Atabey Idolos
Posted on July 15 2020
Atabey Idolos
MSRP: $21 + tax
Smoking Time: 87 minutes
Vitola: 4” X 55
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade
Binder: Undisclosed
Filler: Undisclosed and Peruvian Ligero
Cut: Since I grabbed this idolos from the humitube that it came with in the box, I decided to use the 12.5mm Punch cutter that is built into it, under a screw off cap. I prefer a nice clean punch cut when possible, and the supplied cutter is very significant in size. It provides a very nice opening and draw, and does not require multiple punches, like some of my smaller punches do. My Humidimeter showed the relative humidity at the head to be 73% and 69% at the foot.
Construction and General Visual Observation: The cigar looks and feels extremely well made. It’s a stubby little guy, and with the band sitting almost mid way, it appears to be slightly shorter than it is. Perfectly filled with no soft spots. very uniform wrapper leaf, with a light satin sheen, almost invisible seams and very very light veins. Black, gold, white and silver embossed band that looks very well made, fits the cigar very well. Triple cap gives this Cubanesque cigar the final touch.
Cold Draw: Ease of draw feels perfect in the cold draw, a 5 in a scale of 1-10. Flavors: sweet milk chocolate meets your palate straight on, some barnyard floor, and some elusive floral notes are very noticeable as well. at the nose- chocolate milk, and a peppery tingle that almost makes me sneeze, but is not really spicy.
1/3 : The cigar lights easily and evenly with my single torch Defi extreme. Draw tightens to a 6 as soon as the foot is fully lit. smoke production is high, and the first few puffs fill my mouth with light flavors of cedar, pepper, and a simple sweetness. The burn line looks to be very even with slight imperfections that come and quickly correct themselves. Half way into the 1st third, a new sweetness appears, coco and roasted peanuts move to the front. other roasted or toasted flavors come and go but they are very faint. Ash is very solid with a beautiful deep grey color, showing no signs of fatigue.
2/3: Flavors quickly develop. More Toast, and nuts are still there but now more hazelnut than peanut. The tobacco sweetness is constantly in the background giving the flavors extra depth. Strong cocoa powder takes the lead alongside the nuts. Little bit of leather joins the party, but goes away a few puffs later as I hit the halfway mark. The band comes off very easily, and the ash is still holding. The pepper that has all but gone away, is starting to make a comeback. The tobacco sweetness has taken shape as an ice cream cone flavor, and is keeping that form.
3/3: The Ash drops for the first time as I enter the final third.The nuts are still dominating the flavor. Some floral notes seem to emerge as the pepper grows, as well as some more toast. Flavors intensify to slightly more than medium at this point. The cedar is back now, with some new earthiness. The burn line is still perfect as I approach the nub. The smoke now leaves a light coating on my palate and with it, a longer finish. White pepper intensifies as the smoke gets hotter, leaving a slight minty cool sensation on my lips and tongue.
Notes: The cigar smoked effortlessly throughout. no corrections or relights needed. The draw remained consistent at a solid 6 and smoke production remained high.
Final Thoughts: The Atabey has made a name for itself as an ultra premium brand, and this cigar did not disappoint. A consistently high end construction accompanied by a delicious and complex flavor profile makes me come back to Atabey over and over. Despite the high price tag, I would recommend this cigar to both beginners and experienced smokers.
Purchase HERE.
-Ben Rotem