Back in 2020 Alec Bradley released the Kintsugi under the Alec & Bradley line of cigars. At the time, it was my favorite Alec Bradley cigar. Fast forward to August of this year and Alec Bradley is owned by Forged Cigar Co., a General Cigar company, the Alec & Bradley line does not seem to be a thing anymore (though, you can still get the Kintsugi), and Forged shipped the new Kintsugi Wabi Sabi. The Wabi Sabi is limited to 1,500 boxes and is made by AJ Fernandez. Where the original Kintsugi was a metaphor for the state of the cigar industry at the time (COVID times were wild), the Wabi Sabi is meant to celebrate the “real” and highlight the cigar itself. Kintsugi is the Japanese art of kintsugi is repairing broken pottery by using gold, silver, or platinum lacquer in the affected areas.Â
OVERVIEW
VITOLA:Â Â Toro
SIZE:Â Â 6″ x 52
ORIGIN:Â Â Nicaragua
FACTORY:  Tabacalera AJ Fernandez Cigars de Nicaragua S.A.
WRAPPER:Â Â Ecuadorian Habano
BINDER:Â Â Mexico
FILLER:Â Â Nicaragua
STRENGTH:Â Â Medium – Medium+
SOURCE:Â Â Â
Small Batch Cigar
ENVIRONMENT
WHERE:Â Â
Studio/Lounge
WHEN:Â Â
September 13 @1pm
DRINKS:Â Â
Bottled Water
WEATHER:Â Â
Indoors
HOW MANY CIGARS SMOKED:Â Â
3
PRODUCTION
RELEASE TYPE Â Limited Edition
ORIGINALLY RELEASE DATE Â August ’25
TOTAL PRODUCTION
Typical Box Size:Â Â Â Boxes of 16
Production Totals:Â 1,500 boxes
VITOLA BREAKDOWN
o  Toro (6″ x 52)
BAND DESIGN
The Wabi Sabi band is reminiscent of the original Kintsugi band, in both shape and design; though, there are several noticeable differences. The first is the color scheme. The Wabi Sabi band is white with green and gold accents. It is also smaller in size, though still too big in my opinion. The last noticeable difference is that the back of the band features a simple “Alec Bradley,” where the original had a large and ornate “A&B” logo.
PRE-LIGHT OBSERVATIONS
CONSTRUCTION
The Ecuadorian habano wrapper is a milk chocolate shade of brown and more smooth than rough to the touch. Veins criss cross the Wabi Sabi. The cap is expertly applied. A sheen of oil is visible in the light. The cigar is firm, with no obvious hard or soft spots.
AROMA
The Ecuadorian habano wrapper is straight barnyard. Funky, earthy, and grassy. The foot of the Wabi Sabi has notes of raisins, baking spices, bread, and a hint of barnyard. There may be some chocolate drifting underneath it, too.
COLD DRAW
The cold draw gives notes of bread, cinnamon, fruit, chocolate, and an earthiness. It’s musty but in the best possible ways. The more I take in the cold draw, the more I notice a grass note – freshly mowed lawn would be more accurate. The draw itself was a bit on the tight side for each cigar smoked, but not so tight that it would affect the smoking experience.
SMOKING EXPERIENCE
LIGHT & DRAW
Cut: Le Petit by Les Fines Lames
Fire: Vector Icon II
The Wabi Sabi has a pretty good kick to start. The initial light hits me with notes of chocolate, spice, bread, hay, salted peanuts, and a black pepper kick on the retrohale. Red pepper claws at my throat. There’s a sweetness that lingers on my palate. A mineral quality is also present.
SMOKE
The smoke is creamy and sumptuous. Thick clouds of it coat my palate. Even at rest the Wabi Sabi gives off a good amount of smoke.
FIRST THIRD
>> Earth, Bread, Black Pepper
The first third of the Wabi Sabi begins with notes of earth, spice, semi-sweet chocolate, and bread. Black pepper and baking spices on the retrohale. The smoke is still creamy and sumptuous. The burn is less than straight, but not by a lot, and certainly nothing concerning. The ash is white with black streaks and fairly compact. Though, one sample did see the ash become flakey in just one small area. Salted peanuts return. I keep looking for more sweetness but find only earthy notes. The spice and pepper is nice and the bread note gives depth and complexity to the Wabi Sabi. Coffee and hint of butter begin coming through, as does the minerality from the initial light. The ash falls to the tray, unprompted, but holds its shape. The Wabi Sabi is firmly medium bodied to start. Bread and baking spices begin to take over near the end of the initial third.
