Alec & Bradley Kintsugi

About

When you shatter a vase, what do you do? Toss the pieces in the trash? If it’s cheap, sure. But what if it’s a decent piece? Well, in the good old days, we used to do something called “repairing” items and continuing to use them. That was back when things were well made and built to last (as opposed to the completely disposable products that fill the modern market). Now, for most people, a great repair makes something as good as new. But the Japanese have a different way to approach some fixup jobs. The method is called “kintsugi,” which roughly translates as “golden repair.” In a kintsugi repair of a shattered bowl, for example, the pieces won’t be invisibly glued together. Instead, the cracks will be treated with a lacquer containing gold, silver, or platinum dust. This highlights the cracks and incorporates them into the design and look of the new object. A kintsugi repair treats the breakage as part of the history and character of the object, making it into something new and interesting, instead of trying to turn back the clock. Neat, right? For Alec and Bradley Rubin (sons of Alan Rubin, founder of Alec Bradley cigars), the cigar industry itself is a bit shattered right now and is in need of joining in a new way. How is it shattered? Well, cigar companies have been fighting some regulatory efforts, but lack unification somewhat. This Alec and Bradley Kintsugi cigar was inspired by the idea that the companies would be a lot stronger together. We’ll smoke to that. The Alec and Bradley Kintsugi cigar features Honduran tobacco, which is no surprise for this brand. Dad used tons of it for a number of Alec Bradley cigars. The wrapper comes from the Trojes region and is rolled around a double binder of Nicaraguan and Honduran tobacco. Inside that is more Nicaraguan and Honduran long-filler. The flavors are complex and develop quite a bit as you go along – you’ll get puffs with white pepper, dark roasted espresso, and Mexican hot chocolate, just to name a few notes. Fo