Cigar Aficionado

Alec and Bradley Rubin, the namesake of father Alan Rubin’s Alec Bradley Cigar Co., are heading to the Dominican Republic for their next cigar project. The brothers have teamed up with legendary cigarmaker and Cigar Aficionado Hall of Famer Ernesto Perez-Carrillo, owner of EPC Cigar Co., on a new brand called Gatekeeper.

The brothers’ follow-up to last year’s Blind Faith, Gatekeeper features an Ecuadoran Habano wrapper, binder from Nicaragua and filler tobaccos from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. The new smoke will debut at this month’s upcoming IPCPR trade show, where shipping dates will be announced.

Unlike Blind Faith, which was a limited edition, the new smoke is a regular-production cigar and will debut in four sizes: Corona, measuring 5 1/8 inches by 42 ring gauge; Robusto, 5 by 50; Toro, 6 by 52; and Gordo, 6 by 60. The line will retail from $8.75 to $12.25 and will be packed in 20-count boxes.

Gatekeeper is being rolled at Tabacalera La Alianza, Perez-Carrillo’s cigar factory located in Santiago, Dominican Republic. It’s the factory where all EPC Cigar Co. brands are produced, including the E.P. Carrillo Encore Majestic, Cigar Aficionado’s reigning Cigar of the Year.

According to the company, the bands and packaging are inspired by Gothic Era artwork such as the Medusa head above.

“We are a part of the next generation of the premium cigar business and Ernesto is a legend,” Bradley said, in a press release. “As Alec and I began learning the processes, we started to appreciate all facets of the business. Though we are under the Alec Bradley Cigar Co. umbrella, my brother and I want to provide enthusiasts with an experience different from the Alec Bradley portfolio—the opportunity to work with Ernesto and Dominican tobaccos is something completely different from anything coming out of Alec Bradley.”