Brad Rubin on 30 Years of Alec Bradley Cigars

From Creekside Podcast Ep. 052: The Man, The Myth, The Legend Brad Rubin, aired May 15, 2026. Recorded at Creekside Cigar Co. in Maineville, Ohio.

On this episode of the Creekside Podcast, Dave sits down with Brad Rubin of Alec Bradley Cigars. They talk about the company’s 30th anniversary, lessons Brad learned working alongside his father, the details behind the anniversary cigar, and the cigars and bourbon partnerships he enjoys. It’s a conversation about how a family business can grow while staying focused on quality, value, and the people who make the cigar industry feel close-knit.

What did Brad Rubin learn from working with his father?

Brad reflects on working with his father, Alan, and other family members in the Alec Bradley office. One lesson was that family relationships don’t simply disappear when the workday begins. Instead, a business has to make room for people’s personalities and feelings while keeping the needs of the company in view.

On the cigar-making side, Brad says attention to detail matters. His father would hold a product back if it wasn’t ready, even when people expected it to launch. Brad has carried that standard forward: a cigar should be ready before it reaches smokers, rather than being rushed to meet a deadline or make a quick sale.

He also describes learning to set a goal and stick with it. At one point, Alan wanted to make changes to improve the company’s profitability, even though others doubted the plan. Brad recalls that Alan achieved the goal after several years. For him, the story is a reminder to stay focused when the objective is clear and the decisions support it.

What is special about the Alec Bradley 30th anniversary cigar?

Brad describes the anniversary cigar as a celebration that still reflects Alec Bradley’s approach to value. He says it was priced at about $12, rather than being made more expensive simply because it was a milestone release. The aim, he explains, is to offer a cigar people feel is worth more than they paid.

The cigar is made at Raíces Cubanas, a factory Alec Bradley has worked with for decades. Brad names robusto, toro, and gordo among its sizes, as well as a double perfecto for brick-and-mortar retailers. He also points out small design details on the cigar and its packaging: a list of Alec Bradley cigar names, along with family names that honor relatives, including his parents and grandfather.

Those details are personal rather than essential to enjoying the cigar. Brad says the packaging and the cigar itself both deserve care, and the small references offer a way to recognize the family history behind the brand.

How does Alec Bradley make Fine & Rare?

Fine & Rare is Alec Bradley’s most limited product, according to Brad. The company typically makes around 2,000 boxes in a year, with ten cigars per box. Each cigar uses ten different tobaccos, and only two of the factory’s best rollers make them. The blend changes each year.

Brad also describes a tradition of placing unique codes on the cigars. The codes have meanings known to a small circle, and some connect to personal stories within the family. He has had the chance to help create some of those meanings himself. It’s another example of the care and private history that can sit behind a cigar’s presentation.

Which Alec Bradley cigars does Brad reach for?

When Dave asks Brad to choose cigars for morning, afternoon, and evening, Brad says many of his regular favorites are mild to medium in character. He names Do Not Disturb and the Kintsugi Corona Gorda among the cigars he returns to. For a three-cigar day, he settles on Do Not Disturb, a petit lancero, and Gatekeeper Corona.

Brad says Gatekeeper can hold up later in the day, including after a meal or alongside a drink. Earlier in the conversation, Dave also praises the petit-lancero cigar for delivering flavor without overwhelming strength, and compares its style to Kintsugi. The transcript’s cigar name is unclear, so we’re describing it by size rather than guessing at the line.

The conversation also touches on Alec Bradley’s bourbon collaborations. Brad says a Heaven Hill bottled-in-bond barrel pick is being planned to pair with the 30th anniversary cigar, but he does not give a release date. For him, those partnerships are part of a wider community that connects cigar smokers with bourbon fans.

Key takeaways

• Brad says product quality comes before a planned launch date: a cigar should be ready before it goes to market.
• The 30th anniversary cigar reflects Alec Bradley’s focus on offering value, with family references tucked into its design.
• Fine & Rare is produced in limited quantities, with ten tobaccos and two rollers involved in each cigar.
• Brad’s stated favorites include Do Not Disturb, Kintsugi Corona Gorda, and Gatekeeper Corona.
• Brad describes relationships and trust as central to the cigar industry’s close-knit character.

Cigars from this episode

• Alec Bradley 30th Anniversary: A milestone cigar made at Raíces Cubanas, with several sizes and family references in its design.
• Alec Bradley Fine & Rare: A limited cigar with ten tobaccos; Brad says its blend changes each year.
• Alec Bradley Do Not Disturb: One of Brad’s regular mild-to-medium favorites and his pick to start a three-cigar day.
• Alec Bradley Kintsugi Corona Gorda: Brad names it as one of his go-to cigars.
• Alec Bradley Gatekeeper Corona: Brad chooses it for the evening and says it can hold up later in the day.

Shop, smoke and listen with Creekside

• Join the Creekside Cigar Club for boutique cigars picked by our crew every month
• Visit our cigar lounge at 1381 US-22, Maineville, OH, open seven days a week
• Subscribe to the Creekside Podcast on YouTube and catch every episode