10/14/2026
Part 1: The Factory Tour
It was our honor to be personally invited by Nelson Alfonso to celebrate the grand opening of Selected To***co’s new facility in Madrid, Spain.
Andrew and Diana traveled to celebrate alongside some of the most influential people in the cigar industry. We wouldn’t have missed it for the world. Our only regret was that we couldn’t bring everyone along.
Saturday began at 8 a.m., touring the rooms where to***co rests and ages under carefully controlled conditions. We also visited rooms with growing plants, where, as explained during the tour, growth that normally takes three years outdoors can happen in one year. Every room revealed the patience, precision, and care behind Nelson’s work.
The two-story humidor, lined with Spanish cedar, held something deeply personal: bronze replicas of the door to his family’s tomb. His family’s history was present even here, among the ci**rs that carry his legacy forward.
In the showroom, we saw Nelson’s creations, including the Selected To***co project he designed for Industrial Cigar Co. Seeing our own connection represented there meant a great deal. We also stepped inside his office, where so many of those ideas begin.
Nelson shared the promise he made to his grandfather 36 years ago: to carry forward his legacy through Byron. A photographer and surrealist painter, he brings an artist’s eye to every detail and a grandson’s devotion to that promise.
We finished the tour over lunch at Asturias Asador Julio 7, sharing c***r, tapas, tortilla, and w**e, followed by café cortado and chupitos.
Nelson, thank you for opening your doors and sharing the history behind your work. Hosting the world’s first Atabey Private Lounge is an honor, and seeing that care firsthand gave us even more to bring home and share with our community.