Pre-light Experience

Aaron: The wrapper on the Atabey Black Ritos is between medium and dark brown and has some thick, raised veins on the back of the cigar. The seams are smooth and the caps well applied. There are two bands, with the primary being the traditional design for the brand and the foot band is the traditional design for the company. The aroma from the wrapper is cedar and a bit of dark earth, while the foot brings cedar and stewed fruit. The pre-light draw brings cedar and a bit of stone fruit sweetness, and there is a mid-level spice on my lips.
Seth: The Atabey Black Ritos is a firm cigar in hand that is finished with a lovely triple cap. It has a solid maduro coloring, and it is that of milk chocolate. There are small veins throughout, and it is smooth in texture. The wrapper has aromas of milk chocolate, tobacco, sweet spices and rich earth. The foot gives off notes of barnyard, manure, spices and leather.
John: The Atabey Black Ritos came in cellophane, which had an open foot to it, and it didn’t have a UPC sticker or cigar information on the cellophane. There is a primary Atabey band, and a secondary Selected Tobacco foot band. I weighed the cigar at 21.2 grams. For aromas, I could pick up on bread, sweet tobacco and background wood. From the foot, I could detect tobacco and wood.
Jiunn: The Atabey Black Ritos has an even shade of Colorado Maduro wrapper shade. Veins are well pressed, seams tight, bunch and roll even and the head is well wrapped and capped. Pre-light aromas consist of the stankiest barnyard, cedar and BO.

Atabey Black Ritos

First Third

Aaron: The cigar begins with toasted cedar, earth and mild black pepper. At a quarter inch in, some sandalwood joins the profile, and the pepper increases a bit. At three quarters of an inch in, the sandalwood increases. The retrohale is cedar and sandalwood with earth and black pepper. At an inch and a half, the black pepper picks up a bit more. As the third comes to a closed, the toasted cedar is a bit ahead of the earth and sandalwood, with the black pepper just a bit further behind. The strength was right at medium.
Seth: The first third begins with some light spices that are paired with cedar, soft earth and cinnamon. There are some honey qualities with the cigar, and it has a finish of coffee and cream. I would classify the cigar as medium in strength and body. Balanced blend. Flavors are working well with one another.
John: The first third opens with sweet tobacco, mild earth in the center and a finish of sweet tobacco and bread. Some delayed medium strength red pepper flake breaks into the post draw. A malty, medium strength tobacco sweetness moves into the retrohale as it settles in. Earth at medium-minus strength moves into the retrohale and brings with it mildly tannic wood on the finish. Earth and minerality join the post draw as it reaches the one inch mark, still having a delayed tannic wood on the post draw. Some dryness joins the post draw moving towards the halfway point.
Jiunn: There’s a smoothness and silkiness to the flavor profile. Butter, vanilla wafers, brioche and a gentle aged cedar. Retrohaling provides greater cedar influence as well as mixed nuts. The finish is soft and lingering with aged cedar. Strength and body is medium.

Atabey Black Ritos

Second Third

Aaron: As the second third begins, the earth increases to become even with the toasted cedar up front. At a quarter inch in, the black pepper mellows a bit. The retrohale is now cedar and sandalwood with earth and mild black pepper. At an inch and a half in, the black pepper picks back up a bit, but it’s now a bit dull. As the third comes to a close, the toasted cedar and earth are even up front, with the sandalwood a bit behind and the dull black pepper in the middle of the profile. The strength remained at medium.
Seth: The second third shows some transitioning. Nice cocoa and coffee notes with cedar, earth and cinnamon. There are some sweet spices present, and it has that faint honey sweetness as well. Touches of cream and tobacco on the finish. Like the first third, I would classify the cigar as being medium in strength and body.
John: A creamy and malty tobacco sweetness at light-plus strength, takes the cigar into the second third with earth to follow which picks up wood through the finish. Some light tropical fruit sweetness is present under the earth as it continues towards the halfway point. At the halfway point, the post draw is now largely defined by medium strength lingering wood and light-plus strength earth. Through the bottom half, light-plus strength sweet tobacco leads the retrohale with light-plus earth in the center and wood to finish. Red pepper flake at light-plus moves into the post draw a few puffs later.
Jiunn: The second third shows more prominent cedar notes. The profile still possesses a good amount of silkiness and smoothness though. But the smoothness tastes more one dimensional and is starting to take away my attention. Strength and body remains medium.

