Cigar Aficionado Magazine Names Cigar of the Year
Alec Bradley Prensado Churchill Takes The No. 1 Spot, Outperforming More Than 700 Cigars

NEW YORK, Jan 06, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Cigar Aficionado Magazine, the magazine dedicated to the pursuit of the good life, has named the Alec Bradley Prensado Churchill as its Cigar of the Year. The cigar outperformed more than 700 other cigars tested by the Cigar Aficionado panel throughout 2011. It scored 96 points on the magazine’s 100-point-scale, and has been called a “classic smoke.”

The Alec Bradley, which is made entirely by hand in Honduras, is an affordable luxury, retailing for $10.25. Some of the cigars it outperformed sell for twice the price or more.

Naming the Cigar Of The Year is an arduous and serious task. The Cigar Aficionado panel of senior tasters smokes each cigar blind–meaning the tasters do not know the brand name, country of origin or price of the cigar that they are smoking.

“It’s no small feat to rise to the top of a collection of more than 700 cigars,” said Marvin R. Shanken, editor and publisher of Cigar Aficionado. “This Alec Bradley is an amazing cigar. We congratulate Alan Rubin, owner of Alec Bradley on his great accomplishment.”

Cigar Aficionado revealed the top ten Cigars Of The Year on its website, and all information–including more details on the top cigars of the year, videos of the editors smoking them and an explanation of the contest itself–is available free of charge at www.cigaraficionado.com. The January issue, which reaches newsstands on January 24, will contain the full Top 25 package.

ABOUT CIGAR AFICIONADO MAGAZINE

Created in the fall of 1992, Cigar Aficionado is published six times per year. In addition to covering the world of cigars, the magazine features profiles of some of the most interesting people in the world, including Michael Jordan, Rudy Giuliani, Alec Baldwin, Sean Hannity, Jay-Z, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Fidel Castro, Rush Limbaugh, Gen. Tommy Franks, Sylvester Stallone, Jim Belushi, and many more. The magazine has unparalleled coverage of Cuba, the very best of golf and other sports, automobiles, gambling and much more.

Excerpt:

The Alec Bradley Prensado Churchill, made at the superb Raices Cubanas factory in Danlí, Honduras, is as gorgeous a cigar as you’ll ever see, with a picture-perfect head and a stunning wrapper. But it is the flavor that makes it a classic smoke. The Honduran and Nicaraguan tobaccos come together to create leather, chocolate and spice notes, and a long, lush finish.

MADE BY: Fabrica de Tabacos Raices Cubanas S. de R.L.
FACTORY LOCATION: Honduras
WRAPPER: Honduras
BINDER: Nicaragua
FILLER: Honduras, Nicaragua
PRICE: $10.25
RING GAUGE: 48
LENGTH: 7″
RATING: 96