SECOND THIRD
>> Chocolate, Earth, Baking Spices
The middle third begins with notes of bread, chocolate, wood, earth, salted nuts, and spice. Not baking spices, more of a cayenne pepper spiciness. A hint of dried fruit lingers on my palate…maybe raisin? There is still an earthiness to the Wabi Sabi that holds everything together. The chocolate note is rich and somewhat sweet. The coffee note from the first third seems to have disappeared completely, leaving only chocolate in its wake. The sweetness I was wanting from that first third is finally here and I’m digging it. The middle third is well balanced with salty, sweet, and savory all coming together well. Black pepper rules the retrohale. A spicy wood note starts coming through. Each note seems to be taking turns on center stage. The burn has evened up, though not razor sharp, and the ash is still mostly compact. Butter, spice, sweet cream, bread, baking spices, wood, and milk chocolate. The Kintsugi Wabi Sabi’s middle third is still medium bodied but is beginning to creep up to medium plus.
FINAL THIRD
>> Charred Wood, Earth, Mushroom
The final third ramps up to medium plus with notes of charred wood, mocha, baking spices, fig, cayenne pepper, and black pepper on the retrohale. The smoke is still creamy and plentiful. A bit of leather is also there. The earthiness is still what holds the Wabi Sabi together and it is absolutely delightful. The burn line is still straight and the ash is compact. I will note that while the ash is compact, it does not want to hold on to the cigar. A bright, almost floral, note makes itself known, as does a funky note of mushroom. Spices dance on my tongue as chocolate lingers on my palate. The charred wood is leading the charge as white pepper is now on the retrohale. Baking spices, bread, sweet cream, and an earthiness round out the final third. The Wabi Sabi ends with big notes of coffee, high quality dark chocolate, wood, mushroom, spice, and black pepper on the retrohale.
RATING & FINAL THOUGHTS
FLAVOR PROGRESSION
The initial third, while firmly medium bodied, lacked the balance that came later in the Wabi Sabi. What started as very earth forward morphed into a medium plus bodied and well balanced experience. The earthiness held everything together throughout the smoking experience, but the sweetness and floral notes found in the later two thirds gave the Wabi Sabi nuance and complexity that the first third was lacking in.
BURN EXPERIENCE
The burn started wonky, but by the end the Wabi Sabi burned straight. Flawless? No. Razor sharp? No. Did it require a touch up or relight? No. Did it affect my smoking experience? Absolutely not.
RATING BREAKDOWN
0.77Â / 0.80 … Craft & Aesthetic
0.50Â / 0.50 …Â Pre-Light Characteristics
0.50Â / 0.50 …Â Lighting Process
6.80Â / 7.70 …Â Smoking Experience
0.44Â / 0.50 …Â Personal Enjoyment
COMPLIMENTS & CRITIQUES
- Nuanced and complex for the majority of the smoking experience.
- Great construction and good burn.
- The first third was unbalanced, especially compared to the rest of the cigar.
THE WABI SABI IS THE REAL DEAL.
I will, once again, admit that Alec Bradley cigars are not typically the first cigar I reach for. The original Kintsugi being the exception. I’ll further admit that Forged Cigar Company cigars have also been on that list. The Kintsugi Wabi Sabi has me rethinking that position. While the first third of the Wabi Sabi lacked the sweetness and ultimately the balance I was looking for, the final two thirds of the cigar more than made up for it. What began as an overly earthy cigar transformed into a sweet and savory experience that left me always wanting to smoke another right away. The Wabi Sabi melds together flavors of coffee, chocolate, fruit, spices, wood, and mushroom in a way that has me on the edge of my seat wondering, “What’s next?!” Each flavor is nuanced and has depth and is hardly one note. Even my least favorite third, the first third, gave each note its time at center stage. The Kintsugi Wabi Sabi is something that you should absolutely try before they’re gone. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go pick up a box.
