Not the best lighting – the Vegas Cubanas

When the name Don Pepin Garcia is mentioned, two things often come to mind.  The first is “peppery” and the second is “Nicaraguan” tobacco.   I would say this is very accurate as this has become his signature for many of the cigars he is involved with blending.   So, when I started looking at his “Vegas Cubanas” line, I was a bit curious as I had heard this cigar was on the milder side compared to most of the blends Pepin has been involved with.  The end result was a smooth smoke that is something that one who has a milder profile may enjoy.<

Vegas Cubanas is not a new stick – it has been out for some time. It is still branded under the “Don Pepin Garcia” family name. I have had some rumors that the “Don Pepin Garcia” branded cigars might become re-packaged under the “My Father” umbrella, but I don’t have any information other than some buzz and I don’t know what sticks could be impacted by this or when/if this will occur. The Vegas Cubana is an affordable cigar – falling into the magic $5.00 – $7.00 range.

As with this case with most Pepin cigars, the Vegas Cubanas is Nicaraguan through and through.  Let’s look closer at the blend:

Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo
Binder: Nicaraguan Criollo
Filler: Nicaraguan Criollo and Corojo

The cigar is available in six vitolas:

Corona 5.5″ x 44
Delicias 7.0″ x 50
Generosos 6.0″ x 50
Imperiales (torpedo): 6.1″ x 52
Invictos 5.0″ x 50
Magnates 7.6″ x 49

For this review, I opted to sample a the Invictos size – which is basically your classic Robusto. For the cigar I based this review on, I opted to put a straight cut into the cap and then went for a traditional lighting of the foot of the cigar.

The cigar actually hits me with a traditional Pepin pepper blast and a touch of sweetness from the Corojo wrapper. Given that this is a milder cigar, this is not going to overpower you in any way. The pepper blast quickly subsides and eventually the dominant note is going to become a wood and toast. There is going to be a touch of peppery/cedary spice mixed in with the wood as well. I did not find this to be a very complex cigar, but I did find it to be a smooth one. The wood, toast and spice flavors will be the dominant notes throughout the majority of the smoke. I’ve read some reviews where people have seen the spice become more dominant, but I did not find this the case each time I smoked this cigar. The burn is good and the draw is excellent. I got a wonderful cool and firm finish to the smoke.

In the areas of strength and body, this is definitely in the mild to medium range. You aren’t going to get a lot of nicotine out of this one, and the flavor notes are more subtle. As I did mention, this particular smoke does smoke very smooth.

From a quality standpoint, this cigar is constructed very well. I’ve read about some burn problems, but with the Vegas Cubanas, I have not had this happen. The draw is excellent on this cigar – it is not going to take a major effort to work this cigar. Given the mild to medium profile and the excellent draw, I found this to make the perfect morning smoke.

If there is one area this cigar does fall short, it is in complexity. I’ve come to expect more body and more flavor variations from a Pepin cigar. I’d also give this to a newbie cigar enthusiast as a good way to introduce some of the “classic Pepin profile” to that person. For more seasoned, cigar enthusiasts, I’d recommend this either as a morning smoke, a smoke for one that is in the mood for something milder, or for someone prefers things on the milder side.

Burn: Good
Draw: Excellent
Strength: Mild to Medium
Body: Mild to Medium
Assessment: See What You Think