Alec Bradley Do Not Disturb (DND) Toro

Alec Bradley has always placed an emphasis on the atmosphere and mood created through their cigars. With their latest project, Do Not Disturb (or DND), they urge us to take a break, silence those phones, and enjoy the moment. Do Not Disturb features an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper, a Dominican Criollo binder, and a filler that is a blend of Dominican and Mexican tobaccos.

“It’s an open invitation to find your space, whether that’s a lounge, the porch or the garage and just unwind with a cigar that feels familiar and easy to enjoy.”—Bradley Rubin, brand ambassador for Alec Bradley

Do Not Disturb is rolled in the Dominican Republic at Hostos Fernández’s Tabacalera la iSLA factory. The cigar was first announced in April of this year, eventually shipping in June in three sizes: Robusto, Toro, and Gordo. Each box contains 16 moments of serenity and solitude within.

Alec Bradley Do Not Disturb (DND) Toro Breakdown

Appearance

Do Not Disturb, as a nod to its name, has a warm inviting glow that welcomes you to the cigar. The wrapper is smooth in appearance, with a creamy coffee shade. It has light seams and is without significant veins. The band, with its neon blue accent border on a dark blue background, immediately catches your attention, calling you to pick it up, unplug, and take a break. The top of the main band has the iconic “AB” crown symbol in gold, with “DND” and “DO NOT DISTURB” sitting just below. Like breaking news scrolling across the bottom of your television, this calls you to heed the warning and take a break.

Smoking Experience

Pre-light, the aromatics of Do Not Disturb give notes of leather and cedar from the wrapper. With a straight cut into the cap of the cigar, the cold draw produces notes of a spiced herbal tea with some punchiness and pizazz.

Entering the moment of solitude after lighting the cigar, there is a very smoky hickory-type flavor, which nicely coats the palate. As with the cold draw, there are some tangy, acidic notes coming from the herbal tea flavor. A light stone fruit essence slowly makes its way into the flavor profile and lingers during the start of this smoke. The retrohale brings a rough musty flavor.

Drawing deeper into the moment and drowning out the sounds of the world, Do Not Disturb starts to develop an enjoyable salty note with some subtle straw/hay flavor. The smoky hickory flavor has eased back to a more moderate level, and the retrohale has developed into a musty black pepper blend. Approaching the final portion of the cigar, knowing that break time is coming to an end, the experience becomes more understated. The subtlety of the flavors guide your senses back to reality and out of their zen-like state. It’s a great transition as your moment of peace wraps up.

During the smoking experience of the Do Not Disturb Toro, the burn produced a solid, straight burn line (though some samples had a harder time staying lit). As for smoke output, there was a surprisingly strong outflow of white smoke, which is unexpected for a Connecticut wrapper. The construction was firm and solid, with a bit of an over-filled feel to it. A very cool burn temperature was noted throughout the smoke, and the flaky, light-gray ash stayed on for a solid 2.5 cm. The draw, which was consistent from beginning to end, had a slight resistance.

Would I Smoke This Cigar Again?

Do Not Disturb sets out to offer the smoker the idea of unplugging, shutting down, and just enjoying the moment with a great cigar. The flavors nearly mimicked a meditative process. They were light and fun, starting slowly, as if to pull you in. Further along, the flavors subtly intensified, gradually backing off again in the final segment. The smoky hickory notes, along with some acidic tea flavor, nicely evolved into a salty straw/hay essence; however, there were rough and unrefined moments as well. The price point for this cigar definitely makes it an economic and affordable choice. For a novice smoker, I think this will be a really enjoyable cigar; while more seasoned hobbyists may find themselves looking for more refined flavors (and wanting a bit more from the smoking experience). I feel this cigar is enjoyable and worth a try, but I wouldn’t find myself smoking more beyond that.

• Currently, the Alec Bradley Do Not Disturb ranks on Dojoverse as “97% Smokable,” placing in the top 23 percent of cigars on the all-time leaderboard.

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