Vegueros

One of the youngest Habanos brands, which has already had two histories.

In our previous Grauer Journal, we told you about the history of the Vegas Robaina brand and the similarities with the Vegueros brand. Both were founded in 1997, after the Cuban Revolution, and offer a robust blend that remains true to the age-old taste of traditional Havana.

However, while the Vegas Robaina brand pays tribute to one man in particular, Don Alejandro Robaina, the Vegueros brand pays tribute to all the farmers in the Pinar del Río region, Cuba's westernmost province, where the island's largest tobacco production is concentrated. It is a tribute to these "Vegueros", the keystone of the entire Cuban cigar industry, who, from generation to generation, work tirelessly in the tobacco plantations.

The beginnings of the brand are in fact much older. In 1961, the Francisco Donatién Factory in Pinar del Río began producing cigars for domestic consumption, alongside other cigars for export. These cigars were commonly rolled for national banquets and other public events and were colloquially called "Vegueros", after the peasants and farm workers who worked on the island's tobacco plantations. The first foreign aficionados to taste its cigars, whose strong blend reflects the taste of the local people, were the tourists who came to visit the factory.

Things changed in 1997, when Habanos decided to start exporting these famous "Vegueros". The Vegueros brand was officially created, with its own logo and distinctive green and white colours, unlike any other Cuban cigar brand. The Vegueros logo was also put on the front of the factory.

This factory, La Fábrica de Tabacos Francisco Donatién, is the most important tobacco factory in Pinar del Río. Built in the 19th century, in 1866 to be exact, this imposing building of colonial architecture was once a prison and also housed a hospital. Located a few blocks from the Plaza de la Independencia, it is an emblematic site of the city's architecture. Home to experienced Torcedors, the Francisco Donatién Factory has become one of the most renowned factories in the country.

Despite its young age and modesty, the Vegueros brand is now recognised throughout the world for the quality and authenticity of its cigars. However, this story almost ended in 2012 when production was stopped.

Finally a year later Habanos decided to relaunch the brand by showcasing it at the XV Festival del Habano. The current production now offers four vitolas, all of them new to the brand.

A look back at the catalogue of the first history of Vegueros:

Just like today, the regular Vegueros catalogue from 1997 to 2012 offered 4 different vitolas. Among them, the famous Laguito No.1 (38 x 192 mm) and Laguito No.2 (38 x 152 mm), named Especiales No.1 (Grauer Journal of February 2019) and Especiales No.2, the Marevas (42 x 129 mm), a vitola still very much used by Habanos brands, considered as one of the references for the Cuban cigar industry and finally the Seoane (Seoane - 33 x 126 mm) that we present today.

Although the brand has never produced a Regional Edition or a Limited Edition, it has nevertheless given birth to two humidors.

The first, called Vegueros Belicosos Extra Collector, was released in 2002 and produced in a limited edition of 200. Inside are Vegueros Belicosos Extra (Campanas - 52 x 140 mm) produced for what should have been the brand's only humidor, the Vegueros 135th Aniversario Humidor. This decision to replace the cigars came after the Belicosos Extra had been produced, which led the brand to sell them as such.

Let's come back to the Vegueros 135th Aniversario Humidor, which should have been the only humidor of the brand. It was produced in 2003 to commemorate the 135th anniversary of the founding of the city of Pinar del Río. The 135 pieces were individually signed by the five greatest growers: Alejandro Robaina, Rogelio Ortuzar, Francisco Milian, Chiquitico Vazquez and Salvador Carvajal.

Inside, there are 135 cigars divided into 5 vitolas. Among them, 4 are from the regular production of the time and bear no particular distinctive sign: 20 Especiales No.1, 15 Especiales No.2, 25 Marevas and 25 Seoane. The last cigar, called Vegueron or Cepo, is in fact a Prominentes (49 x 194 mm) which has been shortened by 53 mm, thus creating a unique format: the Prominentes Cortas (49 x 141 mm). This was done to fit the humidor compartment, which was originally designed to accommodate the Belicosos Extra. The cigar has no official name, but was called "Vegueron" by the factory (a kind of big Vegueros). The term "Cepo" which is often used seems to be a misreading of the text referring to the diameter of the cigar.

As previously mentioned, the Vegueros brand was completely updated in 2013, fifteen years after its creation, incorporating a new, younger visual identity and four new cigars to its portfolio: the Centrofinos (50 x 130 mm), the Entretiempos, a Petit Robusto (52 x 110 mm), the Mañanitas, a Petit Pyramid (46 x 100 mm) and the Tapados, a Corona Extra (46 x 120 mm).

With this new range, Vegueros offers an attractive option for those looking for a mix of medium to strong flavours, with plenty of earth and spice.

All Vegueros vitolas are hand rolled "Totalmente a Mano con Tripa Larga", with a long-filler made of tobacco leaves from the Vuelta Abajo region.

To learn more about Vegueros cigars and the history of the brand, we would be delighted to welcome you to our walk-in humidor, where you will find all the brand's special productions as well as cigars from the brand's regular catalogue.

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