Vegas de Santiago Don Luis Secretos del Maestro Barber Pole Torpedo

Vegas de Santiago Don Luis Secretos del Maestro Barber Pole Torpedo (6 1/8x52)

Vegas de Santiago is a small cigar factory in Costa Rica. Long time sponsors of our S.C. Sit Down, several of their cigars have been reviewed by me with very high marks. The VdS site describes the Don Luis this way:

We have created this cigar in memory of our late Cuban master Don Luis Lamas who was one of the 10 best in the world. We have chosen the finest tobaccos available in Nicaragua and Costa Rica for the filler plus a special leaf for a more sophisticated taste with an Indonesian binder and a Connecticut wrapper from Ecuador.

They also offer this cigar with an H2000 wrapper. This cigar appears to be made with a combination of the Connecticut and H2000 wrapper. It is a beautifully made barber pole torpedo with flawless construction. The cigar is very dense.

After cutting the cap the test draw was effortless. The initial flavors were a sweet combination of vanilla and raw almond with orange citrus and nice pepper. There are hints of cedar. The finish is one of sweet citrus with vanilla.

The cigar quickly gains richness. At the 3/4" point the orange citrus notes become more prominent and combine nicely with the vanilla. The almond notes take a lessor roll.  The pepper is starting to linger somewhat on the finish which is still a thick, sweet citrus with vanilla undertones. The cedar notes are still hanging around.

Perhaps the most amazing point about the VdS cigars is their price point. They are extremely affordable. Make no mistake, these are world class cigars. Holding one in your hand and inspecting it makes you aware of just how well made these cigars are. They are simply flawlessly made!

At the midpoint the raw almond notes are combining with the cedar notes much more. The vanilla notes  are also stronger. The orange citrus notes are subtle at this point. The finish is an interesting combination of cedar, vanilla, and subtle citrus. There is some lingering pepper.

This cigar would be described as medium bodied.

With 2 inches left the cigar  has changed back to one of rich orange citrus notes and vanilla! The cedar is also back with subtle almond notes. The pepper has increased slightly from the beginning of the cigar. The finish is back to sweet orange citrus, vanilla, and subtle almonds.

Just a bit further, with about an inch and a half left, the cigar has become quite rich. The richness appears to be coming from the almonds. The cedar notes are playing second place with the vanilla completing the flavors. The orange citrus notes appear to be subtle.

The cigar finished up with those citrus notes appearing again with the rich almond notes and nice pepper. The cedar notes are somewhat subtle along with the vanilla notes. The finish was more of a rich vanilla with cedar notes. Quite a good cigar that made some nice changes.

I am not sure if these cigars are a regular production of VdS but you should try them. They are quite good and have a fantastic price point! VdS makes some great cigars!

Score: 93