#30 2023 Cigar of the Year: Byron Seleccion 1850 No. 3 by Selected Tobacco
SPECIFICATIONS
Wrapper: Ecuadorian
Binder: Peruvian
Filler: Dominican, Nicaraguan
Country of Origin: Costa Rica
Factory: Tabacos de Costa Rica
No. 3: 6 x 52
Price: $45.00
Sponsor: No
Samples Provided for Initial Review: Yes
Review: Byron Selección 1850 No. 3 (10/15/23)
Appearances on Countdown (By Year/Company): 2 (2022, 2023)
The Details
The 2023 #30 Cigar of the Year is the Byron Seleccion 1850 No. 3 by Selected Tobacco. The Seleccion 1850 became the fourth blend under Selected Tobacco’s Byron line. The Byron brand traces its origins to Cuba in 1850, where the Byron Selección 1850 derives its name. It was in 1850 when the first Byron was created by Selected Tobacco Nelson Alfonso’s great-great-great-grandfather. The original cigar was made in a small factory in Santiago de las Vegas in the Havana province of Cuba. The name Byron honors George Gordon Byron, better known as “Lord Byron,” a renowned English poet. After the brand went dormant, Nelson Alfonso would re-acquire the brand.
The Byron Selección 1850 uses a four-country multi-national blend, including a wrapper from Ecuador, a binder from Peru, and fillers from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. As with all Selected Tobacco cigars, production for the Byron Selección 1850 comes from Tabacos de Costa Rica in Santiago de Puriscal, Costa Rica. The No. 3 size is a classic 6 x 50 Toro. While Selected Tobacco ages its cigars in cedar-lined rooms, the Byron 1850 is also aged in French oak rooms after rolling. During that process, the humidity is raised and lowered to allow the cigars to breathe anywhere from two to five years.
The Byron Seleccion 1850 No. 3 delivered notes of oak, earth, cocoa, natural tobacco, cedar, and pepper. These flavors were medium-bodied, and this was countered by medium strength.
This is the second time that Selected Tobacco has landed on the Cigar Coop Countdown, and it’s the first time the Byron brand has landed on the list.
Byron, along with all Selected Tobacco products are distributed in the United States by United Cigars.
REFERENCES
- For details on how the 2023 Cigar of the Year Countdown works, see our 2023 criteria.
- Full 2023 Cigar Coop Cigar of the Year Countdown
John Driggers
Just picked up a pair