The Byron 1850 No. 4 is a true testament to the craftsmanship and dedication of Nelson Alfonso. Created to celebrate 175 years of Byron, this cigar offers a luxurious experience in every puff. With its dimensions measuring 5 inches in length and a 50-ring gauge, it boasts a perfect balance between size and smoke production. Upon first inspection, the appearance of the cigar is captivating. The wrapper, a beautiful chocolate brown shade, shines with an […]
Atabey comes to us from Nelson Alfonso’s Selected Tobacco and it’s story should be known by all. It begins with the Taino Indians who would sit in a circle called a Cohiba where they would send their prayers to the leader of the tribe known as the Behike. He would then take those prayers and offer them to the Goddess Atabey. For me, Atabey is the most iconic brand in existence today and it has […]
The World Cigar Smoking Championship by Rocky Patel ushers in a new decade for the Cigar Smoking World Championship. The Cigar Smoking World Championship is an international competition of “slow smoking” of cigars. Competitors compete in how slow they can smoke their cigar with time penalties given for such things as breaking your ash or burning the competition ring (cigar band). The official size of the competition is the 5 1/8 x 42 Mareva which, in 2019, was smoked non-stop from the initial light for 3 […]
There are cigars, and then there are cigars. For me Atabey is a cigar that stands above all else. It’s a cigar that has consistently gotten a 100 rating here on The Cigar Authority and it has gotten accolades by others in the industry as well. At the 2019 IPCPR Atabey introduced a new size to the market named Idolos which measures 4 x 55. The name Idolos as you would guess translates to Idols. […]
If you ask our own David Garofalo what his favorite cigar is, without hesitation he will say Atabey. If you ask him what his least favorite size is, he will answer just as fast, Lancero. Talk about the conundrum this cigar created. Now on the other hand if you ask me those same questions this would be the dream cigar in theory. However, does that theory hold up? Today we put the theory to the […]
I was rummaging through the humidor this morning looking for a cigar I haven’t had in a while. As soon as I saw a Via Havana peek out under some other sticks in my collection, I dug it out. These cigars come out of the country of Costa Rica and are made by a company called Cuba Rica Tabaclera, a brand which makes several different high quality blends. What am I Smoking? Cigar: Via Havana […]
Back in 1950, a man named Benigno Arronte was born in Pinar Del Rio, Cuba. At the time, his grandfather owned a cigar factory named “Ceniza” in Vuelta Abajo, where Don Benigno would learn the processes of cigar making at a young age. Things took a turn for the worse following the Cuban Revolution when Fidel Castro eventually took over, ultimately causing the Ceniza factory to close it’s doors. After fleeing Cuba, Don Benigno settled down […]
Nelson Alfonso of Selected Tobacco might not be a household name yet, but I’m sure you’ve seen his work in the past. He is responsible for the branding of cigars such as the Cohiba Behike and other limited editions for Habanos S.A. a few years ago, Nelson started his own company out of Costa Rica called Selected Tobacco and created the brands Byron, Atabey, and Bandolero. Since his breakthrough into the US market, I’ve admired […]
Considering I make my fiancé watch everything Marvel and most things DC, once a week I need to let her hold the remote control. That night is Sunday, and while watching the Shahs of Sunset I couldn’t help but notice how much Reza looks like Don Benigno. The doppelgänger effect led me to reaching up for today’s review. According to the Two Guys Smoke Shop website which sells the Don Benigno brand, “The story starts […]
The Bandolero comes to us from Nelson Alfonso’s Selected Tobacco. At times I feel like the Bandolero is the red-headed stepchild of the company often not getting the love of his other brands Atabey and Byron and today’s Bandolero…. The name Bandolero is historical in nature and according to the website the story goes likes this… Cigar history has followed a difficult path between crime and pleasure. Demonized on arrival to Europe, in which latter tobacco trade was […]