Today I am tasting the all new vitola from the small brand Vegueros.
This is my first time trying a cigar from t
his label and I am looking forward to seeing how the centrofinos is tasting. The brand was discontinued in 2012 and reintroduced in 2013 with all new vitolas. The tobacco is sourced out of the region Pinar del Rio and the factory, Francisco Donatien, is also located there. The Vegueros Centrofinos is the fourth cigar that has been added to the portfolio since the rebirth of the “local brand”.
Cigar size is a 50 ring gauge by 130 mm in length. Factory name is Centrofinos and it comes in metal tin boxes of 16 cigars. The box date is February 2019.
The beginning
As I start this cigar, the draw is smooth and giving a generous smoke. The initial taste is evolving around dark Italian roast style espresso followed by a pleasant earthiness and a touch of curcuma spice. The cigar has strength but nothing like what I had read coming from that brand. I would consider this a medium to full bodied smoke for now.
Through out the first third I get a subtle harshness, not unpleasant or anything, but most probably due to the ammonia found in this young cigar. Flavor is slightly concentrating and showing some leather notes as well.
The middle
Getting towards the middle of the smoke the flavor profile has concentrated…dark espresso and earthiness are the main flavors plus a little touch of spice (pepper). Again I am getting a slight harshness and like I mentioned earlier it is probably due to some ammonia left from the fermentation… but still nothing unpleasant. Wood undertones are also in the mix and the draw is still good.
There is a little rustic touch on this Vegueros Centrofinos, which I find gives the cigar some charm and character. In a way this habanos reminds me of the custom roll cigar that was given to me while visiting the tobacco farms in Pinar del Rio…ahhh good memories!
The end
The end of this cigar was actually quite good. The flavor profile (medium to full body) was pretty consistent all the way threw and just slightly concentrated as the cigar progressed.
It was only towards the very end did a stronger pepper taste and bitterness showed up…I guess this was the Centrofinos saying it was time for me to put him down. Over all a good cigar even though its young age with a nice aromatic complexity.
The conclusion
So I have to admit, I had a preconceived idea of the Vegueros brand in being a lesser quality habanos. But to my surprise the Vegueros Centrofinos totally broke that idea and made my first experience with Vegueros a total success. It’s exciting to see smaller “local brands” coming up with new vitolas at a competitive price with the non Cubans. On top of that I also like the packaging of the brand, there is something fun and different of having them in these aluminium tin cans.
Final words, will definitely revisit Vegueros and try the other vitolas it has to offer!
Cheers,
Simon-Pierre Bailly-Vallée
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