So for those who are unfamiliar. Selected tobaccos is a brand by Nelson Alfonso. Nelson Alfonso is the man behind the modern Cuban Cohiba Branding. Selected came on the scene with two brands that were marketed towards Cuban Cigar smokers in the US. Their two main brands were Atabey, and Byron. In my mind these were meant to be clones of Cohiba, and Bolivar. So my initial reaction when I heard about these was that they’d be some sort of marketing gimmick. To their credit though, the branding is fantastic. So what actually made me interested in these cigars was hearing about their aging process. They have a really unique set up that involves lowering and raising humidity in a wood lined room. I smoked an Atabey about a year ago and while I could tell the cigar was impeccably crafted, I just thought it was too light for me. So, when I saw this Byron at a somewhat reasonable price, I decided to jump on it.
Wide open draw. First hit is a wave of wood and toasted nuts. Musty cocoa and black pepper on the palate. There’s a hint of sweetness, but not at the forefront yet. Almost a molasses richness. Woody vanilla. Still no sweetness though – interesting. Getting a bit of dried fruit as well, figs maybe? There is a lot of nuance here. I’m definitely intrigued but, it almost feels like I’m waiting for the sweetness to kick in. I hope this blend isn’t a tease.
Ah, the big RG and the open draw has lead me astray. Small puffs on this cigar are telling a different story. A bright tingle on the retrohale, and something closer to a chocolate sweetness. The burn is wavier than expected, and I’ve already had to touch up once. I feel like I’m taking big puffs to keep the cigar evenly lit, but I’m mostly enjoying the lighter puffs. I don’t usually prefer cigars above 52 ring gauge and this is a big reason why.
Those thinner puffs are showing a lot of nuance. French oak, bourbon sweetness, cocoa, and nuts. But again Im forced to take big pulls to keep the train on the tracks. The bigger puffs are a lot more linear – cocoa powder, old wood, a bit of barnyard. Damn I really wish this was a corona or a Lonsdale. I’m so torn. This is simultaneously one of the best blends I’ve had in recent memory, and the most frustrating.
Going into the final third the blend has remained fairly consistent. The molasses has definitely ramped up a bit bringing a very welcome sweetness to the mix. I’ve conceded to smoke as id like, and touch up as needed. There is a bit of a nicotine buzz here as well, I’m gonna chalk that up to the Peruvian Ligero. There’s a meatiness to the smoke here – hickory?
What an interesting smoke. I really enjoyed some of those flavors, and I can say without a doubt this is no marketing gimmick. Objectively, this is a very well crafted blend, and a very well constructed cigar. Here’s the subjective part coming up. I’m the type of smoker that prefers small puffs, and retrohales every single time. I find you get more nuance, and more balance when you smoke this way, but I also understand that is entirely preferential. This cigar was too big to smoke the way I like to smoke. I would absolutely love this blend in a thinner vitola, but unfortunately I don’t think they make anything below a 50. If you haven’t tried one yet, I’d say it’s worth the money, especially so if you like big cigars. If anyone at Selected is listening – PLEASE MAKE THIS BLEND IN A SMALLER RG THANK YOU!
