SaintLuis Posted March 31, 2014 Posted March 31, 2014 Got a three pack of cigars for Christmas, that I've no experience with. Wonder if anyone here has any comments on them/has tried them. They are all "premium tubes" from a group called Selected Tobacco out of Costa Rica. The tubes are pretty elaborate, with a thoughtfully engineered humidification system in them. Product art is gorgeous on both the band and tubes. I read somewhere online that one of the guys behind the company was involved with the branding of the Behike. The packaging is definitely comparable in quality, uniqueness and beauty, and there's a similar presence of layers of packaging it takes to get through to the product. Very small production of these, and i cant find any details on the source of the tobacco. Website is pretty vague on that. They all claim to be aged ligero from Carribean sources. I figure as I smoke them I'll put my experience up on the web here. First is a Bandolero 52. Size is "Bravos" at 5.25 x 52 www.bandolero.com Second is an Atabey. Size is called "Ritos" at 6&1/8 x 55 www.atabeycigars.com Third is called Byron. Size is called "Loninenses" 5.5x52Www.byroncigars.com
SaintLuis Posted March 31, 2014 Author Posted March 31, 2014 Had the Atabey Ritos today. This thing is a monster cigar. I can't remember the last time I smoked a cigar this large. Cigar looks very well constructed, with a very smooth Colorado wrapper topped with a triple cap. My brother correctly guessed pre light that it would taste like a Connecticut. Foot smelled mild, grassy, and subtle cedar and tea. Very little Barnyard. The humidifier tube did a surprisingly good job of caring for the cigar. I just followed the directions that came with it. I'm expecting this cigar to fail to live up to its overly showy presentation. Got a nice shallow straight cut, opening a smooth, comfortably snug draw. Predraw tastes a lot like the nose, a little more grassy and barnyard and almond. Toasted and lit with a soft flame, the first two draws were huge smoke, creamy and mild with a fast and clean finish. Tastes nutty and cakey and of toast. Ash is white/light gray. First third, the behavior was much like above. Lots of smooth creamy smoke with this toast, cakey, nutty flavor, but not sweet. Subtle tastes of tea and grass too. Construction remained excellent, with a literally perfect burn. Second third showed a slight progression to the sweeter side, still with toasty cake, shortbread.and almonds, and some light cedar and grass. Cigar stayed cool, and the perfect burn continued. Finish was so clean and easy I have barely sipped my drink. I like light beer with mild cigars, and I wouldn't suggest anything anything stronger than a red stripe. Scotch or wine would have been a nono, unless it was a bright, clean white. Cigar finished with a bit more sweetness, but still defined by the nutty creamy, subtle smooth and mild character. I think these cigars are like $30, which is kind of obnoxious. While the cigar was really well made, was high quality tobacco, had very cool packaging and smoked like a champ, this is a better gift cigar than a regular rotation smoke. It's better than a Ghurka. Total smoke time was about 1:50, and I laid it down with about 2" left on it. My other smoking buddies were ready to go in, otherwise might have given it a bit longer. Anyone had one of these? Saint *cant get the damned photos oriented right. /fury
LordAnubis Posted March 31, 2014 Posted March 31, 2014 Whoa that's one fat cigar!!! Thanks for the review.
bradbrennan Posted March 31, 2014 Posted March 31, 2014 They sure are pretty, at least the packaging...would really hope for something magical inside with all that effort to protect it, Atabey suggested retail on their site $75 a stick?!
SaintLuis Posted March 31, 2014 Author Posted March 31, 2014 They sure are pretty, at least the packaging...would really hope for something magical inside with all that effort to protect it, Atabey suggested retail on their site $75 a stick?! They're drunk. You can find them for $25 - $35ea. Seems like they have very limited availability though. The Bandolero line is advertised at only 6000 cigars / year.
SaintLuis Posted March 31, 2014 Author Posted March 31, 2014 Found some more info on the humitubes. I guess they only supply them to a limited number of cigar companies. First time I've ever seen them, but they do list cohiba and some other cuban marcas as official licensed users. http://www.humitube.com/ As I mentioned above, I was pretty impressed with the quality of the cigar being that they've been stored only in these tubes. The cigar was perfect humidification throughout.
Pedro2486 Posted April 3, 2014 Posted April 3, 2014 Found some more info on the humitubes. I guess they only supply them to a limited number of cigar companies. First time I've ever seen them, but they do list cohiba and some other cuban marcas as official licensed users. http://www.humitube.com/ As I mentioned above, I was pretty impressed with the quality of the cigar being that they've been stored only in these tubes. The cigar was perfect humidification throughout. These look like the same tubes used on the travel (petit?) robusto selection from a few years ago. www.cubancigarwebsite.com
alloy Posted April 3, 2014 Posted April 3, 2014 Had a Byron Poemas last year. I figured I paid $33.00 for the pretty packaging it came in, because it was a mild one dimensional cigar. Will never buy another one.
vinnyvega Posted April 8, 2014 Posted April 8, 2014 There's a smoke in New Hampshire that gets behind these big time. The owner believes that the finest tobacco that has ever been grown goes into these. He then he places piles of jars at the register. I guess it's a $30+ impulse buy.
ethosan Posted April 9, 2014 Posted April 9, 2014 I was going to start a thread about these. A local lounge carries them, i've had the attabey and byron. They were both good sticks, the construction was solid(but the wrappers are very delicate and crack easy) You can tell they age the tobacco, the flavors were smooth and well sorted, but there is nothing exciting about either one and at the prices they go for they dont cut it. A lot of people have said that they're all cuban tobacco, just rolled in costa rica. I would say no for the byron and probably not with the attabey, but my expirence with cubans is limited so far. Has anyone else tried these? Do you think they have cuban tobacco in them
SaintLuis Posted April 9, 2014 Author Posted April 9, 2014 Definitely not cuban tobacco. Found this online. Looks legit. this what you meant pedro? This
Pedro2486 Posted April 9, 2014 Posted April 9, 2014 Definitely not cuban tobacco. Found this online. Looks legit. this what you meant pedro? This Yeah. Have a look on Trevor's website, there's a travel and retail seleccion with I think a Cohiba, HdM and something else robusto 3 pack in these humitubes
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