What happens when the 5 year aged Atabey Dioses cigars are aged for twice as long? That was what Nelson Alfonso wanted to know, and he now has his answer. At this year’s PCA Trade Show in Las Vegas, United Cigars, distributors of Selected Tobacco products including Atabey, will make available the limited edition 10-Year, Extra Aged Atabey Dioses for the first time.
As the Goddess of the Taino Indians, Atabey is rich in history. It was the Taino Indians who first smoked a primitive form of what is known today as a cigar while praying to their Goddess Atabey. This spiritual ceremony was known as the Cohiba and the tribe communication to Atabey was communicated through their spiritual guide, the Behike. Today, the Atabey line is aged for five years in multi-cedar lined humidors, where humidity is reduced and raised to help the cigars breathe in the different cedar notes and cleanse itself in Nelson’s version of a spiritual ceremony. Now, we will see what an additional five years of aging does to an Atabey Dioses.
“Like a Chef’s sauce reduction, the same has happened here,” says Oliver Nivaud, Director of Operations. “Cigars have a tendency to mellow with the additional aging, but the signature Atabey flavor notes have intensified on the Dioses while going through the Selected Tobacco aging process unique to the industry.”
Normally in the world of cigars & spirits, one would expect to pay more for this additional aging process. For this first batch of 10-Year Extra Aged, consumers will pay the same MSRP as the traditional 5 year aged Atabey Dioses. Only 370 boxes of 25 cigars are available of the Atabey Dioses, and they will be presented in the same dress boxes as the traditional Atabey line with the addition of a 10-Year aged sticker on the inside of the box, and outer carton signifying the extra aging time.
Atabey Dioses 10 Year Extra Aged Origin: Costa Rican
Vitola: 8 x 50
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Undisclosed
Filler: Undisclosed & Peruvian Ligero
MSRP: $36.00 per cigar
Production: 370 boxes of 25/9,250 Cigars
1 comment:
I smoke Atabey cigars more than I probably should. They are generally a very good cigar that I purchase by the box in the Dioses and Duendes vitolas.
The 10 year old Dioses are simply put stinkers. Having smoked both multiple singles purchased and from a full box purchased (before I smoked the singles) the opinion is the same. They aged poorly and became quite bitter.
The first third is ok and basically a floral note - typical Atabey, by the second third the bitterness is almost overwhelming and the final third might only pair well with cherry jello to beat the bitterness.
I'm smoking one now and it's not as bitter as the Pliny the Elder I'm having, but kinda close. They will get smoked - my fault for purchasing a box in the blind. I think the brand may suffer as result of marketing a poorish product on an otherwise pretty respected label.
The burn on the 10 year olds is also off. This may very well be that the rollers are better now than they were when these were produced. The wrappers became more delicate and the bands have inconsistent glue. The foot band on the one I'm smoking now took a voyaged down the cellophane and wrapped the wrapper. Others have had the main band stick to the wrapper.
What should have happened is they SHOULD have been blind labeled out as factory surplus limiteds, never to be produced again.
Not a great buy. YMMV
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