Aaron Loomis

 John McTavish

Pre-light Experience

Aaron: The wrapper on the Alec Bradley Kintsugi Wabi Sabi is light brown with some lightly raised veins. The seams are smooth and the head is well finished. The band is green, white and gold and denotes the line and sub-line on front, with the brand on back. The aroma from the wrapper is a mix of cedar and hay with some earth, while the foot brings bread, cedar and earth. The pre-light draw brings cedar and earth and light floral note. There is also a mild spiciness on my lips.
John: The Alec Bradley Kintsugi Wabi Sabi comes in cellophane and does not have a UPC sticker. It features a single large band. I weighed the cigar at 15.2 grams and measured the humidity at 60.7% with the Humidimeter Pro. Aromas from the wrapper included wood, barnyard and hay. From the foot, I was getting hay with wood and some faint sweet tobacco underneath.

Alec Bradley Kintsugi Wabi Sabi

First Third

Aaron: The cigar begins with toasted cedar, bold black pepper and some creaminess. At a half inch in, the black pepper mellows a bit. At three quarters of an inch in, earth joins the profile. The retrohale is toasted cedar, black pepper and earth, with mild creaminess. At an inch and a half in, the earth increases a bit. As the third comes to a close, the toasted cedar is up front, with black pepper and earth a bit behind, and some creaminess in the back half. The strength was slightly above medium.
John: The first third gets going with sweet tobacco leading off, accented by cinnamon, as mildly dry wood defines the finish. After a few draws, medium-minus strength baking spices move quickly into the post draw and linger between each puff. As the first third settles in, some musty earth mixes into the post draw, adding weight to the finish. Around the 25-minute mark, the intensity of the baking spices calms down to light-plus strength. Through the bottom half of the first third, tannic wood joins the finish at medium strength, giving the profile a dryer and slightly firmer edge.

Alec Bradley Kintsugi Wabi Sabi

Second Third

Aaron: As the second third begins, the creaminess departs and a bit of dryness sets in for the overall profile. At a half inch in, the earth increases to become even with the toasted cedar up front. The retrohale is now toasted cedar and earth with some black pepper. At an inch and a quarter, the earth takes a slight lead in the profile. At an inch and a half in, a decent wood bitterness joins the profile. As the third comes to a close, the earth is just ahead of the toasted cedar, with the black pepper a bit further behind. There is some wood bitterness just behind the middle of the profile. The strength remained at slightly above medium.
John: The second third opens with a combination of creamy wood and earth, while dry, tannic wood makes up the finish. Sweet tobacco and wood combine in the center of the profile as the cigar moves toward the halfway point, but the overall flavor set remains fairly linear, with dryness continuing to define the latter half of the second third.

Alec Bradley Kintsugi Wabi Sabi

Final Third

Aaron: As the final third begins, the earth comes back to even with the toasted cedar up front. The retrohale remains toasted cedar and earth with some black pepper. At an inch in, the wood bitterness picks up a bit. At an inch and a quarter in, the wood bitterness transitions to a vegetal bitterness. As the cigar wraps up, the toasted cedar and earth are even up front, with black pepper and vegetal bitterness a bit behind. The strength bumped up to medium-full.
John: A combination of medium-strength earth, wood and baking spices takes the cigar into the last third. As the final third settles in, toasted earth and wood combine into the post draw. By the bottom half of the final third, earth and wood are fully defining the profile, with little nuance or evolution emerging before the cigar comes to an end.

Alec Bradley Kintsugi Wabi Sabi

Burn

Aaron: The burn was a bit wavy at times and the cigar went out once in the second third, requiring a re-light. The ash held on in inch and a quarter increments.
John: The burn was quite straight throughout the review, with only minor waviness occasionally present.

Alec Bradley Kintsugi Wabi Sabi

Draw

Aaron: The draw was perfect, with just the right amount of resistance that I prefer.
John: I measured the draw at 35 inches of water with the Cigar Medics draw machine. Subjectively, I found the draw to be approximately one notch toward the open spectrum, placing it squarely in the ideal range between open and resistant.

Overall

Aaron: The cigar began with toasted cedar, bold black pepper and some creaminess. The black pepper mellowed a bit fairly quickly. Later, some earth joined in and then increased a bit. The second third saw the creaminess depart and the earth increased to become even with the cedar. Later, the earth took a slight lead in the profile. Then, a decent level of wood bitterness joined in. The final third saw the earth come back to even with the cedar. Later, the wood bitterness increased, and then it morphed into a vegetal bitterness. The Alec Bradley Kintsugi Wabi Sabi had a nice start, with a good combination of flavors. It took a step down in the second third as the creaminess departed and the earth increased. The final third took another step down as the wood bitterness increased and then morphed into vegetal bitterness. Overall, a fairly average experience with a not so great finish. Not a cigar I’d see myself returning to.
John: The Alec Bradley Kintsugi Wabi Sabi presents itself with a conceptually interesting name and packaging, but the smoking experience ultimately settles into a profile that feels more functional than expressive. The cigar opens with some promise, offering sweet tobacco and cinnamon before transitioning quickly into a dryer, more spice-driven post draw that becomes a recurring theme throughout the smoke. While the first third shows the most activity, the cigar struggles to maintain momentum beyond that point. Earth and wood increasingly take control in the second third, and by the final third, the profile narrows considerably, focusing almost exclusively on toasted earth and wood with minimal variation. Construction is a clear strength here, with both burn and draw performing at an excellent level and allowing the cigar to be evaluated without distraction. Unfortunately, the flavor development never quite capitalizes on that solid foundation. The increasing dryness and lack of complexity in the latter stages prevent the cigar from building toward a more satisfying conclusion. In the end, the Alec Bradley Kintsugi Wabi Sabi delivers a competent but unremarkable experience. It offers moments of balance early on, but the overall arc trends toward monotony rather than evolution. As a result, it lands squarely in Average territory. A cigar that can be smoked without frustration, but one that is unlikely to leave a lasting impression once the final third has passed. Total smoking time was 1 hour and 51 minutes.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.55

Cost/Point

$2.25

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

5.40

Cost/Point

$2.31

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Alec Bradley Kintsugi Wabi Sabi