Hello everybody, Alan Rubin here to give you the latest on Alec Bradley. We just got back from the trade show and I'm excited to tell you what we're doing and what to be expecting.
We haven't gone full scale with releases in a couple of years, so I'm thrilled that Cigars.com is eager to expose you guys to Prensado Lost Art and Black Market Esteli. Coming soon, you'll have two great brands to try from us!
Both blends were created to complement their original namesakes. Prensado won 'Cigar of the Year' and the momentum is still strong- it made sense to have a blend that has the feel of the original but a flavor profile that's unique. I wanted something that paid homage not only to Prensado, but to the industry as a whole. Lost Art represents the old way of doing things- 500 years of rolling tobacco in different styles- made me think that we needed to go back to the roots of cigar making. From each leaf in the filler being entubado (a process where every filler leaf is rolled individually), to the soft box press that you see in old style cigars and finally the traditional triple cap- that's the Prensado Lost Art.
The original Black Market has been our number one selling cigar since we introduced it. Fans truly embrace the dark, rugged and flavorful cigar: they also gravitate to the cool looking 'just fell off the back of a truck' box. The blend we decided on for Black Market Esteli focuses on the performance of different tobaccos from Nicaragua, with no loss in the edgy feel synonymous with the Black Market name. The flavor profile on Black Market Esteli is complex and distinctly Nicaraguan.
On a personal note, I just wanted to share with everybody how proud I am to now have my sons, Alec and Bradley finally both in the business. Alec has been with us for about three years- learning the company from top to bottom. Bradley joined us prior to the trade show and we're prepping him to go down to Central America to learn about every process from seed to cigar. The next generation is here- I expect great things and you all should too!
Can't wait for you guys to try Lost Art and Esteli! Live True!