Alec Bradley Black Market Cigars

Founded in 1996 by Alan Rubin and named after his two children, Alec Bradley entered the cigar industry at a less-than-ideal time, and the brand's longevity speaks to its ability to overcome adversity and succeed under difficult circumstances. At the time of Alec Bradley's start, the cigar boom of the 1990s was in decline, with the market over-saturated and not particularly ripe for new competition. Alan's new company was understandably struggling, but a 10-second encounter in 1998 turned things for the better: A random introduction in a Miami cigar shop and an exchange of business cards saw Alan partner with respected cigar blender Ralph Montero, and the two developed a cigar together, the Occidental Reserve, changing the trajectory of Alec Bradley forever. The brand now enjoys a number of lines, many with 90+ ratings from Cigar Aficionado, and the majority of Alec Bradley's cigars are handcrafted at the family-owned Raíces Cubanas factory in Honduras. In Alan's own words, "At the end of the day, we don't save lives; we just try to make them better one hour at a time. … The reality is that we just want to make cigars that people can enjoy."