Alec Bradley Sanctum

In 1996 Alan Rubin knew nothing about cigars except for which end to cut and which end to light. Despite this he founded Alec Bradley Cigars. A few years after that I came across my first ever Alec Bradley cigar, a triangle box pressed smoke called Trilogy.

According to Alec Bradley,  “[Alec Bradley Sanctum is their new introduction]. The Costa Rican binder has great body, while the Colombian tobaccos add to the great aroma. Combine these tobaccos with those from select regions in Honduras and Nicaragua, and you’ll savor a four country blend that is as complex as it is unique.”

Cigar Review: Alec Bradley Sanctum
Size: 5 x 52 (Robusto)
Wrapper: Honduras (Corojo)
Binder: Costa Rica
Filler: Columbia, Honduras, Nicaragua
Strength: Medium
Source: Alec Bradley Cigars

The Look (8/10): Looking at the band that adorns the Alec Bradley Sanctum it reminds me of the Victorian era with the artwork on the very colorful band. Beneath the band is a secondary glossy black band that appears to serve no purpose. In small writing the band denotes “Created for those special moments.” The wrapper of the cigar has a chocolate like appearance in color with some thin veins and a fair amount of oils. The cigar is well rolled with a nice weight to it.

The Notes (32/35): The cold draw of the cigar has elements of earth and wood with a hint of fruit while the aroma off the wrapper and foot serve up additional earth and a hint of chocolate.

Once the cigar is lit there is an abundance of flavor with some macadamia nut being the dominant flavor, and some sweetness on the aroma. This cigar is definitely heavy on nut flavors but there is also a nice cinnamon note present as well. Throughout the first third there is also a summer like fruitiness that comes and goes sometimes taking over as the dominant note before letting the nuttiness assert itself on the palate.

In the second third of the cigar some notes of butterscotch begin to develop on the palate and the aroma of the cigar. There is some nuttiness remaining from the first third, and pepper notes which were non-existent in the first third begin to develop through the nose on the retrohale.

The last third of the Alec Bradley Sanctum continues to have a delightful aroma, that enhances the overall enjoyment of the cigar. The notes remain nutty, with some subtle baking spices through the nose. The finish of the cigar is moderate and slightly earthy.

The Burn (33/35): The light colored ash had some flake to it, although it was minimal. As the cigar burned the ash was dark before fading to a light color as it progressed. In the picture it gives the impression of a thicker combustion line, but this wasn’t the case. The cigar had a near perfect draw and remained lit throughout.

The Finish (17/20): The Sanctum from Alec Bradley is a winner, but the real test for me will be how the cigar performs over time. Many Alec Bradley cigars that I have enjoyed in the past seemed to significantly change over time and I hope that does not turn out to be the case with this one. I’ll reserve final judgement for at least a year; but as the cigar stands now it is definitely worthy of space in my already crowded humidor.

Score: 90
Price: $7.49 / $130.99 @ Two Guys Smoke Shop

Bullet Points

• While you can’t smoke the band, I am kind of torn. On one hand it looks too busy and gaudy. It lacks the appearance of something classic. Yet, my eye is drawn to it.
• While working on the review for the Sanctum I was listening to Martin Garrix’ set from Ultra Miami 2015.
• The more I smoke the Sanctum, the more it becomes one of my favorite Alec Bradley smokes.
• Smoking time was 90 minutes
• I paired the cigar with Cuban Coffee