PCA 2023: Selected Tobacco S.A.

Selected Tobacco S.A. is one of the booths I look forward to visiting every year: both Nelson Alfonso Egüed, founder of Selected Tobacco and Oliver Nivaud, director of operations at United Cigars—which distributes Selected Tobacco S.A. in the U.S. market—are wonderful people, the company’s booth is amazing and the cigars are always a sight to see.

In addition, I thoroughly enjoy the conversations I have with Alfonso about Cuba, specifically the people who live in the country and the cigars that are made there. It is a topic that he is intimately familiar with since he has worked on designs for some of Habanos S.A.’s most sought-after cigars over the years, including the Cohiba BHK Behike, various Gran Reserva and other special packaging items like tubos and jars.

Selected Tobacco S.A. debuted its current booth at last year’s PCA show, and even though I have walked through it numerous times since then, I am still impressed by its combination of space, meeting spaces and displays. One interesting note that Nivaud told me is that the company’s booth was actually designed by the same company that is in charge of organizing the Final Night Gala during the Festival del Habano that takes place in Cuba every year.

Alfonso Gran Selección

Described by the company as the sequel to the company’s Extra Añejo line that was released last year, these cigars were aged for a total of five years.

• Wrapper: Ecuador (Habano)
• Binder: Peru
• Filler: Dominican Republic & Nicaragua

• Alfonso Gran Selección Estelares (5 1/2 x 54) — $42 (Box of 25, $1,050)
• Alfonso Gran Selección Exclusivos (6 x 54) — $47 (Box of 25, $1,175)
• Alfonso Gran Selección Enormes (6 1/2 x 60) — $50 (Box of 25, $1,250)
• Alfonso Gran Selección Preciosos (7 1/2 x 40) — $42 (Box of 25, $1,050)
• Alfonso Gran Selección Grandiosos (8 x 50) — $50 (Box of 25, $1,250)

Production: 1,000 Boxes of 25 (25,000 Total Cigars)*

Release Date: Fall 2023

*The release is made up of 200 boxes of each vitola.

Atabey Black Ritos

Originally announced as an NFT in 2021—or non-fungible token—there is now a physical cigar. The blend uses an Ecuadorian maduro wrapper, although the company isn’t disclosing the binder or filler of the cigar other than ligero from Peru is used in the filler.  All 200 boxes will go to the three stores with a branded United Cigars lounge as well as those who own one of the 35 NFTs that were sold.

• Wrapper: Ecuador (Maduro)
• Binder: Undisclosed
• Filler: Peru (Ligero) & Undisclosed

• Atabey Black Ritos (6 1/8 x 55) — $50 (Box of 25, $1,250)

Production: 200 Boxes of 25 Cigars (5,000 Total Cigars)

Release Date: December 2023

Atabey Dioses 10-Year Extra Aged

This is an Atabey Dioses that has undergone a combined 10 years of aging in cedar-lined and French oak-lined rooms, compared to the normal Atabey line that is only aged for a period of between two to five years.

• Wrapper: Ecuador (Habano)
• Binder: Undisclosed
• Filler: Peru & Undisclosed

• Atabey Dioses 10-Year Extra Aged (8 x 50) — $36 (Box of 25, $900)

Production: 370 Boxes of 25 (9,250 Total Cigars)

Release Date: Fall 2023

Atabey Limited Edition Humidor

Although this humidor was shown off during last year’s PCA show, Selected Tobacco was not ready to take orders for it at the time. The details are the same: the humidor features 60 Atabey cigars—five of each vitola—arranged with 20 on the top shelf, 20 in the front drawer and 10 on each of the side drawers. Only 60 humidors will be released. Interestingly, the price is the same as if you just bought the 60 cigars—all of which are sold as regular production items outside of the humidor—separately.

Inside each humidor are five of the following:

• Atabey Dioses (8 x 50)
• Atabey Benditos (7 1/4 x 58)
• Atabey Spiritus (7 x 40)
• Atabey Misticos (6 3/4 x 56)
• Atabey Ritos (6 1/8 x 55)
• Atabey Duendes (6 1/8 x 54)
• Atabey Delirios (5 3/4 x 55)
• Atabey Sabios (5 1/4 x 52)
• Atabey Brujos (5 x 52)
• Atabey Divinos (4 2/5 x 50)
• Atabey Idolos (4 x 55)
• Atabey Hechizos (4 x 40)

MSRP: $3,999

Production: 60 Humidors of 60 Cigars (3,600 Total Cigars)

Release Date: September 2023