Don Fernando
05-21-2010, 07:39 AM
I used to smoke a lot of Vegas de Santiago cigars but hadn't ordered in a while, so owner Rudy send me a 2 cigar sampler of his latest blend, Don Luis "los maestros del secretos" with a H2000 wrapper to renew my interest in these Costa Rican manufacturers.
http://i1006.photobucket.com/albums/af186/cigarguide/reviews/vegasdesantiagolossecretos1.jpg
This 6 x 53 torpedo has a nice chocolate brown, smooth and oily wrapper with a few thin veins. The cigar has a nice barnyard aroma. The band is nice and simple, black & gold (there is also a Don Luis with a black & white band but that's the Ecuadorian Connecticut version, the black & gold has a Nicaraguan Habano wrapper). The construction feels good and so is the peppery predraw.
http://i1006.photobucket.com/albums/af186/cigarguide/reviews/vegasdesantiagolossecretos2.jpg
I taste dry hay and a faint metallic flavor with some freshness and a hint of chocolate. After an inch the flavors change to dry wood with earthy notes and a mild chocolate aftertaste. Halfway the flavors change to a full chocolate flavor with some herbs on the background.
http://i1006.photobucket.com/albums/af186/cigarguide/reviews/vegasdesantiagolossecretos3.jpg
At ⅔ I also get some pepper with the chocolate and herbs. The herbal flavors take over and become dominant. The pepper disappears after purging and the chocolate changes into a mint like freshness.
http://i1006.photobucket.com/albums/af186/cigarguide/reviews/vegasdesantiagolossecretos4.jpg
Smoke time: 1 hour and 45 minutes. The smoke is a bit thin, but I get enough smoke from the cigar so I won't complain about that. The draw and burn are good. The light gray ash is quite firm. This cigar is medium to full flavored and medium bodied.
http://i1006.photobucket.com/albums/af186/cigarguide/reviews/vegasdesantiagolossecretos5.jpg
Would I buy this cigar again? Yeah, these cigars are nice and very friendly priced.
Appearance: 7 / 10
Construction: 7 / 10
Draw: 7 / 10
Burn: 7 / 10
Smoke & ash: 7 / 10
Aroma first part: 6 / 10
Aroma second part: 8 / 10
Aroma third part: 7 / 10
http://i1006.photobucket.com/albums/af186/cigarguide/reviews/vegasdesantiagolossecretos1.jpg
This 6 x 53 torpedo has a nice chocolate brown, smooth and oily wrapper with a few thin veins. The cigar has a nice barnyard aroma. The band is nice and simple, black & gold (there is also a Don Luis with a black & white band but that's the Ecuadorian Connecticut version, the black & gold has a Nicaraguan Habano wrapper). The construction feels good and so is the peppery predraw.
http://i1006.photobucket.com/albums/af186/cigarguide/reviews/vegasdesantiagolossecretos2.jpg
I taste dry hay and a faint metallic flavor with some freshness and a hint of chocolate. After an inch the flavors change to dry wood with earthy notes and a mild chocolate aftertaste. Halfway the flavors change to a full chocolate flavor with some herbs on the background.
http://i1006.photobucket.com/albums/af186/cigarguide/reviews/vegasdesantiagolossecretos3.jpg
At ⅔ I also get some pepper with the chocolate and herbs. The herbal flavors take over and become dominant. The pepper disappears after purging and the chocolate changes into a mint like freshness.
http://i1006.photobucket.com/albums/af186/cigarguide/reviews/vegasdesantiagolossecretos4.jpg
Smoke time: 1 hour and 45 minutes. The smoke is a bit thin, but I get enough smoke from the cigar so I won't complain about that. The draw and burn are good. The light gray ash is quite firm. This cigar is medium to full flavored and medium bodied.
http://i1006.photobucket.com/albums/af186/cigarguide/reviews/vegasdesantiagolossecretos5.jpg
Would I buy this cigar again? Yeah, these cigars are nice and very friendly priced.
Appearance: 7 / 10
Construction: 7 / 10
Draw: 7 / 10
Burn: 7 / 10
Smoke & ash: 7 / 10
Aroma first part: 6 / 10
Aroma second part: 8 / 10
Aroma third part: 7 / 10