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(#7 Cigar of 2020) The Gatekeeper finds synergy and balance with its backbone of pepper (both red and black), nougat and caramel that’s spicy in the right places, sweet in the right places and pops with savory snaps of leather.

Sometimes it feels like a cigar has simply too much going on, which is the feeling I'm left with after smoking three samples of the Alec & Bradley Gatekeeper. The flavor starts out big but unfocused, something that continues through a good chunk of the first half. The second half sees some of the intensity settle down but at the expense of the smoke getting rough on the palate, meaning that for most of the cigar my attention is being pulled away from the core of what the blend has to offer. Technical performance was very good, which at least meant I didn't have to concern myself with that as well. I'm hopeful that some time and rest might aid that endeavor as I've got another sample sitting in my redux humidor, but if you opt for one of these now, be prepared for a lot of flavors and some occasional detours that will keep your palate more than just occupied, it will keep it busy trying to keep up.