Atabey Black Ritos Goes From NFT to PCA 2023

The first smokeable version of the Atabey Black Ritos will debut this summer at the 2023 PCA Convention & Trade Show before shipping to select stores in December.

It’s not the first Atabey Black Ritos as, in 2021, Selected Tobacco S.A. announced the project originally as an NFT, a non-fungible token. Unlike the cigar world’s most popular NFT, La Flor Dominicana’s Golden NFT, the Atabey was sold as just an NFT, though, even at that time, the lines were blurred as the company said the line used an “Ecuadorian maduro wrapper” despite the fact that it was a digital token.

It turns out, the actual cigar will use an Ecuadorian maduro wrapper. As it does with other releases, Selected Tobacco S.A. isn’t disclosing the binder or filler of the cigar other than ligero from Peru as part of the filler. It will debut in a 6 1/8 x 55 parejo vitola the company calls Ritos. As with the rest of the company’s portfolio, the line will be produced at Tabacos de Costa Rica.

The initial release is limited to 200 boxes of 25 cigars which will go to stores with a branded United Cigars lounge—currently, there are just three—as well as those who own one of the 35 NFTs. United Cigars distributes Selected Tobacco in the U.S.

A press release did not announce pricing.

“Sometimes the tobacco I select has already selected its journey,” said Nelson Alfonso, founder of Selected Tobacco S.A., in a press release. “This Ecuador maduro wrapper went on to the Atabey Black Ritos more than five years ago, now my journey ends, and someone’s experience will begin.”

The 2023 PCA Convention & Trade Show takes place July 8-11 in Las Vegas.