Atabey Brujos 5″ * 52

Created by Nelson Alfonso of Selected Tobacco and produced in Costa Rica, the Atabey line is an ultra-premium project built around extended post-roll aging rather than blend disclosure.

The Brujos is a 5 by 52 robusto, produced at Tabacos de Costa Rica in Santiago de Puriscal under master blender Nelson Alfonso, who also worked on Cohiba branding through the Golden Age design firm. The official blend is undisclosed, though Atabey is widely identified as carrying an Ecuadorian wrapper over a filler that includes Peruvian ligero. After rolling, the cigars rest for a minimum of five years in cedar-lined humidors built with Cuban, Spanish, Lebanese, Brazilian, and Mexican cedars, with humidity cycled from 40 percent up to 70 percent to allow the leaf to absorb the cedar character. Body sits at mild-to-medium.

The flavor tends to lean toward sweet cedar, honey, and almond up front, with cream and light floral character building through the middle and a soft, slightly toasty finish. The shorter format suits a mid-morning or early-afternoon session.

Pairings: champagne, café au lait, or aged rum.