Costa Rican Cigars

About Costa Rican Cigars

Selected Tobacco in Costa Rica

Selected Tobacco is led by Nelson Alfonso, a Havana-born designer credited with the Cohiba Behike branding and with packaging design for Habanos S.A., and it makes its brands in Costa Rica, at Tabacos de Costa Rica in Santiago de Puriscal. Its U.S. office, Selected Tobacco Corp., is in Miami, and United Cigars of Hudson, New Hampshire, distributes its brands in the United States.

Each of these lines rests after it is rolled. Selected Tobacco says each Atabey is aged five years after it is rolled; Byron says its cigars rest for years, against the roughly 60 days it calls typical; the Alfonso lines add a final stage in rooms lined with French oak; and Bandolero Premium is aged three years in Madrid, Spain. The blends published for these lines name leaf from Ecuador, Peru, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic; Costa Rica is where the cigars are made.

Costa Rican cigars at Sun of a Gun

Atabey

Atabey debuted at the 2012 IPCPR trade show and is named for the supreme goddess of the Taíno people. It now runs to twelve sizes, from the 4 x 40 Hechizos to the 8 x 50 Dioses, in white lacquered, humidor-style boxes, and we carry all twelve in tubes as well, three to a carton. See Atabey Cigars.

Byron

Byron's packaging reads “Fundada en 1850”; Byron's history traces the brand to a small factory in Havana province, and it is named for the poet Lord Byron. Its 19th, 20th and 21st Century series each pay homage to the Cuban cigars of their century, Cigar Coop says, and Selección 1850 is the fourth line. The Grand Poemas, Habaneros and Elegantes come in limited-edition humidors of 25, and the Épique Poemas in an upright Exclusive Edition humidor of 30. See Byron Cigars.

Alfonso

Alfonso carries Nelson Alfonso's family name. Alfonso Añejos, which many US retailers call Extra Añejo, shipped in 2022, and halfwheel ranked its No. 3 first in its Top 25 of 2022; Gran Selección, its darker sequel, followed in 2023. See Alfonso Cigars.

Bandolero

Bandolero Premium arrived at the PCA trade show in April 2025 in three sizes, the Irónicos, Bravos and Magníficos, and United's release describes it as limited production. See Bandolero Cigars.

El Septimo

El Septimo was founded in 2005, Cigar Aficionado reports, and halfwheel names Gilles Botquin, a French cigar distributor, as its founder. Zaya S. Younan's Younan Company acquired it in 2019, Cigar Aficionado and halfwheel report, and Cigar Aficionado describes the company as headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, with U.S. headquarters in Woodland Hills, California. halfwheel says El Septimo produces its cigars at its own factory in Costa Rica, and describes its 2021 First Edition as a Costa Rican puro. See El Septimo Cigars.

Selected critics' scores

Each brand page lists every score we have sourced, with its outlet and date.

Common questions

Where are Costa Rican cigars made? Selected Tobacco rolls Atabey, Byron, Alfonso and Bandolero at Tabacos de Costa Rica in Santiago de Puriscal. El Septimo, halfwheel says, produces its cigars at its own factory in Costa Rica.

Who makes these Costa Rican cigars? Selected Tobacco, led by Nelson Alfonso, whose brands United Cigars of Hudson, New Hampshire, distributes in the United States; and El Septimo, owned by Zaya S. Younan's Younan Company, Cigar Aficionado and halfwheel report.

Is the tobacco grown in Costa Rica? The blends published for Selected Tobacco's lines name leaf from Ecuador, Peru, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic, and none lists Costa Rican tobacco. El Septimo lists the wrapper on most of its cigars as undisclosed; halfwheel describes its 2021 First Edition as a Costa Rican puro.

Which Costa Rican cigars come in tubes? All twelve Atabey sizes and all six Alfonso Añejos, each three tubes to a carton. We offer them by the three-pack.

How strong are they? It depends on the line. On Byron's own scale, every size is either medium or medium to full. Cigar Aficionado's launch report called Alfonso Gran Selección medium to full-bodied, and United's release calls Bandolero Premium medium to full-bodied. Reviewers have found Atabey from mild to medium-plus, and halfwheel found the Alfonso Añejos No. 3 mild to medium. El Septimo scores most of the cigars we list at 2 or 3 out of 5 on its own scale.

Where can I buy Costa Rican cigars in Yuma, AZ? At Sun of a Gun Cigars & Spirits, 1651 S Arizona Ave, an official J.C. Newman Diamond Crown Cigar Lounge with a walk-in humidor and a full bar. Call 928-276-3500 to ask which Atabey, Byron, Alfonso, Bandolero and El Septimo sizes are on the shelf today, or see our cigar lounge in Yuma.

How much is shipping? $9.99 flat shipping, free on orders of $125 or more. Every order ships with a Boveda humidity pack.

The full portfolio United distributes is on United Cigars, tubed cigars on Tubo Cigars, Dominican cigars on Dominican Cigars, and every house we carry on Cigar Brands A–Z.