Next week, Selected Tobacco is launching a new blend in the Byron portfolio at the Byron Cigar Lounge in Schaumburg, IL. The Byron 1850 line was created to celebrate almost 175 years of the Byron family line. Selected Tobacco was created by Nelson Alfonso to offer cigars that are aged with a purpose. All the Selected Tobacco lines are placed into cedar lined rooms after they are rolled, the cigars are “cleaned” as they age with cedar notes. Humidity is raised and lowered to allow the cigars to breathe for 2 to 5 years, depending on the line.
Cedar is to cigars as oak is to wine. The years we take to age the cigars in this process have a purpose and we hope this is appreciated in the smoke.
Nelson Alfonso
The Byron 1850 line gets a different treatment in its own room. This was an experiment Nelson was testing after discovering the complexity French Oak could offer. Some of the most famous wines in the world use French Oak barrels and this became an obsession to incorporate a new wood into the aging rooms for Nelson. The results after five(5) years of post-roll age in Cedar and French Oak aging rooms are the Byron 1850 and the recently released Alfonso Añejos.
Byron 1850 will be packed in cedar lined boxes of 25 cigars with logo embossed hinges and a push button clasp in the front. The top and sides feature golden print on a dark, glossy walnut exterior finish with soft felt on the bottom of the box. The first release will consist of the No. 1- 8 x 54, No.2- 7 x 56, No.3- 6 x 52, No. 4- 5 x 50 and two additional vitolas for events only. The Grand Bouquet (Perfecto) 6 x 58 and the Liricos (Diadema) 9 ¼ x 55 will be featured at the Byron Cigar Lounge and the Industrial Cigar Atabey Private Lounge this month. Future events have been scheduled with retailers who will then have access to the event only vitolas.
The blend for Byron 1850 uses an Ecuadorian wrapper, Peruvian binder, and Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers. They are sold in boxes of 25 and have an MSRP from $42 to $75.