#17: Alec Bradley Fine and Rare 2012

Coming in at #17 in our 2012 Cigar of the Year countdown is the Alec Bradley Fine and Rare 2012.   This is the second Fine and Rare release for Alec Bradley.   When the initial Fine and Rare was released in 2011, one can make the argument that this was one of the most sought after releases for that year.  The 2012 edition was a little easier to obtain as production was increased from 1,111 boxes to 2,000 boxes, but nonetheless still sought out by many cigar enthusiasts.  In our opinion this is one of the best releases by Alec Bradley to date.

The Fine and Rare becomes the first Alec Bradley Cigar to place on our Cigar of the Year countdown.  Alec Bradley becomes the fifth company to make a debut on our Cigar of the Year countdown – joining Nat ShermanLa Flor Dominicana, CLE, and Primer Mundo.  The Fine and Rare 2012 was only released as a torpedo, thus this becomes our first recommended vitola on the countdown as a torpedo vitola.

The concept behind the Alec Bradley Fine and Rare series is that it incorporates ten tobaccos in the blend.  The Alec Bradley Fine and Rare 2012 is a modified version of the Alec Bradley Fine and Rare 2011.  This blend was code named BR1213.   The flavor profile delivers a fine mix of cedar, black pepper, coffee, cream, chocolate, and natural tobacco. The flavors start out medium to full-bodied in the first half and progress to full-bodied in the second half.  The strength keeps pace with the body as it is also medium to full in the first half before progressing to full strength.  The construction was outstanding and this was reflected in the burn and draw.  While I normally don’t prefer the burn and draw of a torpedo, this one scores very well. 

Click here for our assessment of the Alec Bradley Fine and Rare 2012

Blend Profile

As mentioned above, the total tobaccos in the Alec Bradley Fine and Rare 2012 are ten.  Here is a breakdown by region:

Wrapper: Honduras Trojes
Binder: Honduras
Filler: Honduras, Nicraragua

Vitolas Available

As mentioned above, the Alec Bradley Fine and Rare 2012 is only available in a torpedo vitola. This cigar measures 6 x 52.

Recommended Vitola: Torpedo – 6 x 52