Some days you just wake up and want to smoke the very best and when that happens I reach for Atabey. The only cigar on The Cigar Authority to be awarded a perfect 100 score on the Brujos size. Today’s I have to be in Salem for a taping of The Cigar Authority radio show so my time was pressed and I reached for the smaller size of the Divinos.
From Selected Tobacco and Nelson Alfonso, Cigar Aficionado had a good story on the brand and packaging and the cigars are distributed by United Cigar Group.
Cigar: Atabey
Size: 4 3/8 x 50 (Divinos)
Wrapper: Not Disclosed
Binder: Not Disclosed
Filler: Not Disclosed
Strength: Mild
Country of Origin: Costa Rica
Source: Two Guys Smoke Shop
The Look: The golden brown color of the Atabey is accented but a Cohiba like band. There is a story behind the name, where the tainos indians would sit in a circle called a Cohiba. Inside this circle they would smoke and blow it to the leader who was the Behike of the tribe. He would then take their smoke which contained their prayers and relay them to the Goddess Atabey. The cigar has a few thin veins and an amazing amount of oils for a shade wrapper. In the hand the cigar is smooth, with a slightly below average weight and no soft spots.
The Notes: The cold draw of the Atabey Divinos is reminiscent of maple and molasses, with a hint of earth. On the nose of the cigar it is similar to that of the draw though much more subdued.
Upon first light one is easily impressed with how smooth this cigar is. The balance just simply cannot be beat by any cigar on the market. There are notes of warm butter, maple, and cuban toast. On the retrohale some of the molasses notes are detectable as well. In smoking this cigar it remains me of a log cabin, with a bearskin rug. On the table is some fresh maple syrup, cuban toast and a fireplace burning as well.
As we progress into the second third of the Atabey, the buttery richness continues with notes of toast and some cedar. The sweetness of the molasses and maple have left the building as the cigar takes on some new nuances. The aroma of the cigar adds to the complexity with some floral elements through the nose.
The last third there are some cedar and coffee notes, while the aroma of the cigar continues to be slightly floral. The finish is coffee with a slight nuttiness.
The Burn: The Atabey Divinos is a slow smoking cigar that has a perfect burn line and a thin carbon line. The cigar remained lit from first light to last puff. The light color ash held for half the cigar and fell once more where the band would be. The draw was iconic, as was the entire performance of this smoke.
The Finish: The question is which size stands out about the other, and for me that is the Brujos as the sweetness of the cigar held on for the duration where the Divinos changed over to a cigar that was slightly more woodsy, and less sweet. This isn’t to say the cigars are that different, just the size and ring gauge come into play. This one will score slightly less than, but not much so. And to be honest, the difference here is totally preference of the end-user. I know some might be scared off because it is mild, but you will not find a more flavorful cigar on the market.
Score: 98
Price: $19.99
Atabey Divinos
Atabey Divinos Foot
Atabey Divinos Burn
