Byron Celebrates 175th Anniversary With Lavish Humidor

When your cigar brand is 175 years old and named after one of the most renowned Romantic poets in history, Lord Byron, a proper commemoration is surely in order. That’s exactly what Nelson Alfonso of Selected Tobacco, owner of the Byron, Atabey and Alfonso brands, is aiming to achieve with the new, opulent Byron 175th Anniversary Humidor.
Byron’s origin dates back to the mid 19th century, when Alfonso’s great-great-great grandparents started the cigar brand in Havana, according to the Costa Rican cigarmaker. He revived the family brand in the 90s. Today, Byron is one of the most a small producer of handmade cigars.
“For me, Byron is not only a cigar. It is a story of my family, of my country, of the time,” says Nelson Alfonso. “This humidor is to honor this story, one piece of my soul in each box.”
The Byron 175th Anniversary Humidor will be a limited-edition release, with only 175 individually-numbered units made. Each will, of course, come packed with Byron cigars, specifically from the Byron Century lines, each one adorned with a 175th anniversary commemorative foot band.
There will be 60 cigars in total, 15 of each of the following cigars:
- Byron 1850 No. 3 (6 x 52)
- Byron 19th Century Grand Poemas (6 x 56)
- Byron 20th Century Habaneros (6 x 54)
- Byron 21st Century Elegantes (6 1/8 x 55)
These cigars are also aged for five years after rolling, common for Selected Tobacco smokes, but these particular cigars were aged in an unusual location. After they were rolled at the Tabacos de Costa Rica factory in Santiago de Puriscal, Costa Rica, they were then sent to Madrid, to undergo their aging process.
The humidor itself is accentuated by a dark, ultramarine blue finish and gold lettering that matches a gold-accented front , behind which sits a hygrometer and temperature gauge. You’ll also find two additional accessories hidden within, a matching three-finger cigar case and an ashtray placed in two side drawers. On the very top shelf inside the humidor, twin Byron knobs reveal hidden layers of more cigars.
As of now, there is no listed price for the humidors. They will be on display and available to preorder at the PCA trade show this weekend with an expected release targeted for September of this year. The humidors, as with all portfolios under the Selected Tobacco umbrella, will be distributed by United Cigars.