One box holds a single cigar from each of Nelson Alfonso's five secretive luxury lines, plus a gold-accented ashtray to rest them on.

The Selected Tobacco Deluxe Edition Collection Set is a five-cigar presentation box from Selected Tobacco, the Costa Rica house founded by Cuban-born designer Nelson Alfonso. It pairs one aged smoke from each of the company's five lines, Atabey, Bandolero, Byron, Alfonso, and Nelson, with a porcelain ashtray finished in 24-karat gold accents. Distributed exclusively by United Cigars at a $240 suggested retail price, the limited set debuted at the 2026 PCA Trade Show in New Orleans and began shipping to United States retailers in mid-2026.

TL;DR
  • Five cigars, one from each Selected Tobacco line, each sleeved in its own cosmetic-grade tube.
  • Founder Nelson Alfonso is the designer credited with Cuba's Cohiba Behike look, and he builds these brands in Costa Rica.
  • The set ships with a custom porcelain ashtray carrying 24-karat gold accents.
  • $240 suggested retail, produced in limited quantities, distributed by United Cigars.
  • Debuted at the 2026 PCA show and now shipping to premium tobacconists across the country.

Here is what is in the box, who Nelson Alfonso is, why a set like this exists, and whether it earns the shelf space.

WHAT IS IN THE SET

You get five cigars, one pulled from each of the house's five lines. No duplicates, no filler sticks, just the headliners.

Atabey Ritos leads at 6 1/8 by 55, rested about five years after it was rolled. Bandolero Premium Magnificos matches that 6 1/8 by 55 shape, aged about four years.

Byron Habaneros, Alfonso Anejo No. 3, and Nelson Illustre round out the box at 6 by 54 apiece, each carrying roughly four years of post-roll rest.

Every cigar arrives in its own cosmetic-grade tube. The set also includes a porcelain ashtray finished with 24-karat gold accents, designed by the same hand that drew the bands.

So the pitch is simple. This is a flight, not a five-pack of the same smoke.

Atabey Ritos tube on a carved Taino stone altar under a full moon over a moonlit Caribbean seaATABEY Bandolero Premium Magnificos black tube with a leather bandolier, bandana and candle in a dim Andalusian settingBANDOLERO Byron Habaneros yellow tube on a Romantic-era writing desk with book, quill and oil lampBYRON Alfonso Anejo No. 3 ivory tube on a marble-and-gilt pedestal with red velvet and a gold candelabraALFONSO Nelson Illustre amber tube on a captain's desk with a brass telescope, sextant and nautical chartNELSON

THE HOUSE THAT NELSON ALFONSO BUILT

Selected Tobacco is not a household name at the gas station counter, and that is the point. Nelson Alfonso ran graphic design in Cuba before he ran a cigar company.

He is the eye behind some of the island's most recognizable modern packaging. In 2012 he took that eye to Costa Rica and started rolling his own.

The house style is patient. Cigars go into cedar-lined rooms after rolling, then the humidity is walked up and down for years so the leaf pulls sweetness and cedar from the room itself.

The blends lean on Ecuadorian wrappers and binders over Nicaraguan and Peruvian filler. The results run rich, refined, and priced like art rather than groceries.

That last part scares some people off. It should not scare you, because a set like this is the cheapest honest way to taste all five.

WHY A COLLECTION SET EXISTS

Here is the problem these brands create for themselves. A single Atabey can cost more than a full box of a good daily smoke, so most people never try one, let alone all five.

A sampler solves that math. One purchase, five lines, one sitting to figure out which house you actually belong to.

The ashtray is the wink. It tells you this box was built as a gift or a shelf piece, not a Tuesday-night grab.

Limited production means the shops that get it will not restock forever. When the tubes are gone, they are gone.

"Each cigar within the set carries its own identity, while the overall presentation reflects the standards we apply across every aspect of our work."
NELSON ALFONSO, FOUNDER, SELECTED TOBACCO

THE BLIND LABEL TAKE

We are not here to tell you a $240 box of five cigars is cheap, because it is not. We are here to tell you what you are paying for.

You are paying for years of aging you did not have to do yourself. You are paying for five distinct blends from a maker who treats a cigar band like a canvas.

Is it worth it? That depends on whether you smoke to relax or smoke to collect, and this box quietly serves both.

Skip it if you want volume and value. Grab it if you want to understand what all the quiet fuss around Nelson Alfonso has been about.

The snob buys it to show off. You buy it to find out.

SELECTED TOBACCO DELUXE EDITION SET, LINE SPECS

Contents Five cigars, one from each line, plus a porcelain ashtray
Atabey Ritos 6 1/8 × 55, rested roughly five years post-roll
Bandolero Premium Magnificos 6 1/8 × 55, rested roughly four years post-roll
Byron Habaneros 6 × 54, rested roughly four years post-roll
Alfonso Anejo No. 3 6 × 54, rested roughly four years post-roll
Nelson Illustre 6 × 54, rested roughly four years post-roll
Tubes Each cigar sleeved in its own cosmetic-grade tube
Ashtray Porcelain with 24-karat gold accents, designed by Nelson Alfonso
MSRP $240 suggested retail
Production Limited quantities
Maker Selected Tobacco S.A., founded by Nelson Alfonso
Origin Costa Rica
Distribution United Cigars, exclusive United States distribution
Debut 2026 PCA Trade Show, New Orleans; shipping to United States retailers mid-2026