"id":315,"date":"2021-10-07T09:00:50","date_gmt":"2021-10-07T09:00:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.smokeinn.com\/blog\/?p=315"},"modified":"2023-01-31T15:46:41","modified_gmt":"2023-01-31T15:46:41","slug":"manufacturer-highlight-alec-bradley","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.smokeinn.com\/blog\/manufacturer-highlight-alec-bradley\/","title":{"rendered":"Manufacturer Spotlight: Alec Bradley"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"alec<\/p>\n

Alec Bradley cigars are rockstars of the cigar world. They\u2019re like Prince, Elvis and Van Halen rolled into a premium leaf and ready for a smoking experience that knocks your socks off. Through the years, the company created countless 90 + plus rated cigars and even won cigar of the year.<\/span><\/p>\n

Smoke Inn is proud to offer a wide selection of Alec Bradley premium cigars, but what do you know about the brand itself? Cigar brands tend to be generational, but not Alec Bradley. It was started from the ground up and developed into a world-class brand through heartache, hardship, and hard work.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The story isn\u2019t pretty, but it has a happy ending that everyone in the cigar world appreciates.<\/span><\/p>\n

Humble Beginnings<\/span><\/h2>\n

You probably think the cigar brand was started by Alec Bradley, but that\u2019s your first mistake. Alan Rubin started the company in 1997 and named it after his two children, Alec and Bradley. Rubin was the son of a hardware importer, but cigars were a passion and not a family legacy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As Rubin began to learn the ins and outs of the cigar business, he marketed Bogey\u2019s Stogies to golfers who wanted to smoke on the course, but the inexpensive cigars didn\u2019t take off. He began the new millennium more than $60,000 in debt.<\/span><\/p>\n

Rubin connected with industry professional Ralph Montero, who helped shape the direction of Alec Bradley. They created Occidental Reserve and mailed sample packs to more than 500 shops and then followed it up with phone calls. That\u2019s what we call, old school.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Occidental was a hit, and they followed it up the uniquely triangle-shaped Trilogy brand. Until Tempus in 2007, all cigars from Alec Bradley were mild to medium-bodied. He made Tempus at Fabrica de Tabacos Raices Cubana in Honduras using Trojes tobacco from the Jalapa Valley of Nicaragua and it was a major success.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Roller Coaster of Success<\/span><\/h2>\n

Alec Bradley was popular but hadn\u2019t reached the heights of fame like Arturo Fuente and other brands. It wasn\u2019t until they won the coveted number one spot in Cigar Aficionado with Prensado that everything exploded.<\/span><\/p>\n

The growth was fast and uncontrolled. The company had issues keeping up with orders and it took a while for everything to click into place. It was a rough and amazing few years, but they came out on top and now sell between two to three million cigars a year. That\u2019s pretty good for the son of a hardware importer for cabinetry.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s been over twenty years since Bogey\u2019s Stogies and Alec Bradley can now say they are a generational business with Rubin\u2019s two adult sons coming aboard and creating their own offshoot, Alec and Bradley. They created the cigar brand Blind Faith using their own finances and followed that up with Gatekeeper. The company is under the umbrella of Alec Bradley but there is a distinct difference between the two brands.<\/span><\/p>\n

Spotlight on Alec Bradley Cigars<\/span><\/h2>\n

Alec Bradley continues to strive for cigar perfection, and they\u2019ve come pretty close. We\u2019ll take a look at some of their famous brands.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Black Market<\/span><\/h3>\n

One of the most popular brands here at Smoke Inn is the <\/span>Black Market<\/span><\/a>. It\u2019s a 90-rated cigar with a black Nicarguan wrapper with fillers from Honduras, Panama and Ecuador. Medium bodied in strength, the Black Market contains Honduran and Panamanian long fillers with a Sumatra binder and a dark and sweet, oily Nicaraguan wrapper grown in the Jalapa Valley. With notes of spice and sweetness, this creamy smoke will definitely leave you craving more.<\/span><\/p>\n