Vegas de Santiago Originales

The cigar production in Costa Rica is quite manageable. Internationally, only the cigars from Vegas de Santiago, led by Swiss-born Marc Niehaus, and the Brun del Ré brand from the Corazza family, who are also of Swiss origin, are relevant.

Marc Niehaus is actually a teacher and left his profession in 2009 after 20 years to follow in his father's footsteps. His father had emigrated to Costa Rica in 2003 and had since become involved in the Tabacalera Vegas de Santiago. Until 2006, this factory was significantly shaped by the Cuban exile Don Luis Santana Lamas, who had worked for 30 years at the Cuban factory H. Upmann. Until his death in 2006, Don Luis brought his entire knowledge and took the Tabacalera to a completely different level than before. Previously, they had only produced cigars for domestic sales, but with Don Luis, they started to distribute internationally as well.

The filler of the two lighter variants comes from Costa Rica and Nicaragua, while the binder is grown in Costa Rica. The wrapper, on the other hand, is of Nicaraguan origin. These are medium-bodied cigars that offer flavors of leather, walnut, and wood. They are quite complex, and in the further smoking process, one can also perceive hints of fine cocoa and citrus fruit, which become slightly spicier towards the end.

The two darker variants are the strongest cigars produced there. The filler and binder are identical to their lighter counterparts, with only a different wrapper chosen: Here, a Connecticut Broadleaf is used, which gives the cigar a strong note of bitter chocolate and leather.