Filthy Ghooligan (6 x 50)

Video review HERE.

(Description provided by Alec Bradley Cigars)

Alec Bradley is expanding its line of limited-edition Black Market cigars with a new release for Halloween. The new cigar, Alec Bradley Black Market Filthy Ghooligan, is a spin-off of the popular St. Patrick’s Day releases Black Market Filthy Hooligan and Shamrock.  

Like Filthy Hooligan and Shamrock, Filthy Ghooligan features a barber pole wrapper. Unlike the St. Patrick’s Day cigars (which use green Candela tobacco in their wrappers), Filthy Ghooligan’s wrapper is composed of Ecuadorian Habano and US Broadleaf tobacco.  

The remainder of the blend includes an Indonesian Besuki binder and Nicaraguan Jalapa, Estelí, and Condega fillers alongside Dominican Piloto.  

The limited-edition Filthy Ghooligan offers a sweet and balanced smoke perfect for chilly October nights, Friday the 13ths, or any occasion that calls for a bewitching, medium-bodied barber pole.  

Alec Bradley Senior Brand Manager, Ed Lahman, said, “Filthy Ghooligan offers our fans a fun new spin on a classic Alec Bradley concept. Just as Black Market Filthy Hooligan and Shamrock have become staples of our St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, so too will Filthy Ghooligan deliver an unforgettable smoking experience for Halloween and beyond. It’s scary good.” 

Dark but medium-bodied, Black Market Filthy Ghooligan delivers notes of cocoa and honey-like sweetness within a smooth and rich flavor profile. It was produced in Honduras and will ship to retailers in September 2024.  

Production is capped at 1,500 boxes, each containing 24 cigars. The cigar is available in a single size: a 6 x 50 Toro. 

Toro (6" × 50): SRP per cigar $14.09 

The cigar looks nice with the barber pole wrapper. It has an average feel in the hand.

The test draw after cutting the cap was a little firm but workable. The initial flavors at light up were a citrus-apricot, honey, cinnamon, and earthy black coffee. There was black pepper rated at 7 1/2. Nice start.

At the first third (22 minutes) I had the same basic notes but there may be a little more earthy black coffee but it is not hurting the cigar at all. The sweet notes of apricot, honey, and cinnamon are very nice. The cigar is medium bodied. The finish is apricot with a touch of black coffee and very good lingering black pepper. The cigar is very tasty. I rated the first third 95.

As I moved through the second third (47 minutes) the black pepper is a little better. Now between 7 1/2 and 8 and it's mixing well with the other notes. There is now an increased earthiness and it's taking some of the impact of the sweet notes. The cigar is medium bodied with a little tilt toward medium to full. The finish is unchanged. The increased earthiness hurt the cigar just a little. I rated the second third 94.

The cigar lasted 1 hour 10 minutes. Nothing much changed in the final third other than the strength is now medium to full bodied. The finish is unchanged. This is a surprising cigar and nothing like the Filthy Hooligan and Shamrock that came out around St. Patrick's Day. This cigar is much better in my opinion. I held the score of 94 for the final third. Check these out.

Overall Score: 94.33