The New Year hits at midnight, so to wrap up 2012 on Puff.com we are reviewing two very solid cigars.  Are the Alec Bradley Fine & Rare 2012 and the Nat Sherman Timeless worthy of your hard-earned money?  Keep reading to find out.

Alec Bradley Fine & Rare 2012

Alec Bradley’s limited edition Fine & Rare line first hit the scene in 2011.  It was created with the intention of being released on an annual, yet limited basis, in a manner similar to certain vintage wines.  While the Fine & Rare 2011 was successful in garnering positive reviews, the folks at Alec Bradley have tweaked the blend a bit for 2012 to give smokers an even better cigar to enjoy.  With only 2,000 boxes of 10 being produced, I am glad that I was able to get my hands on one to sample for this review.

The Alec Bradley Fine & Rare 2012 comes in just one format – a torpedo that measures 6 x 54.  In all, the cigar features ten different tobaccos.  It has a filler blend of Honduran and Nicaraguan tobaccos and a Honduran binder.  Finishing up the composition is a Honduran wrapper grown in the nation’s Trojes region.  This is the same wrapper used in the 2011 edition.  In addition to using the same wrapper, the Fine & Rare 2012 was also produced at the Fabrica de Tabacos Raices Cubanas, with Wilmar Jose Valerio and Juan Carlos Artica handling the bunching and rolling.

The most noticeable aspect of the Fine & Rare 2012’s appearance is its band.  It looks more like an informative piece than a decorative one, as it details the roll date, release date, weekly quantity produced, supervisor, roller, and more.  It also has a serial number and showcases the signatures of Alec Bradley execs Alan Rubin and Ralph Montero, plus factory supervisor Alex Miguel Artica.  The aforementioned Wilmar Jose Valerio and Juan Carlos Artica have their signatures one the cigar’s band as well.  The cigar itself has an oily medium-brown wrapper.  Some minor veins are visible and it feels firm to the touch.  The torpedo shape looks good and it appears as if this is one cigar that is constructed quite well.  Before lighting, there’s an earthy aroma and a cold taste of wood.

The Alec Bradley Fine & Rare 2012 lights with little effort and exhibits a great draw.  There’s plenty of cool, aromatic smoke.  The burn stays even for the most part and only requires a couple very minor touch-ups.  The gray ash stays firm well past an inch.