Atabey Black Ritos

Final Third

Aaron: As the final third begins, the sandalwood mellows a bit. The retrohale remains cedar and sandalwood with earth and mild black pepper. At an inch in, the toast level of the cedar increases a bit. As the cigar wraps up, the toasted cedar and earth are even up front, with the sandalwood and dull black pepper in the middle of the profile. The strength bumped up to slightly above medium.
Seth: The final third is really a continuation of the second third. Cocoa and coffee notes are present with cedar, earth and cinnamon. Touches of honey, cream and tobacco are present on the finish. Smooth and easy finish. Like the first two thirds, medium in strength and body.
John: Creamy wood greets me in the final third, as light-plus tobacco sweetness moves into the center and is joined by wood on the finish. A delayed red pepper flake is still present on the post draw and is lingering between each puff. Spices join the front of the retrohale once the last third has settled in. A medium strength earth is leading each puff by the halfway point. Earth is the primary flavor component through the bottom half.
Jiunn: The final third is starting to show some harshness to the profile in the form of slight tinny metallic notes. This makes the sweeter/softer flavors of butter, wafers and brioche less noticeable. Strength and body finish the same medium.

Atabey Black Ritos

Burn

Aaron: The burn was a bit wavy at times, but never needed any attention. The ash held on through each third.
Seth: The burn was perfect from beginning to end.
John: The burn had a slightly wavy start to it, which evened out. The burn remained straight for the remainder of the review.
Jiunn: Great burn construction providing an even burn, tight ashes and cool smoking temperature.

Atabey Black Ritos

Draw

Aaron: The draw was perfect, with just the right amount of resistance that I prefer.
Seth: The draw was perfect from start to finish.
John: The draw had some snugness to it, roughly 2-1/2 to 3 notches towards the resistant spectrum.
Jiunn: Great draw performance, providing the ideal balance between air flow and resistance.

Overall

Aaron: The cigar began with toasted cedar, earth and mild black pepper. Some sandalwood joined in fairly quickly and the pepper increased. The sandalwood and black pepper later increased. The second third saw the earth increase to become even with the toasted cedar up front and the pepper mellowed a bit. It picked back up a bit later. The final third saw the sandalwood mellow a bit and the toast level of the cedar increased. The Atabey Black Ritos had a nice start as it was a beefier version of the regular Atabey. It took a step down in the second third as the earth increased and the pepper became a bit dull. Overall, just an OK offering, but I prefer the initial offerings of the Atabey more. The price point is also a bit of a detractor and I wouldn’t see returning to this offering.
Seth: I enjoyed the Atabey Black Ritos. The cigar was balanced with a nice flavor profile from beginning to end. Good level of complexity throughout. The honey sweetness with coffee, cedar and earth was nice. With perfect level of construction, and a nice strength and body, it was a blend that every cigar smoker could enjoy. Price excluded. I prefer the original Atabey to the Atabey Black, but at the same time, I don’t think Atabey is at the level that it once was. In the giant scheme of things, and looking at releases in the past couple years, this was a good cigar. But, if you consider the price and want to get picky, the cigar could benefit with a little bit more complexity.
John: The Atabey Black Ritos had some interesting and engaging flavors for the first third, while the rest of the cigar was pleasant but I struggled to find anything compelling in the flavor delivery. The burn was perfect, and the draw had some snugness to it. Ignoring the price point here, I think the overall experience was pleasant but I’ve had other Atabey releases that I thought were more interesting than this. Factoring in the price point this isn’t something I’d be interested in returning to. Total smoking time was 2 hours and 36 minutes.
Jiunn: In the realm of ultra expensive cigars as this, every little bit has to impress. The construction, the packaging, but most importantly, the smoking experience. While the Atabey Black Ritos’ smoothness and silkiness are characteristics of luxury at the highest, I was more lost in the monotony of the flavors. The one dimensional notes of butter, vanilla wafers, brioche and a gentle aged cedar was nice for the first third, but did not grab my attention for the entire smoke. And when I lose engagement on a cigar, it tells me basically everything I need to know about it.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

6.00

Cost/Point

$8.33

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

7.17

Cost/Point

$6.98

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

5.80

Cost/Point

$8.62

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

6.10

Cost/Point

$8.20

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Atabey Black Ritos