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Vegueros Especiales No 2
Size: 152 mm x 38 ? Laguito No 2
Smoke time: 1 hour 20mins
Box date: 2006/07.. Source: Seng
This cigar was kindly gifted to me last year by Seng as part of an ?extra group? to the Forum Cuban MAW. The Vegueros brand, as I?m sure all are aware, was deleted by Habanos during 2012.
Appearance: Take away the naff looking Vegueros band and the cigar is very pleasing with a rich brown, parchment toothed oily wrapper carrying a light tracery of fine veins. The wrap spiral is barely visible all the way up to the nicely finished triple cap which is finished pig-tail.
Construction: Good in the hand with a nice heft, the Esp2 felt very densely packed along it?s entire length. The cold draw was quite tight and the smoking draw a little more resistive than I prefer but easily manageable. The burn was unerring and totally online throughout the smoke. The ash was very compacted and I needed to be a little heavier handed than usual in the ?tapping off?. No re-lights. No corrections required.
Flavour: The pre-light aroma was grassy with a light undernote of something herbaceous, possibly Sage. The taste start was electric, on the cusp between sweet sugary and tart and akin to stewed gooseberries. This gave way slowly to base flavours of the third which were a sweet grass/wood and acidic lemon citrus. Now, this is the hard part. Sometimes the lemon would be sweet, sometimes sour. Sometimes the wood notes would be the more prominent, sometimes they would recede to the back, but whichever way the joined taste was delicious and totally refreshing to the mouth. Towards the end of the third the Esp2 did something bordering on miraculous, it achieved a 50/50 between the two tastes, and it was divine.
Some way into the second third and the grass/wood began it?s ascendance, I was also picking out some bean notes and the lemon tastes although having slipped back were still alternating between sweet and sour, and then just for several puffs changed completely to sweet, caramalised apple. Closing towards the final third and the wood tastes became softly charred and toastlike. Unusually for me, I thought the final third was the best. The sweet citrus although constant gradually became weaker, for a while the taste sensation was that of toast with thinly spread marmalade, warm mellow and comforting. Moving through the third and the grass/woods were replaced by smooth, rich roasted tobacco and a touch of sweet Americano sharpness which offset any aggression or single dimensionality, and which in the final puffs of the smoke changed to something akin to creamy Galaxy chocolate. If I had a nubber I would have smoked it even further.
Overall: I remember a well respected BOTL, Noah I?m looking at you, describing these as ?grass, grass and more grass?. Well, I don?t know what?s happened, I can only think these have been in some sort of arrested development are now, after six or seven years in the box, undergoing a metamorphosis into something remarkable, because they?re certainly NOT the ?one-trick pony? they?ve been reported to be. The tastes and balance are excellent, the smoking sensation is simultaneously refreshing, mellow and luxurious. Lovers of a nicotine hit will be a little disappointed as I didn?t experience much in the way of tobacco strength, but the quality of flavours should more than compensate. Brilliant cigar!
Seng, if you?ve more in the same vintage, dig one out mate, it?s Summer where you are so try it with a good dry White or a very dry beer like Peroni Gran Riserva.
Size: 152 mm x 38 ? Laguito No 2
Smoke time: 1 hour 20mins
Box date: 2006/07.. Source: Seng
This cigar was kindly gifted to me last year by Seng as part of an ?extra group? to the Forum Cuban MAW. The Vegueros brand, as I?m sure all are aware, was deleted by Habanos during 2012.
Appearance: Take away the naff looking Vegueros band and the cigar is very pleasing with a rich brown, parchment toothed oily wrapper carrying a light tracery of fine veins. The wrap spiral is barely visible all the way up to the nicely finished triple cap which is finished pig-tail.
Construction: Good in the hand with a nice heft, the Esp2 felt very densely packed along it?s entire length. The cold draw was quite tight and the smoking draw a little more resistive than I prefer but easily manageable. The burn was unerring and totally online throughout the smoke. The ash was very compacted and I needed to be a little heavier handed than usual in the ?tapping off?. No re-lights. No corrections required.
Flavour: The pre-light aroma was grassy with a light undernote of something herbaceous, possibly Sage. The taste start was electric, on the cusp between sweet sugary and tart and akin to stewed gooseberries. This gave way slowly to base flavours of the third which were a sweet grass/wood and acidic lemon citrus. Now, this is the hard part. Sometimes the lemon would be sweet, sometimes sour. Sometimes the wood notes would be the more prominent, sometimes they would recede to the back, but whichever way the joined taste was delicious and totally refreshing to the mouth. Towards the end of the third the Esp2 did something bordering on miraculous, it achieved a 50/50 between the two tastes, and it was divine.
Some way into the second third and the grass/wood began it?s ascendance, I was also picking out some bean notes and the lemon tastes although having slipped back were still alternating between sweet and sour, and then just for several puffs changed completely to sweet, caramalised apple. Closing towards the final third and the wood tastes became softly charred and toastlike. Unusually for me, I thought the final third was the best. The sweet citrus although constant gradually became weaker, for a while the taste sensation was that of toast with thinly spread marmalade, warm mellow and comforting. Moving through the third and the grass/woods were replaced by smooth, rich roasted tobacco and a touch of sweet Americano sharpness which offset any aggression or single dimensionality, and which in the final puffs of the smoke changed to something akin to creamy Galaxy chocolate. If I had a nubber I would have smoked it even further.
Overall: I remember a well respected BOTL, Noah I?m looking at you, describing these as ?grass, grass and more grass?. Well, I don?t know what?s happened, I can only think these have been in some sort of arrested development are now, after six or seven years in the box, undergoing a metamorphosis into something remarkable, because they?re certainly NOT the ?one-trick pony? they?ve been reported to be. The tastes and balance are excellent, the smoking sensation is simultaneously refreshing, mellow and luxurious. Lovers of a nicotine hit will be a little disappointed as I didn?t experience much in the way of tobacco strength, but the quality of flavours should more than compensate. Brilliant cigar!
Seng, if you?ve more in the same vintage, dig one out mate, it?s Summer where you are so try it with a good dry White or a very dry beer like Peroni Gran Riserva.
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