IPCPR 2014: Alec Bradley

Alec Bradley unveiled its latest full production line, Coyol. It will come in six sizes, all in boxes of 20: Petit Lancero (6 1/2 x 41, $6.95), Robusto (5 x 52, $7.45), Toro (6 x 52, $8.20), Belicoso (5 1/2 x 58, $8.5), Gordo (6 x 60, $8.75) and Double Churchill (7 x 58, $9.25). It uses a Honduran wrapper from the Trojes region, binders from the Jalapa region of Nicaragua and Trojes, and fillers from Trojes and Condega and Estelí, Nicaragua. The name means “palms” and comes from one of the farms at Raices Cubanas.

The Texas Lancero is a 7 x 70 that was released last month; it’s made at the Plasencia family’s Tabacos de Oriente factory with tobacco from Costa Rica, Honduras and Nicaragua.

Fine & Rare is back with the Ta-25A blend and a secondary packaging option that is really impressive. In addition to the standard ten-count box configuration, of which there will be 3,000 made, there will be a limited release version called the Blender’s Edition: 250 boxes that contain puritos of each of the ten types of tobacco used in Fine & Rare. A price for the Blender’s Edition hasn’t been announced yet, but it should be available in Fall 2014. The bands for Fine & Rare are getting a bit of an update as well.

As for other products currently on the market, the Premium Plus Collection is a sampler of 60+ ring gauge cigars that comes with a Hex 2 limited edition lighter.

The Lineage, which is part of Family Blend, was on display:

The company decided to tease a 2015 release, called Sanctum. Not a lot was being said about it, other than the blend is not yet finished and it is slated for 2015. The five sizes on display were a 7 x 70, gordo, robusto, toro and double gordo.

There were also two new accessories on display, including shotgun ashtrays ($29.95) and a 64 oz. flask ($49.95)

This was also available for those stopping by the Alec Bradley booth, presumably to pair with the super sized flask.

Beyond that, Mundial is going to ten-count boxes, and Royal Monkey Society continues to exist but is closed to new signups. The members who signed up at levels that got them their own blends will see that process progress throughout the rest of the year.

Patrick Lagreid

I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for Major League Baseball, plus I'm a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.