Alec Bradley Fine & Rare ANB-228

The Alec Bradley Fine & Rare line was created to highlight limited blends built around specific combinations of aged tobaccos, often considered the first 10-tobacco blend. Each release in the series is treated as its own project, using a particular set of tobaccos that may only be available in those quantities once. When those components run out, the blend effectively retires and the next edition becomes something entirely different.

The series first appeared in 2011 with the Fine & Rare HJ10-i, a cigar constructed from 10 different tobaccos primarily harvested from Honduras and Nicaragua (with a number of leaves being undisclosed). That debut set the tone for the line moving forward: complex blends made up of numerous wrapper, binder, and filler components, produced in relatively small quantities and identified by coded names tied to the tobacco recipe.

Since then, the Fine & Rare series has seen multiple editions, each typically produced in a single vitola and built around its own tobacco combination. While the exact blends change from release to release, the cigars often lean toward larger formats that allow the various tobacco components to play out over a longer smoking experience.

Fine & Rare ANB-228 Breakdown

This particular Fine & Rare release comes in a 7″ x 50 Churchill and is built around a blend that pulls together ten different tobaccos. The wrapper is a Criollo ’98 grown in Honduras. Underneath that sits a two-leaf binder combination made up of Honduran Corojo ’99 from the Trojés region and Nicaraguan Criollo ’98 grown in Estelí. The filler blend adds another seven tobaccos into the mix, including Corojo ’99 and Criollo ’98 from Honduras’ Jamastran Valley, Criollo ’98 and Corojo ’99 from Nicaragua’s Jalapa and Estelí regions, Mexican San Andrés, and a Criollo leaf from the Dominican Republic.

As a whole, the blend still leans heavily on Honduran and Nicaraguan tobaccos, which has been pretty common territory for the Fine & Rare series over the years. That said, this one stretches the map a little further by bringing Mexico and the Dominican Republic into the mix as well. The series itself has also evolved a bit over time. Earlier releases would occasionally revisit previously used blends, but the more recent direction has focused on putting together new combinations of tobaccos for each release rather than revisiting old formulas. That approach continues here with the 2025 edition from Alec Bradley, now produced under the ownership of Scandinavian Tobacco Group.

Appearance

The Alec Bradley Fine & Rare ANB-228 is wrapped in an aged copper-colored leaf that shows a fair amount of natural color variation. The wrapper shifts between lighter milk-chocolate tones and slightly darker areas, particularly along the seams, giving the cigar a look that reflects the natural character of the tobacco rather than a perfectly uniform shade. A light sheen sits on the leaf, and fine veins run throughout without becoming overly prominent. The seams are visible but remain fairly flat, and the wrapper is evenly applied. Overall, the cigar carries the kind of straightforward, handmade appearance that gives a slightly rugged appeal.

The cigar gives off a pre-light aroma that’s a little unusual right away. The wrapper brings a note that immediately reminds me of walking into a tire shop. There’s a rubbery, slightly sharp scent that stands out. Mixed in with that is a dusty barn character that pulls things back into more familiar cigar territory, with dry tobacco, old wood, and that slightly musty quality of aged leaf. It almost feels like rubber tires sitting in the corner of an old barn. The foot smells more straightforward, leaning toward dry earth, aged tobacco, and a faint natural sweetness. On the cold draw, those dusty tobacco notes come through again with a bit of wood and a light sweetness underneath, while that tire shop note from the wrapper still lingers in the background.

Smoking Experience

No long toast here. The tobaccos of this Churchill leap to life the moment the foot catches the heat from my torch lighter. Dark-roast coffee and an oily dark chocolate note show up immediately. The smoke isn’t overly dense, but it still produces a satisfying mouthful with each draw. The retrohale is very easy, bringing sourdough bread, green cedar, and cabinet spice to the forefront of the profile. I’m also picking up the faintest touch of red pepper flake hanging around the edges. The draw lands at a very good 8/10, offering just enough resistance to produce a full, flavorful pull of smoke each time. Flavor is already sitting at medium/full, while the body and strength are medium.

At this point, it’s clear I’m in for a long smoke. I’m about two inches into the Fine & Rare ANB-228 and have already been smoking for nearly 35 minutes. The burn is a little wavy but hasn’t needed a touch-up. The ash is soft and flaky, rarely holding on for more than about three quarters of an inch at a time before falling. A black-coffee-with-milk note has taken the lead, giving the cigar a creamier character through the middle of the profile. Mixed in are sweet cabinet spice notes along with the new appearance of light rawhide leather, quietly sitting in the background. The retrohale brings dusty wood and black pepper; the latter isn’t particularly heavy on the sinuses, and the wood note reminds me of the smell of an old abandoned barn that hasn’t housed an animal in decades. Flavor remains medium/full, body is medium-plus, and strength is medium.

As I approach the band, the profile shifts slightly but keeps the same balance it has carried so far. Dry cedar becomes more noticeable, forming the backbone of the smoke, while a sweetness that reminds me of crème brûlée and a touch of tiramisu works its way into the mix. Cabinet spice is still very much present, keeping the sweetness grounded. The draw continues to perform right at 8/10, and the construction remains steady. Flavor, body, and strength all remain unchanged. The retrohale brings a little more attitude, delivering cracked black pepper, dry cabinet spice, and a slightly rough mix of wood and dry rawhide leather.

As I begin working into the final stretch of the cigar, the profile takes on a darker edge. The sweetness fades back and the cigar leans into heavier, earthier territory. Wood chips move to the forefront along with bitter cocoa nibs that add a sharp, unsweetened chocolate note to the mix. There’s also a burnt, almost meaty character that develops in the background, giving the finish a charred, savory quality. Even this late in the smoke, the draw continues to hold at 8/10, finishing consistent.

Would I Smoke This Cigar Again?

Yes, I would. I will state that I have not been a cheerleader of past Fine & Rare releases. Most of them I have deemed as “okay,” but I don’t usually seek them out or purchase any of them with regularity. That being said, the ANB-228 has some real legs to it. Flavorful, complex, and consistent throughout the entirety of the Churchill. The fact that I wouldn’t hesitate on this cigar, given it is a considerably larger vitola than I would normally smoke, should help you to understand how much I enjoyed this smoke.

Additional Info

• The Alec Bradley Fine & Rare ANB-228 was named Cigar Dojo’s No. 16 Cigar of the Year for 2025.
• The box has a unique presentation style for humidor display (seen in one of the photos at the top of this page). The interior artwork stretches from the lid down through the base beneath the cigars, causing them to prop up slightly when opened.
• Currently, the Alec Bradley Fine & Rare ANB-228 cigar ranks on Dojoverse as “100% Smokable,” placing in the bottom 62 percent of cigars on the all-time leaderboard (due to a low number of check-ins).

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